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When it comes to flu vaccines, which is better? A squirt in the nose or a shot in the arm?
I'm Gabe Garza with your latest health news. A new study found that the live attenuated
influenza vaccine (LAIV), more commonly known as the nasal spray flu vaccine, may be less
effective at preventing the flu among children and teens than the inactivated influenza vaccine
(IIV) in some cases. For this study, researchers used data from the US Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness
Network to look at nearly 7,000 children and teens ages 2 to 17 who were vaccinated with
either the spray or shot during four flu seasons between 2010 and 2014. The chances of getting
the flu were similar for both children and teens vaccinated with the spray or shot across
three seasons: 2010-2013. In the 2013–2014 season, however, the chances of flu were significantly
higher among young children (ages 2 to 8) vaccinated with the spray. Researchers said
that, while the reasons behind these findings are not yet understood, it will likely be
important to monitor specific flu types in the future as vaccination rates increase and
new vaccines are introduced.