<p>I have yet to take S1 (16) and S2 (11) in for their seasonal flu shots. The hours when they are offered are difficult, and the pediatrician’s office has had some shortages. I was thinking of doing it today, but when I called just now, I was told that their supplies are limited and they would probably run out before the end of the time when they are offered, and that they are expecting another supply late next week. Because I have to wait until after school, we will probably not get there before they run out. I asked about the nasal mist, and was told that they have plenty of that. But the implication seemed to be that I should wait for the injections.</p>
<p>My boys are both healthy. Is the flu mist as effective as the vaccine? I know that there is a slightly higher chance of mild illness from the nasal mist, because it is made from live viruses. Should I wait for the injections? Or should I just get them the nasal mist, and save the injections for younger or sicker kids who really need them?</p>
<p>I do not know which is better. I have head the news reports that go out to the public stating that some years the mist was more effective and other years the shot was more effective. My younger son gets the mist because his doctor offers both. He has been getting the mist for years and has never had a reaction to it. Why not ask your sons’ doctor as to which would be best for your son’s? My older son gets the injection because that is all that is readily available to him.</p>
<p>NYMomof2, my pediatrician is experiencing the same shortages of flu vaccines that you describe. It is doubly frustrating because in our state children under the age of 18 can only receive a flu vaccine with a prescription written by a doctor. They won’t write a scrip for us to go to a pharmacy that might have the vaccine. So, we are stuck waiting for them to receive the vaccine. On top of that, the after school times are snatched up quickly, and my high schoolers simply feel that they cannot miss school.</p>
<p>I took my son into a walk-in clinic last weekend; he was diagnosed with a sinus infection. The doctor there indicated that I could bring him back there after he was done with his antibiotics and get one from them. They had plenty.</p>
<p>My pharmacist explained the flumist to me this way: It is more effective than the shot, since it does have a small amount of the live virus. However, the risk to older folks (over 49 haha) or the very young is that there is a very very small possibility that they may get the flu, since it is a live virus.</p>
<p>I have always gotten my healthy kids the flumist; this year I will probably just get them whatever is available.</p>
<p>My kids have had the FluMist for years - at the local pharmacy, just because it was easier. The first time they got it I checked it out beforehand with their pediatrician and got a solid thumbs up. This year my youngest - needle phobic - got it at the pediatrician’s office right before she left for college. </p>
<p>BTW, my kids have said it’s thicker than a mist.</p>
<p>I have autoimmune issues that make me react very badly to flu shots - the injection site forms a green ping-pong ball sized lump that lasts for about a week. I have no idea what would happen to me with a nasal mist, but I don’t want to ever find out!!!</p>
<p>Note that the flu mist is a live vaccine, and the shot is synthetic. This makes a difference if you’re immunosuppressed. Other than that, they’re the same deal. I just hate sniffing things up my nose, so I’d opt for the shot.</p>
<p>Thank you for all the information, everyone. momlove, I guess you have another layer of difficulty with the prescription requirement! My sons’ pediatrician’s office offers the vaccine 3 days/week, for a couple hours in the morning (during school), and a couple hours in the afternoon, ending at 4. I can only take them when neither has a lesson or club. It’s been hard to find a time; I would have gone today (and gotten the mist), but a phone call came in just as we were about to leave, so we missed today as well.</p>
<p>The flu mist is a live vaccine. It is just as, if not more effective than the shot which is a killed vaccine (not ‘synthetic’).</p>
<p>If your son’s are otherwise healthy they can get the flumist. Anyone with a chronic illness, asthma, heart disease etc. should receive the shot.
Follow the recommendation of your sons’ health care provider.</p>
<p>One other item of note I learned from the pediatrician’s office yesterday regarding the flu mist versus the vaccine: one needs to wait 2 weeks after receiving the flu mist to receive the mist version of the H1N1. If one receives the seasonal flu injection, there is no need to wait. </p>
<p>I stopped at a flu clinic last week with S, and we both received the injection. D received the injection on campus. Unfortunately the campus ran out of seasonal vaccines before the planned clinics ended. Far more students than anticipated showed up for the vaccine. Local supplies of the seasonal vaccine have run out here. More are expected in the next week or so.</p>
<p>I’m under the impression that they are effectively the same. But, did anyone else have to threaten your student with bodily harm to get them to get a flu shot? I thought I was going to have to drive to the campus and embarrass my son by dragging him from the dorm. He finally relented and got the shot.</p>
<p>As I understand it, if the child gets flu mist for the seasonal flu, he must then wait a period of three weeks to a month to have the H1N1 vaccine (as per our pediatrician), whereas with a shot, there is not the same waiting period. The pharmacist who gave me my seasonal flu shot seemed to think it was OK for healthy adults to have the seasonal and H1N1 shots at the same time …not that they had any H1N1 vaccine.</p>
<p>Distribution of the H1N1 vaccine has begun. A friend of mine, who is in the highest priority category - a doctor caring for pregnant women and newborns - had hers today.</p>
<p>I am not going to get one. I am over 57, and probably immune. Only 1% of the cases so far have been in the over-60 age group.</p>
<p>I am going to get my kids in as soon as it is offered, though - even if they have to miss school!</p>
<p>I am 41 and not getting one either. I am thinking we have it in our house right now (althought I thought we had it last spring), daughter has already recovered, son just started today (what a pain sick boys are!). I am being told that all flu in our area are
H1N1 right now, some people who see a doctor do test negative for influenza but there is a 40% false negative with the swab!
I do not know what to do with the kids once the vaccine is here. Will probably skip since it looks like they already had the disease.</p>
<p>D is getting the flu mist on Sunday. She had the flu 2 years ago and was sick as a dog. Got the mist last year, no side effects, stayed healthy all year. She’s needle-phobic and insists on the mist as opposed to a shot. I want her to get the H1N1 asap, but since it doesn’t seem to be available yet I guess there’s no conflict.</p>
<p>No, but either way, the immunization is safe. I will be gettting the shot as soon as I can lay hands on it, and I think I may have had a mild case in July. I see no reason to suffer the inconvenience of a swollen arm in return for no trip to the ICU on a vent…My children will all be vaccinated as well.</p>
<p>I finally got S2 (7) his shot yesterday. Interestingly, his pediatrician had plenty of doses of both the mist and the injection, and after due consideration of S2 and his history/general health/etc., she said that it should make no difference whatsoever which he had. So I let him pick, and was blown away when he chose the injection.</p>
<p>My two in college haven’t been able to get it yet; their school has not received any doses in any form at this point. In fact, their health center is out of seasonal vaccine right now too. S1 managed to get one of the last doses, right before his break. Amusingly (sort of), D was walking up to the health center as S1 walked out and the receptionist taped the “ALL OUT OF VACCINE” sign to the door right behind him. </p>
<p>So I have one kid who’s had both, one who’s had seasonal only, and one who has had nothing.</p>
<p>I’ve had the seasonal vaccine but not the H1N1; my doctor doesn’t have it and I haven’t been able to make it to a pharmacy or clinic yet.</p>