Will FluMist Help Prevent Pediatric Deaths?

For the upcoming 2018-2019 flu season, FluMist Quadrivalent, the quadrivalent live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV4) is now an approved option, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). 

This ACIP approval is a change from the last 2 seasons and is a reconfirmation of February 2018 ACIP vote in favor of Flumist.

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This is an important decision by the ACIP since 172 young children died from the flu last year. 

Approximately 80 percent of these children had not received a flu vaccination. 

FLuMist is licensed for persons aged 2 through 49 years and is administered intranasally using a prefilled, single-use sprayer, containing 0.2 mL of flu vaccine.

About 50 percent of the total contents is sprayed into the first nostril, while the person is in the upright position. And, an attached dose-divider clip is removed from the sprayer to administer the remaining 50 percent into the other nostril.

If the vaccine recipient sneezes immediately after administration, the dose should not be repeated.

Moderate or severe acute illness with or without fever, is a general precaution for vaccination, according to ACIP.

Previously, a separate study found no evidence of increased risk of subsequent asthma diagnosis among children younger than 3 years of age who received LAIV compared with placebo.

These researchers wrote in the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, "LAIVs are not currently licensed for use in children younger than 2 years of age, given concerns of a possible association between LAIV and wheezing in this age group.”

The lack of available LAIVs for children less than 2 years of age is a major limitation to disease prevention, given that this age group has the greatest pediatric influenza disease burden.

Additionally, a recent study found that age contributes to flu shedding. 

This study reported children aged 0–4 years were found to ‘shed’ the influenza virus 40 percent longer than adults.

Most pharmacies in the USA offer several FDA approved flu vaccines.

Vaccination appointments can be scheduled by visiting this page.

The CDC Vaccine Price List provides the private sector prices for general information.

Flu vaccine discounts can be found here.

Vaccines, like any medicine, can have side effects. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of vaccines to the FDA or CDC.