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Young children now eligible to receive FluMist
Advisory panel says kids as young as two may use nasal spray vaccine
Cynthia Foster
Issue date: 11/2/07 Section: News
A federal advisory panel said recently that children as young as two can now receive the nasal spray flu vaccine.
Previously, FluMist was authorized for use only by healthy people between the ages of 5-years-old and 49-years-old.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which made the recommendation, said the nasal spray flu vaccine is an option for children instead of the flu shot.
More than five million children will be eligible to receive FluMist since the committee also voted for a government program which will cover the cost of the vaccine for 2-year-olds.
FluMist is also an option for college students, according to Jean Swearingen, interim medical director at Student Health Service.
"As long as the person does not have an underlying chronic medical illness," Swearingen said.
FluMist is not recommended for anyone with asthma or whopping cough.
"Using the nasal flu vaccine can exacerbate the condition," Patrick Moraleda, pharmacist at SHS, said.
FluMist is also not recommended for use by anyone with diabetes or with a compromised immune system, Swearingen said.
There are more restrictions related to the use of the nasal spray vaccine as opposed to the flu shot.
For example, people with kidney or liver disease cannot use the nasal spray vaccine, according to Swearingen.
ISU recently held its flu clinic but administering FluMist was not an option.
The FluMist was not an option for ISU's flu clinic due to the many restrictions attached to it.
"The immunization clinics that are done here and elsewhere would rarely use FluMist because there are so many people that can't use it," Swearingen said.
Another reason FluMist was not an option for ISU is due to resources.
The goal of an immunization clinic is to get as many people immunized in the time frame set aside for the clinic, according to Swearingen.
"Using FluMist would require a more extensive evaluation of each person to make sure the person was able to receive FluMist," Swearingen said.
"This would decrease the resources available to take care of people since more time is needed to process one person," Swearingen added.
"It would be very rare to see any immunization clinic, whether it is offered by ISU or the public health department, use FluMist due to the increased screening time," Swearingen said.
Another factor someone needs to consider before choosing the nasal spray vaccine over the flu shot is the cost.
"Not every place stocks it because it is not cost effective," Swearingen said.
The average cost of a flu shot is $25 while the average cost of the nasal flu vaccine is $30.
Previously, FluMist was authorized for use only by healthy people between the ages of 5-years-old and 49-years-old.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which made the recommendation, said the nasal spray flu vaccine is an option for children instead of the flu shot.
More than five million children will be eligible to receive FluMist since the committee also voted for a government program which will cover the cost of the vaccine for 2-year-olds.
FluMist is also an option for college students, according to Jean Swearingen, interim medical director at Student Health Service.
"As long as the person does not have an underlying chronic medical illness," Swearingen said.
FluMist is not recommended for anyone with asthma or whopping cough.
"Using the nasal flu vaccine can exacerbate the condition," Patrick Moraleda, pharmacist at SHS, said.
FluMist is also not recommended for use by anyone with diabetes or with a compromised immune system, Swearingen said.
There are more restrictions related to the use of the nasal spray vaccine as opposed to the flu shot.
For example, people with kidney or liver disease cannot use the nasal spray vaccine, according to Swearingen.
ISU recently held its flu clinic but administering FluMist was not an option.
The FluMist was not an option for ISU's flu clinic due to the many restrictions attached to it.
"The immunization clinics that are done here and elsewhere would rarely use FluMist because there are so many people that can't use it," Swearingen said.
Another reason FluMist was not an option for ISU is due to resources.
The goal of an immunization clinic is to get as many people immunized in the time frame set aside for the clinic, according to Swearingen.
"Using FluMist would require a more extensive evaluation of each person to make sure the person was able to receive FluMist," Swearingen said.
"This would decrease the resources available to take care of people since more time is needed to process one person," Swearingen added.
"It would be very rare to see any immunization clinic, whether it is offered by ISU or the public health department, use FluMist due to the increased screening time," Swearingen said.
Another factor someone needs to consider before choosing the nasal spray vaccine over the flu shot is the cost.
"Not every place stocks it because it is not cost effective," Swearingen said.
The average cost of a flu shot is $25 while the average cost of the nasal flu vaccine is $30.
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