CDC committee: No nasal spray vaccine this flu season
A CDC advisory committee voted down the use of nasal spray flu vaccines - sometimes known as FluMist - for the 2016-2017 flu season.
The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices decided, through a vote, the "nasal spray" flu vaccine should not be used this flu season because it would not be as effective as the vaccines in shot form.
The committee is made up of immunization experts who advise the CDC and said it voted based on data showing lower effectiveness of nasal spray vaccines from 2013 through 2016.
The committee said last year's nasal spray flu vaccines were only 3-percent effective for children 2- through 17-years-old. For comparison, the CDC said last year's vaccine, in shot form, was about 63-percent effective for the same age group.
The CDC said flu vaccine effectiveness can range widely from season to season, but it always recommends getting a yearly flu vaccine to reduce the chance of contracting the disease.
It added, there was not a clear reason for why the nasal spray flu vaccine was less effective.
The CDC said this could impact vaccine providers such as pediatricians, but it will work with manufacturers throughout the summer to ensure there is enough vaccine supply to meet the demand.