Panel OKs Nasal Flu Spray for Kids Under 2

Oct 25, 08:22 PM

Current Headlines: ATLANTA (AP) - Children as young as 2 can be given a nasal spray flu vaccine, a federal advisory panel said Wednesday.

Government advice now recommends only traditional shots for children younger than 5. But recent studies have shown the vaccine FluMist, made by Maryland-based MedImmune Inc., to be safe and effective in kids as young as 2.

FluMist was initially approved in 2003 for use in healthy people ages 5 to 49. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last month approved its use for the 2 to 5 age group as well.

Now, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which advises government health officials, is recommending FluMist's use for kids in the 2 to 5 age bracket. Committee members said Wednesday that children with a history of asthma or wheezing should opt for a shot.

Recommendations by the panel usually are accepted by U.S. health officials, and they influence insurance companies' decisions on vaccination coverage.

The committee didn't recommend FluMist over flu shots, merely making it an option for young children who may dread a shot with a needle. Flu shots are still recommended for children ages 6 months to 5 years, those 50 and over and other groups at risk for flu complications.

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