During a recent flu season, a study of almost 2,000 healthy adults revealed that regular shots were two times as effective as the nasal spray against the ordinary winter flu. On the other hand, this might not be true for swine flu vaccines, which will most likely be available in a spray first. According to experts, both kinds may be uniform in effectiveness against the swine flu in children and adults.
Flu shots are made from dead flu viruses that are normally administered into the arm. Flu Mist, which is the only government-approved flu nasal spray, squirts a live but weakened strain into the nostrils.
The Flu Mist is usually used in children, and studies indicate that it is more effective than shots in children. Adults seem to be choosing the spray version more and more, but the most recent shot-versus-spray study seems to repeat past research that showed shots to be better for adults.
So far, they do not know why the spray seems to not be as effective against seasonal flu in adults, but this may not be the same for the swine flu, claimed Dr. Jay Butler, who is the swine flu vaccine chief from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He said that the swine flu virus is so new that the immune system will probably have a powerful response.
The first shipments of the swine flu vaccines, which are currently expected around the middle of next month, will most likely be the nasal spray kind, according to federal health officials.
Dr. Arnold Monto, a University of Michigan epidemiologist who led the recent flu study, said that the difference in the effectiveness between the swine flu shot and spray will not be extreme because the 2009 H1N1 strain is so current.
In the study, regular flu vaccines from the 2007-08 flu season were compared. Healthy volunteers, who ranged in age from 18 to 49, were given either a flu shot, a dummy injection, Flu Mist or a fake nasal spray.
The researchers in this study reported that the flu shot was found to be 68% effective for preventing the flu. The nasal spray, on the other hand, was only 36% successful.
WHERE can I receive a the ORDINARY WINTER FLU shot. EVERYONE seems to be out of them, including the visiting nurses who were expected to administer the shot last week and had to cancel due to the LACK of vaccine ????? I live in Litchfield county in Ct.