Is the nasal spray flu vaccine a good option this flu season?

With flu season fast approaching, health experts have emphasized that this year, more than ever, getting a flu shot is important.

There are many vaccine options to choose from this season. But with the threat of a second wave of COVID-19 occurring at the same time as flu season, many are wondering if the nasal spray vaccine, which has not been recommended by public health officials in recent years, is a good option this year.

Here’s what you need to know about the nasal spray vaccine.

Who should get the nasal spray vaccine?

The nasal spray vaccine is only recommended for people ages 2 to 49. There are some exceptions to who should receive it, including pregnant women, children 2 to 4 years old with asthma, and the immunosuppressed.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends getting vaccinated before the end of October, so your body has time to build immunity before influenza begins to spread widely in the community.

Is the nasal spray vaccine as effective as the shot?

Flu vaccines vary in effectiveness each year. The CDC determines which strains of flu go into the vaccine based on the types that circulated in the winter seasons in other parts of the world.

Each year, the vaccine is 40% to 60% effective, health experts say.

The nasal spray flu vaccine was found to be an effective vaccination option prior to 2009, when the H1N1, or swine flu, outbreak occurred.

After the outbreak, studies showed that the nasal spray vaccine was not as effective against H1N1. The CDC stopped recommending it from 2016 to 2018.

But he has since recommended the nasal spray vaccine again because of the new ingredients used by the manufacturer.

Since then there have been no efficacy studies on the nasal spray vaccine, but data from other countries indicate that it is as effective as the injection, according to the CDC.

“I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it either over the shot, or over the shot,” said Dr. Joseph Chang, Parkland Health and Hospital System medical director. “Things that are approved by the CDC have a very rigorous process that they have to go through. If the CDC and FDA approved them, then I would say that either one is good to use.”

Dr. Dawn Johnson, a Children’s Health pediatrician and medical director of the Children’s Health Pediatric Group, said parents often look to the nasal spray vaccine.

He said it is an acceptable option for this year’s flu vaccination, but that it is sometimes difficult to locate patients.

“Generally speaking, there is not enough to give to everyone who prefers it,” he said. “I encourage parents to get the flu vaccine that is available and definitely not put it off while waiting for a nasal spray.”

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