04:53 PM CDT on Wednesday, September 30, 2009
By JANET ST. JAMES / WFAA-TV
The first H1N1 vaccines to arrive in North Texas will be the FluMist - that's the one that doctors spray up your nose.
The FluMist looks like a syringe but it's filled with liquid vaccine.
Half is squirted in one nostril, the other half in the other side, just like an ordinary nasal spray.
Many pediatricians prefer it for children who fear needles.
But it is not for everyone.
Unlike the flu shot, which is a dead virus, FluMist is a weakened, live virus - which means it cannot be given to everyone.
FluMist is recommended for healthy people, from two to 50 years old, which means most school aged children are eligible.
Those at highest risk from seasonal and swine flu cannot take it. That group includes patients who have underlying medical conditions, including asthma; those with a weak immune system; children over five with a history of wheezing; pregnant women; people with a history of Guillain-Barre syndrome, which has been linked to the previous swine flu vaccine; and anyone with an allergy to eggs.
If you are not eligible for or don't want the FluMist, the shots should arrive by mid-to-late October.
hat-tip Shiloh
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