FluMist for Kids

February 14, 2007 -- Parents of young children may soon have a more kid-friendly alternative to the flu shot- an inhaled flu vaccine.

The nasal vaccine, marketed as FluMist, is already available to adults and kids older than 5 years. Now a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine shows it's safe and effective for even younger children.

Doctors vaccinated more than 8000 babies and young kids and found that FluMist was BETTER at protecting children from the flu than the usual shot. Kids who got the FluMist vaccine were HALF as likely to get influenza. Plus, with no needle, FluMist is an attractive alternative for parents of young children.

The study did find a higher risk of hospitalization in infants under 1 year, so the authors conclude FluMist should be limited to children 1 year and older.

Last year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control officially recommended that children aged 6 months to five years get the annual flu vaccine. Studies have shown that young children are hospitalized for flu complications just as often as the elderly.

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