FluMist offers alternative to needlephobia

It's that time of the year again.

The leaves are dropping, basketball is starting and the flu season has begun.

To encourage more students to guard themselves against the influenza virus, the division of student health will offer free nasal flu vaccinations in the Marketplace Thursday from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. and from 5 to 7 p.m.

The nasal vaccine, called FluMist, will also be offered to students for free at the student wellness clinics on Flowers Drive and East Campus until the supply runs out.

"We're not using FluMist for employee occupational health. We offer the flu shot," said Dr. George Jackson, director of occupational and environmental health. "[FluMist] is a bit of a novelty vaccine, and caters to a small portion of the population highly averse to injection. [The FluMist vaccine] is an attenuated live virus, and the huge percentage of Duke's workers who are in health care could potentially spread it. That's the last thing we need."

As Jackson suggested, there are more concerns with the FluMist vaccination than the standard flu shot. Unlike the FluMist vaccine, the standard flu shot will not infect the person taking it with the flu.

Though both the nasal and shot vaccinations protect against the same strain of flu that the Centers for Disease Control have predicted to be the most prevalent this flu season, FluMist contains a live strain of the virus, whereas standard flu shots contain an inactivated influenza virus, Associate Director of Student Health Jean Hanson said.

Doug Petkus, the spokesperson for Wyeth pharmaceutical company, which manufactures FluMist, did acknowledge the possible effects of the vaccine.

"'Attenuated' means it's a weakened virus, and it is theoretically possible that someone [who took the FluMist vaccine] could get some mild symptoms of the flu, which would be similar to those of a common cold."

FluMist can only be given to people who don't have fevers, colds or any other condition which could result in a weakened immune system. People getting the vaccine should also stay clear of anyone with immuno-supressed conditions. FluMist is also only FDA-approved for people ages five to 49.

The vaccine, however, is not without its supporters.

"One of the barriers to immunization has been the needle and FluMist does offer someone a needle-less approach to flu prevention," said Petkus. "The vaccine's intended purpose is to prevent influenza, which it does."

The chances of getting the flu from the vaccination are insignificant, Hanson said.

The chances of getting the flu without vaccination, however, are not insignificant.

"I'm definitely glad I got the shot," said sophomore T.J. Morales. "Last year I had the flu twice, and it really affected my academic and extracurricular schedule."

Each flu season is unique, but it is estimated that approximately 10 to 20 percent of U.S. residents get the flu and an average of 114,000 persons are hospitalized for flu-related complications. Although the length of the flu season varies, the worst months for the flu are usually January and February.

"You can't predict how many people will get [the flu]," said Christmas, who came up with the idea to offer FluMist to students for free. "The risk factors are being at an institution in closed indoor spaces like lecture halls, residence halls, parties, tents or things like sharing utensils and containers."

The FluMist vaccination to be held Thursday will be the second mass vaccination of the year. Student Health held its annual flu shot vaccination in the Bryan Center Oct. 31, where Hanson estimates that 1,000 students were vaccinated at this year's Halloween immunization.