This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Local health officials are urging needle-phobic Utahns to face their fears and get the flu shot this year after the nasal spray vaccine was deemed ineffective.
Both the American Academy of Pediatricscq and the Centers for Disease Control and Preventioncq have said the nasal spray FluMistcq should not be used this flu season because it failed to protect against certain types of influenza as well as the shot.
Andy Pavia, University of Utah Health Care's chief of pediatric infectious diseasescq, said this recommendation will impact children more than adults. The nasal spray was easy to administer for children who typically are wary of needles, he added.
About one-third of pediatric flu vaccinations were FluMist.
Audrey Stevenson, director of the Salt Lake County Health Department's family health services divisioncq, said the department is worried people who prefer the nasal spray now will forgo getting vaccinated. But they shouldn't, she added, because it affects them and those close to them.
The flu "may be deadly," Stevenson said. "The virus kills thousands of people every year and here we have a vaccine that helps prevent the disease and many deaths."
For most individuals, cases of the flu are mild and they recover in less two weeks. It can cause complications, however, such as pneumonia and bronchitis. Those can be fatal, the CDC states.
Individuals at risk for flu-related complications include children under 5, the elderly and pregnant women, according to the CDC.
The FluMist website still shows a few locations in the Salt Lake City area that sell the nasal spraycq.
But Pavia said "if a vaccine doesn't work, you shouldn't use it."
Flu vaccinations are available now at local pharmacies and health departments, for example, but Stevenson said individuals should wait until closer to October to get vaccinated "so immunity will be at its peak when you're most likely to be exposed to the disease."
Flu season typically peaks in January, though it can vary, she added.
Most insurances cover the flu vaccine and Stevenson said manufacturers are assuring health departments there will be enough vaccines to go around despite the recommendation against FluMist.
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