Get protected with the nasal spray flu vaccine

If you want your children to get the flu vaccine without having it administered with a needle, a gentle solution is available: the intranasal flu vaccine.

The intranasal flu vaccine is given via a nasal spray, one squirt in each nostril. It is a quick and painless way to protect your child against the flu. The vaccine must be administered once every fall.

Who can receive the intranasal flu vaccine?

People aged 2 to 59 can receive the intranasal flu vaccine. However, it should not be administered to persons who have severe asthma, to children aged 2 to 17 who are taking aspirin, to people who are immunocompromised, to pregnant women or to people who are allergic to a componant of the vaccine.

What are the possible side effects?

The nasal spray flu vaccine causes very few side effects:

• Runny nose (most frequent)
• Fever
• Headache
• Fatigue or discomfort

If you have any questions on the flu and vaccines, talk to your pharmacist today. In many provinces, your pharmacist can even administer the vaccine at the pharmacy.