U.S. Advisers OK Nasal Spray Flu Vaccine for Young Children

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Children under the age of 2 should not receive FluMist, because there was an increased risk of hospitalization and wheezing for this age group during the clinical trials, the FDA said.

Common adverse reactions to the FluMist vaccine were generally mild and most often included runny nose and/or nasal congestion, as well as a slight fever in children 2 to 6 years of age, the FDA said.

One dose of FluMist costs about $18 -- about the same cost as a flu shot. One dose is recommended annually, but if it's the first time a young child was ever vaccinated against flu, two doses should be given, at least one month apart, the AP said.

Barbara Loe Fisher is co-founder and president of the National Vaccine Information Center, a national, nonprofit group that endorses informed consent on vaccination to help prevent vaccine injuries.

"There is a concern with FluMist for children who have asthma or respiratory problems," she said. "It is a live virus vaccine, and parents need to be aware of the differences between the killed flu vaccine and the live virus vaccine."

Fisher said parents of children with asthma or respiratory problems should opt for the flu shot, which contains a dead version of the flu virus.

Dartmouth's Bernstein also thinks the vaccine advisory panel should recommend pneumococcal conjugate vaccine for children 24 through 59 months of age who are not completely vaccinated.

"All the children that need it should get it," Bernstein said. "It's a very safe and effective vaccine, and pneumonia is a bacteria that can cause serious infection in young children," he said.

Also Wednesday, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices discussed a proposal to recommend flu vaccinations for all school-age children. Health officials believe vaccinating more children would reduce the spread of flu in general as well as protect the students themselves. But experts say they're concerned about the strain on pediatricians and schools if they tried to give annual flu shots to so many children, the AP said.

The discussion was tabled until the committee's next meeting in February, the news service said.

More information

To learn more about flu and vaccination, visit the CDC.