NASAL SPRAY Flu vaccine

FluMist is approved for use in healthy people age 2-49 who are not pregnant. The nasal-spray flu vaccine can be given to people with minor illnesses, such as diarrhea or mild upper respiratory tract infection, with or without fever. However, if nasal congestion is present that might limit delivery of the vaccine to the nasal lining, then delaying of vaccination until the nasal congestion is reduced should be considered.

Who should not be vaccinated with FluMist?

People less than 2 years old.

People 50 years old and over.

People with a medical condition that places them at high risk for complications from influenza, including those with chronic heart or lung disease, such as asthma or reactive airways disease; people with medical conditions such as diabetes or kidney failure; or people with illnesses that weaken the immune system, or who take medications that can weaken the immune system.

Children younger than 5 with a history of recurrent wheezing.

Children or adolescents receiving aspirin.

People with a history of Guillain-Barr syndrome, a rare disorder of the nervous system.

Pregnant women.

People who have a severe allergy to chicken eggs or who are allergic to any of the nasal-spray vaccine components.

People who are in contact with others with severely weakened immune systems when they are being cared for in a protective environment, for example, people with hematopoietic stem cell transplants.

People who have contact with others with lesser degrees of immunosuppression, for example, people with diabetes, people with asthma taking corticosteroids, or people infected with HIV, can get FluMist).

Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention