As reported in Time, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted in late June to recommend that children age 2 to 8 receive a nasal spray flu vaccine rather than a vaccine shot.
ACIP’s press release states that the recommendation “is based on a review of available studies that suggests the nasal spray flu vaccine can provide better protection [against the flu] than the flu shot in this age group.” ACIP also recommends that the flu shot be given if the nasal spray is not immediately available, to avoid missing or delaying vaccination opportunities.
Unlike the flu shot, the nasal spray is made from a live, weakened flu virus. According to the Time article, “[s]tudies have shown the spray can lead to a stronger immune response in children who have not had the flu before, but the same may not hold true for adults.”
The article notes that there is some disagreement with the panel’s recommendation. For example, the American Academy of Pediatrics does not think one vaccine type for children should be preferred over another, because both are effective. The group also cites the concern that the nasal spray typically costs more than the flu shot.
