FluMist™ FAQ's This summary of FluMist™ frequently asked questions is courtesy of MedImmune Vaccines, makers of FluMist™. You can view additional information in .pdf form by clicking here.

How is FluMist different from the flu shot?
How does FluMist work?
What is a live virus vaccine?
Can I get the flu from FluMist?
Who can get vaccinated with FluMist?
Who should not get vaccinated with FluMist?
Who should wait to get vaccinated with FluMist?
Why should I consider asking my health care professional about vaccination with FluMist?
What other important product information should I know about? 

How is FluMist™ different from the flu shot?
One way FluMist, Influenza Virus Vaccine Live, Intranasal, differs from the flu shot is the way FluMist is administered as a nasal mist.  FluMist is delivered into the nose, where the flu virus can enter the body.  In addition, FluMist is made from a live, attenuated (weakened) virus, whereas the flu shot is made using a killed virus.  Both vaccines contain the three strains of influenza virus that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has selected as the most likely to cause influenza in the coming flu season.

Not all influenza vaccines are appropriate for everyone.  FluMist is indicated for active immunization for the prevention of disease caused by influenza A and B viruses in healthy children and adolescents, 5 to 17 years of age, and healthy adults, 18 to 49 years of age. Ask your doctor or health care professional if FluMist is right for you and your family.

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How does FluMist™ work?
FluMist is designed to help your body develop disease-fighting proteins called antibodies. After vaccination with FluMist, these antibodies develop in your body.  FluMist has been shown to help protect healthy people from the flu throughout the flu season. FluMist does not protect 100% of individuals vaccinated nor will it protect against influenza virus strains that are not contained in the vaccine.

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What is a live virus vaccine?
FluMist is a live, attenuated vaccine that uses a modified (weakened) form of the influenza virus designed to stimulate a protective immune response in the body, similar to the response your body would have after being exposed to the influenza virus.

Attenuated, live-virus vaccines have been successful in the prevention of diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, polio, and chickenpox.

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Can I get the flu from FluMist™?
FluMist is a live, weakened vaccine that uses a modified form of the influenza virus designed to stimulate a protective immune response in the body, similar to the response your body would have after being exposed to the influenza virus.  However, the modified virus in FluMist is designed to stimulate your body's immune response without causing classic influenza disease.

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Who can get vaccinated with FluMist™?
FluMist is indicated for healthy children, adolescents, and adults 5 to 49 years of age. Ask your doctor or health care professional if FluMist is right for you and your family.

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Who should not get vaccinated with FluMist™?
You should not receive FluMist if you:

• Are less than 5 years of age. In one study, an increase in asthmatic events was seen in children under 5
• Are 50 years of age or older
• Have an allergy or history of allergic reaction to chicken eggs or egg products or any component of the vaccine (see "Additional Information" on the FluMist.com web site). Symptoms of a severe allergic reaction may include shortness of breath, wheezing, or difficulty breathing; swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or other parts of the body; skin rash, itching, or hives.
• Are a child or adolescent who regularly takes aspirin, or products containing aspirin
• Have a history of Guillain-Barré syndrome
• Have a known or suspected immune deficiency disease or condition such as combined immunodeficiency, agammaglobulinemia, HIV infection, thymic abnormalities, malignancy, leukemia, or lymphoma
• Are immunosuppressed or have altered or compromised immune status due to treatment with systemic corticosteroids, alkylating drugs, antimetabolites, radiation or other immunosuppressive therapies
• Have a history of asthma or reactive airways disease
• Have underlying medical conditions such as but not limited to chronic disorders of the lungs and heart; or have had regularly scheduled follow-up visits or have been hospitalized in the past year because of chronic metabolic diseases (including diabetes), kidney dysfunction, or a hemoglobinopathy such as sickle cell disease
• Are pregnant

Due to the possible transmission of vaccine virus, FluMist recipients should avoid being in close (for example, within the same household) contact with immunocompromised individuals for 3 weeks following vaccination.

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Who should wait to get vaccinated with FluMist™?
FluMist should not be given to anyone who has an illness with fever or a respiratory illness until 3 days after symptoms have subsided. Since anti-influenza drugs may interfere with FluMist, it is recommended that FluMist not be given until 48 hours following the end of antiviral therapy and that antivirals not be given until 2 weeks after receiving FluMist (unless otherwise directed by your health care professional).

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Why should I consider asking my health care professional about vaccination with FluMist™?
Having the flu can be a extremely unpleasant experience!  People who get the flu may be in bed for 3 or 4 days and have restricted activity for even longer. If you or anyone in your family has had the flu, then you know it can cause you to miss work because of your own illness or to care for a sick child who cannot go to school. Groups at risk of exposure to the flu virus include school-aged children, teachers, parents, and working adults. Not all influenza vaccines are appropriate for everyone. FluMist is indicated for active immunization for the prevention of disease caused by influenza A and B viruses in healthy children and adolescents, 5 to 17 years of age, and healthy adults, 18 to 49 years of age. So, ask your doctor or health care professional if FluMist is right for you and your family.

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What other important product information should I know about?
FluMist is indicated for active immunization for the prevention of disease caused by influenza A and B viruses in healthy children and adolescents, 5 to 17 years of age, and healthy adults, 18 to 49 years of age.  FluMist is not indicated for immunization of individuals less than 5 years of age, or 50 years of age and older.

In studies of approximately 7,500 people between the ages of 5 and 49, side effects were generally mild and temporary. Runny nose was the most common. Others included various cold-like symptoms, such as headache, cough, sore throat, tiredness/weakness, irritability, and muscle aches. Side effects not seen in studies are possible when FluMist is used in a larger population.

There are risks associated with all vaccines, including FluMist. FluMist does not protect 100% of individuals vaccinated.  FluMist should not be used, under any circumstances, in anyone with an allergy to any part of the vaccine, including eggs; in children and adolescents receiving aspirin therapy; in people who have a history of Guillain-Barré syndrome; and in people with known or suspected immune system problems. Pregnant women and people with certain medical conditions, asthma, or reactive airways disease should not get FluMist.  Ask your health care professional if FluMist is right for you and your family.