For many, it is annual flu season once again and many would be infected by it. Children, in particular, would be most affected, but it can be a risk for older people and pregnant women as well. Usually, there has been a choice between the use of either a nasal spray or flu injection, though, for this year, it seems like one treatment is getting the best of the other.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this year has said that FluMist won't be enough in dealing with the flu, as CNN reports. The best option would then be to have a flu shot. A flu shot is different from a nasal spray.
A nasal spray is said to be a live attenuated flu vaccine. The flu viruses then are live but have been weakened. On the other hand, a flu shot uses dead or inactivate flu virus. Both have its advantages and disadvantages, though, there are those who find nasal sprays riskier.
One of its risks involved with nasal sprays is that they use different live flu viruses. this stands in stark contrast to flu shots, which use inactive or dead flu viruses. Although the flu viruses in nasal sprays are said to be weakened, they still cause the same symptoms much like anyone would have who has the flu.
FluMist seems to have been ineffective in preventing the outbreak of flu for the past year, the CDC has found. While the issue is being sorted out, flu shots are then being given to those who would want to be vaccinated from the flu this year.
One benefit of a flu injection is that it will not give people flu or flu-like symptoms like a nasal spray does, according to WebMD. There might be some soreness in the arm from where the shot was made. In some patients, the treatment might cause mild fever and pains, though such instances quite rare.
Most can get flu shots ranging from 6 months up. Those who have allergies should first see their doctor before getting a flu shot. As for fears of getting infected with the flu after taking a flu shot, many say this is not so as the flu virus in flu shots are already dead. Also, for those who have allergies, flu shots now have fewer egg proteins in them than in the past, so those who might have an allergy to eggs would still be safe.
Flu shots would also be over more quickly. After taking the shot, a patient can go home and not worry much. Most doctors do say that a flu shot, or even a nasal spray, is not a guarantee that children and other people will not get the flu. It can help in preventing, but it does not necessarily mean that it can totally prevent the flu if ever it does come.
iTechPost has more health news, such as the Zika virus arriving in the Philippines.
