Study looks at best way to vaccinate kids against the flu

(New York-WABC, February 14, 2007) (WABC) -- We're in the middle of flu season, and now there's word on what is the best way to vaccinate children. Seven's On Call.

Remember the nasal spray flu vaccine where no shot was needed? Last year it was approved only for people ages 5 to 49. But a study in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine may lead to its use in younger children if it gets FDA approval.

Kathie Rivera's two-year-old son Angel is at the hospital for severe diarrhea, probably due to a virus. But there's one virus he won't get this year -- the flu virus. Kathie took him for a flu shot.

"The fever, the chills up the spine ... it's horrible. I wouldn't like my children to go through that," Kathie said.

For Kathie's kids and for others young children, the study has some good news.

It compared the inhaled vaccine containing a live but weakened flu virus to the shot which contains a killed virus in children six months to five years of age. The major finding? There were almost 60 percent fewer flu cases in kids getting the live vaccine.

"No one likes to get a shot. The pediatrician and the nurse don't like giving the shot, the child and the parent don't like receiving the shot," said Dr. Nathan Litman of Children's Hospital at Montefiore.

Also, it appeared safe for infants and preschoolers. They have more office visits for flu than any other age group.

Safety studies on the live vaccine showed that some kids below one year of age had significant wheezing as a side effect. For that reason, the FDA may consider using this vaccine in kids older than a year of age.

The nasal vaccine may soon be approved for kids ages one through five.

"Many pediatricians will be offering both the killed and live vaccine and the specific vaccine that should be administered to an individual child is best determined by the physician," Dr. Litman said.

The FDA may approve the vaccine for kids above one year of age. Use in younger infants is a question mark for now.

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