Spray the flu away

While many people are scared of the flu, the thought of getting a flu shot can be even scarier.

As flu season – which extends from November through April and peaks in late December and early March – sets in, a new medication, FluMist, hopes to makes this season much less frightening for flu sufferers.

FluMist, unlike typical vaccines that are injected into the arm, is sprayed up a patient’s nose.

‘FluMist may appeal to individuals who are needle-phobic,’ said Martin Mahoney, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Buffalo. ‘It makes it possible to effectively immunize without giving an injection.’

Although FluMist conveniently protects against the flu, there are some downsides. According to FluMist’s website, the vaccine has only been approved for a limited number of patients, there is an increased chance of passing the vaccine virus to others and it costs more than previous vaccines. FluMist costs $46 a dose, two to three times more than the injected flu vaccine, and many insurers do not cover the vaccine.

‘FluMist is extremely easy to administer, coupled with very high efficacy,’ said Robert Belshe, a doctor and professor of internal medicine at St. Louis University who led many of FluMist’s clinical trials for MedImmune Vaccines, Inc., the vaccine’s manufacturer. ‘We don’t expect it to replace the injected flu vaccine, but it gives us a wonderful opportunity to protect healthy people from the flu.’

Millions of people in the United States – about 10 to 20 percent of the population – get the flu each year, leading to an average of 20,000 deaths and 114,000 hospitalizations, according to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

People of all ages are vulnerable to the flu. Boston University spokesman Colin Riley recommends all students get flu vaccinations, which are available at Student Health Services.

‘Students are in close proximity to one another in the living environment, and the flu vaccine can reduce the number of days of class students may miss from the flu,’ he said.

Although getting vaccinations does not ensure immunity from the flu, it does substantially reduce the chances. Clinical trials showed FluMist prevented the flu in 87 percent of children and 85 percent of adults, according to MedImmune.

Both types of vaccines can produce uncomfortable side effects. FluMist’s include runny noses, headaches, sore throats and coughs; those who opt for injections can experience swelling or soreness at the injection site, low-grade fevers or aches, according to the CDC.

‘Each vaccine has some mild side effects, but they’re highly tolerable,’ Belshe said.

Another downside for some patients is discomfort from the nasal spray, according to a survey conducted by Joel Sendek, a biotechnology expert at for Lazard Freres ‘ Co, an analyst firm.

FluMist is currently approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration only for healthy individuals age five to 49. This stops two groups of people vulnerable to the flu – people with medical problems that place them at high risk for flu-related complications and adults – from getting the vaccine.

Since FluMist contains live – but weakened – viruses, there is a small chance that people who receive the vaccine may pass the live virus to others, according to the CDC, which places the risk at less than 3 percent. On its website, the CDC advises those in close contact with people who have weakened immune systems not to get FluMist.

Because the live vaccine is weak, it usually will not cause full-blown illness when passed to a healthy individual. Instead it will give the individual protection against getting the flu when exposed to the virus again, said Sean Palfrey, a doctor and president of the Massachusetts chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

BU Student Health Services only offers the flu vaccine injection, not FluMist. But several BU students said they would be interested in the new method.

‘If I had the opportunity, I would very seriously consider getting my vaccine that way,’ said Ryan Olsen, a first-year graduate student in the College of Communication. ‘So many people are paranoid of needles, and this new vaccine sounds easier and more convenient.’

Other students think the vaccine is an attractive option but wouldn’t use it themselves.

‘I can see how it would be of interest to someone who’s afraid of needles, but I wouldn’t be more inclined either way,’ said Dan Reynolds, a COM second-year graduate student. ‘I’d just use whatever they gave me.’

But needle-phobia may help FluMist gain some popularity.

‘Even though we’re in college, nobody likes shots,’ said COM senior Meagan McDonald. ‘I think everyone’s a baby when it comes to going to the doctor.’