Flu season is here. HOPEFULLY you and your family have not been affected by it already.
The flu is the worse. When our son was a newborn my entire family had the flu. Thankfully my mother in law lived across the street. She was able to come over and help care for us. It is wasn’t for her I don’t know how I would have changed our son’s diapers. I couldn’t even more!
One time only I caught the flu (which is odd since I work from home). My husband had to go out during a snow storm at 2:00 AM to a 24 hour pharmacy to pick up medication for me. I still remember lying in bed worried for his safety and well being and feeling guilty that I had to have him drive in a snow storm in the middle of the night to get me medicine.
A few years ago my husband and I got the flu. Our son some how managed not to get it. Our daughter had a mild case of it.
My husband and I could barely move. We received a phone call from the school nurse telling us our daughter had a fever and we had to go and get her (even though she felt perfectly fine). We told the nurse we had the flu and were sick and she said it didn’t matter, we had to pick her up from school. Some how me and my husband managed to get in the car and drive to school. We had to go into the school (with the flu!) and to the nurse’s office to sign her out. The nurse had the nerve to get mad at me. I told her we had the flu and she knew we had no one who could get our daughter for us. And it was the school’s policy that all students had to be signed out. Sheesh!
Since then we make sure to get the flu shot. I know it’s not 100% effective, but it’s better than nothing. Since getting the flu shot no one in my family has had the flu (thankfully).
Getting my kids to take any kind of a shot is not that easy – especially when it comes to my son. It was actually my son who heard about FluMist Quadrivalent. FluMist Quadrivalent is a flu vaccination that gets squirted into your nose. It’s NOT injected into your skin.
I spoke to our pediatrician about FluMist Quadrivalent and felt confident with what he told me as far as any side effects were concerned. Since then my son has always had the flu vaccination via FluMist Quadrivalent.
Tia Mowry, star of Instant Mom and the film Baggage Claim, his helping to raise awareness about flu prevention along with FluMist Quadrivalent.
Check out this rather funny video she made.
I can totally relate to her busy day to day life. I might not be a celebrity like she is, but I can relate to constantly being on the go-go-go.
Sadly the flu is very unpredictable and can vary in it’s severity from year to year. Unfortunately 5-20% of the U.S. population ends up getting the flu.
The CDC recommends the flu vaccination is the first and most important step to help prevent the flu. Even so, less than half of adults and just over half of children receive flu vaccinations in the U.S. each year. I know a lot of that has to do with parents against vaccinations (which is fine – everyone has a right to their beliefs). Not having insurance or money is also a contributing factor.
Some people simply afraid of needles. I know my kids are (my daughter is a wee bit tougher about needles than my son is). Thankfully there is an alternative to the injection – FluMist Quadrivalent.
Here is some additional information about FluMist Quadrivalent that you should take a moment to read.
What is FluMist Quadrivalent?
FluMist Quadrivalent is a vaccine that is sprayed into the nose to help protect against influenza. It can be used in children, adolescents, and adults ages 2 through 49. FluMist Quadrivalent is similar to MedImmune’s trivalent influenza vaccine, except FluMist Quadrivalent provides protection against an additional influenza strain. FluMist Quadrivalent may not prevent influenza in everyone who gets vaccinated.
Who should not get FluMist Quadrivalent?
You should not get FluMist Quadrivalent if you have a severe allergy to eggs, gentamicin, gelatin, or arginine; have ever had a life-threatening reaction to influenza vaccinations; or are 2 through 17 years old and take aspirin or medicines containing aspirin – children or adolescents should not be given aspirin for 4 weeks after getting FluMist® or FluMist Quadrivalent unless your healthcare provider tells you otherwise.
Children under 2 years old have an increased risk of wheezing (difficulty with breathing) after getting FluMist Quadrivalent.
Who may not be able to get FluMist Quadrivalent?
Tell your healthcare provider if you or your child are currently wheezing; have a history of wheezing if under 5 years old; have had Guillain-Barré syndrome; have a weakened immune system or live with someone who has a severely weakened immune system; have problems with your heart, kidneys, or lungs; have diabetes; are pregnant or nursing; or are taking Tamiflu®, Relenza®, amantadine, or rimantadine.
Your healthcare provider will decide if FluMist Quadrivalent is right for you or your child.
What are the most common side effects of FluMist Quadrivalent?
The most common side effects are runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, and fever over 100°F.
Please see complete Product Information, including Patient Information.
If you are concerned about getting the flu consider FluMist Quadrivalent.
Please speak with your doctor or health care provider should you have any questions or concerns. In the mean time make sure to take preventative measures to limit your chances of catching the flu such as washing your hands as often as you can, avoid touching your face, stay away from sick people and clean and disinfectant surfaces that could come in contact with germs (door handles, phones, light switches…). Making sure your immune system is health is helpful too. Make sure to get ample vitamin C, Zinc and other nutrients your body needs to stay strong and healthy.
Have you ever tried FluMist Quadrivalent before? Is this something you would consider? Feel free to comment and share your thoughts.
Kimberly
*I was not compensated for this post. I posted this for the benefit of my site readers. Any opinions expressed are my own unless otherwise noted.
Deb E says
Haven’t had the flu in many years and have not tried the flu mist. I always try to keep my hands washed and because I’m a nurse, I”m extra vigilant. Thanks for spreading the word.
Olivia Rubin says
I checked this post to see if it referenced the CDC because they are currently closed due to government closure. All those that were going to receive shots can’t and all those paid to administer are out of a paycheck…they may not get sick from the flu, but they will be sickened by our senate and congress unable to agree…but they don’t care because they are getting paid while closed.
I have never had a flu vaccine. One interesting thing to note is that many who receive vaccine should be careful around certain vulnerable populations. My mom has a urn of muscular dystrophy and cannot receive any live vaccines, nor is it safe for her to be around people who have received them. Also those recently vaccinated shouldn’t be around newborns