FLORIDA — In the past, children and adults with a fear of needles could get the flu vaccine in the form of a nasal spray.
But this year it’s not an option, and everyone getting vaccinated will get poked with a needle.
Health officials found out the nasal spray was only 3 percent effective at preventing the flu, versus the 65 percent effectiveness of the injection.
“The idea was, it would actually be a better promoter of the immune response to the flu vaccine,” said Dr. Timothy Hendrix, of CentraCare.
Public health officials believe the flu this year will be the same strain we saw last year, which means they don’t think the nasal spray will work well this year either.
Hendrix said the best way to lessen the pain and the anxiety some children feel about injections it to use a distraction, such as book or an iPad.
Cox Media Group
