ColumbiaCare

Most people are aware of the flu shot and its potential to prevent becoming infected with the flu virus, but the idea of needles does not appeal to everyone. Some people avoid getting the flu shot in an attempt to avoid their fear of needles. If you, or someone you know, falls into this category, there is another option. The nasal-spray flu vaccine is one such alternative. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Website it is “a vaccine made with live, weakened flu viruses that do not cause the flu”.

If you are a healthy person, not pregnant, and aged 2 to 49 years old, then you are eligible for the nasal-spray flu vaccine, according to the CDC’s website.

According to the CDC’s Website, if any of the following apply, then you should not get the nasal-spray flu vaccine:

• history of wheezing in children (under the age of five)
• those with a severe allergy to chicken eggs
• history of Guillain-Barre syndrome
• if you were previously infected with the flu and had severe reactions
• a medical condition with a high risk for complications
• if you are pregnant

And according to the CDC’s Website, side effects of the nasal-spray flu vaccine include muscle aches, fever, runny nose, headache, cough and a sore throat. The CDC’s Website also mentions that you can get the nasal-spray flu vaccine this year even if you got the flu shot last year.