NewsChannel 5.com - Nashville, Tennessee - Fighting The Flu Without Shots

Fighting The Flu Without Shots

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Parents can now help their children fight the flu without a needle.

Flu clinics that opened across Middle Tennessee offer flu vaccinations without the shot.

The U.S Food and Drug Administration recently lowered the age requirements of people eligible to take FluMist, a needle-less option to fight the flu. Previously, only adults could take it before children 5-years-old and older were permitted to take the nasal vaccine.

Children six months to 5 years old have a greater chance of getting the flu and a vaccination can reduce that chance by some 80 percent.

"We usually like to start vaccinations in October to November, knowing the flu is going to be around the corner sometime in December or later on in the year," said Dr. Jospeh Gigiante of Monroe Carell, Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt.

Gigiante said FluMist is "safe and effective in kids older than two years of age, which is why it's available to them."

Children younger than five with recurrent wheezing should not get FluMist.

Also, if a child takes aspirin or has a chronic disease they cannot use spray vaccine.

"And if you want to save them a shot, it's a great option," Gigiante said.

October or November is the best time for everyone to get vaccinated.  But children ages 2-8 years, who have never had a flu shot before, should get it now.  That's because they'll need a second vaccination a month later.

FluMist can cost $40-$50, which is nearly four times more than the traditional flu shot.