Sorry, kids: Doctors urge flu shots, not nasal spray this year
WASHINGTON — Kids may get more of a sting from flu vaccination this fall: Doctors are gearing up to give shots only, because U.S. health officials say the easy-to-use nasal spray version of the vaccine isn’t working as well as a jab.
Needle-phobic adults still have some less painful options. But FluMist, with its squirt into each nostril, was the only ouch-free alternative for children and has accounted for about a third of pediatric flu vaccinations in recent years.
The problem: Studies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found in the past few years, FluMist hasn’t protected against certain influenza strains as well as regular flu shots. Baffled scientists can’t explain why.
The CDC said FluMist should not be used in the U.S. this year. Tuesday, the American Academy of Pediatrics agreed and urged youngsters to roll up their sleeves for a shot.
“We’re saying, ‘Shoot, now we’ve got to do the poke again,’” said Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson of Seattle Children’s Hospital and the AAP. But, “we know the flu vaccine is the best shot at prevention and protecting those who are vulnerable from serious and even life-threatening infections from influenza.”
Swanson has tricks to help ease tears and anxiety, such as numbing the skin or distraction techniques such as telling the youngster to cough on the count of three, coinciding with the poke. Sometimes the youngest feel braver by going first to show up older siblings. Swanson makes her own vaccination a family affair, parents and kids getting the shot together.
But her top advice: Parents, don’t lie and tell your kids the shot won’t hurt. Instead, tell them “it might hurt a bit but it doesn’t last long and you can do this.”
The FluMist mystery isn’t the only vaccine news. Seniors are getting a new option made with an immune booster in hopes of more protection. Here are some other things to know:
WHO NEEDS FLU VACCINE
The CDC urges a yearly vaccination for just about everyone starting at 6 months of age.
Flu is most dangerous for people over age 65, young children, pregnant women and people with certain health conditions such as asthma or heart disease.
But it sometimes kills even the healthy and young. The CDC says on average flu kills about 24,000 Americans each year, including about 100 children.
If mom gets a flu shot during pregnancy, the vaccine also helps protect her baby during its first six months of life.
WHEN TO GET THE SHOT
Vaccinations are getting under way as shipments arrive at grocery stores, clinics and doctors’ offices. Despite the FluMist problem, the CDC expects enough to meet the typical U.S. demand, between 157 million and 168 million shot doses.
Flu typically peaks in January or February but there’s no way to predict when it will begin spreading, and it takes about two weeks for full protection to kick in.