Cold & Flu Flu How the Nasal Flu Vaccine FluMist Works By Kristina Duda, RN facebook twitter linkedin Kristina Duda, BSN, RN, CPN, has been working in healthcare since 2002. She specializes in pediatrics and disease and infection prevention. Learn about our editorial process Kristina Duda, RN Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Jason DelCollo, DO on December 03, 2019 Jason DelCollo, DO, board-certified in family medicine. He is associate faculty at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine as well as adjunct faculty with the Crozer Family Medicine Residency Program, and is an attending physician at Glen Mills Family Medicine in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania. Learn about our Medical Review Board Jason DelCollo, DO Updated on December 11, 2019 Print The nasal flu vaccine, most commonly referred to as Flumist, can be a great option for people who would like a flu shot. It is good for healthy adults and adolescents when there is a shortage of the traditional, injected vaccine or if you just prefer a nasal spray flu vaccine over an injection. Joe Raedle / Getty Images News / Getty Images FluMist is approved for healthy people ages 2 to 49 with no significant medical problems. People who should not take nasal flu vaccine include: Children under 2 years oldAdults 50 years or olderAnyone with asthma, reactive airway disease (RAD) or a history of recurrent wheezingAnyone with chronic health conditionsPeople with weakened immune systemsThose who care for people with severely compromised immune systems (such as someone who has recently had a hematopoietic stem cell transplant)Pregnant womenAnyone with a history of Guillain-Barre syndromeChildren or adolescents taking aspirin You should be aware of some differences between the nasal flu vaccine and the traditional, injected flu vaccine. Injected Vaccine The injected flu vaccine is made from a killed influenza virus and does not cause flu symptoms. The most common side effects from the injected vaccine are soreness at the injection site and feeling tired. Nasal Vaccine The nasal flu vaccine is made from several different types of weakened live influenza viruses. People vaccinated with this type of vaccine are more likely to have minor flu-like symptoms. You may experience a slight fever, tiredness or achiness, and possible minor upper respiratory problems. These side effects should disappear within a few days. If you have a child under the age of 9 who will be getting the nasal flu vaccine this year and it is the first time he has had a flu vaccination of any kind (or if last year was his first flu vaccination, but he only received one dose), he will have to have two vaccinations this year. The vaccinations must be given at least six weeks apart. If you feel like the nasal flu vaccine may be right for you, talk to your doctor about getting it this flu season. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Looking to avoid getting the flu? Our free guide has everything you need to stay healthy this season. Sign up and get yours today. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. AAP Supports ACIP Recommendation for Use of Inactivated Flu Vaccine. AAP Press Room. 22 Jun 16. American Academy of Pediatrics. Questions & Answers: The Nasal-Spray Flu Vaccine (Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine [LAIV])." Seasonal Flu 19 Sep 07. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Coordinating Center for Infectious Diseases.