MedImmune Inc. announced that the FDA has now approved FluMist™ for use in children as young as 24 months. The expansion in age now allows for FluMist™ to be used on people from ages 2 - 59. FluMIst(TM) is an Intranasal Influenza Virus Vaccine that is approved for immunization against influenza A and B. A study of over 4,000 children between the ages of two and five saw a 54% decrease in cases of the flu in children who received FluMIst™ as opposed to those that received a traditional flu shot. FluMist differs from the traditional flu shot in that it consists of live, weakened viruses that help stimulate an immune response to influenza. Pedro Piedra, M.D., professor, Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, and Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine said "The live attenuated influenza vaccine is quite effective in helping prevent influenza and is generally very acceptable to children and their parents since it is administered by nasal spray rather than a shot."
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