MedImmune's Flumist Vaccine Just Got Another Thumbs Down. This Time It's A Pediatricians Group
The American Academy of Pediatricians has recommended against using MedImmune's FluMist nasal spray vaccine this flu season, delivering yet another blow to one of the Gaithersburg drug maker's signature products.
The AAP's recommendation, issued Sept. 6, supports a similar one earlier this summer by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, whose Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices cited data showing poor or relatively low effectiveness of the nasal spray compared with the flu shot from 2013 through 2016. The nasal spray vaccine effectiveness among children 2 through 17 was 3 percent in the 2015-2016 season, compared with 63 percent for the injected vaccine.
The AAP's recommendation, issued Sept. 6, supports a similar one earlier this summer by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, whose Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices cited data showing poor or relatively low effectiveness of the nasal spray compared with the flu shot from 2013 through 2016. The nasal spray vaccine effectiveness among children 2 through 17 was 3 percent in the 2015-2016 season, compared with 63 percent for the injected vaccine.