Influenza Virus Vaccine Live, Intranasal in-floo-EN-za VY-rus vak-SEEN

What are other names for this medicine?

Type of medicine: vaccine

Generic and brand names: influenza virus vaccine live, intranasal; FluMist

What is this medicine used for?

This medicine is sprayed in the nose to provide protection against the flu virus for children and adults, aged 2 to 49.

Several groups of people should receive a flu vaccine every year, such as:

• adults over the age of 49 and children between the ages of 6 months to 18 years
• people working in healthcare
• people who live in nursing homes, dormitories, or other facilities
• school teachers and other community workers with close, daily contact with the public
• household contacts or caregivers of children less than 6 months of age or adults over 50 years of age

Some people should get the flu shot rather than the nasal spray:

• Adults 50 years of age and older or children between 6 months and 2 years of age.
• Children younger than 5 with asthma or one or more episodes of wheezing within the past year.
• people with chronic medical problems, such as asthma, heart disease, emphysema, kidney disease, and diabetes
• people with spinal cord injuries, or nerve or muscle disorders that affect breathing
• people whose immune systems may be impaired, such as by HIV, cancer, or an organ transplant
• children on long-term aspirin therapy
• women who will be pregnant during the flu season

What should my healthcare provider know before I take this medicine?

Before receiving this medicine, tell your healthcare provider if you have:

• an allergy to any medicine or to eggs
• a fever or infection
• a history of Guillain-Barré syndrome
• a weakened immune system from diseases such as HIV/AIDS or from cancer chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or steroid medicine
• asthma or any other lung disease

Children and teens from 2 through 17 years of age who are taking aspirin or products containing aspirin should not receive the nasal spray vaccine. They should receive the flu shot. Talk with your healthcare provider about this.

Females of childbearing age: Tell your healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Your healthcare provider may advise a flu shot rather than the nasal spray as a safer way to protect you from the flu. It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Do not breast-feed while receiving this medicine without your healthcare provider's approval.

How do I use it?

This medicine must be given by a healthcare provider. You can get vaccinated any time during flu season. It is best to get the flu vaccine in October of each year for full protection.

Children aged 2 years through 9 years of age getting the flu vaccine for the first time, or children who got the flu vaccine for the first time last season but got only 1 dose should get 2 doses, at least 4 weeks apart, to be protected.

People 9 to 49 years old need 1 dose per flu season.

What should I watch out for?

This vaccine contains live virus. Avoid close contact with people with conditions such as HIV infection, cancer, leukemia, or lymphoma. Also, do not have any other vaccines for 1 month after getting this vaccine without getting your healthcare provider's approval first.

The flu vaccine reduces your risk of getting the flu, but may not completely protect you. You still have a small chance of getting the flu even after a flu shot. If you do get the flu, your symptoms should be less severe, and you are less likely to develop complications. The flu vaccine will not protect against colds or viruses other than the flu.

Do not use any other nasal sprays unless your healthcare provider approves. This includes nonprescription products.

If you need emergency care, surgery, or dental work, tell the healthcare provider or dentist you have received this medicine.

What are the possible side effects?

Along with its needed effects, your medicine may cause some unwanted side effects. Some side effects may be very serious. Some side effects may go away as your body adjusts to the medicine. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that continue or get worse.

Life-threatening (Report these to your healthcare provider right away. If you are unable to reach your healthcare provider right away, get emergency medical care or call 911 for help): Allergic reaction (hives, itching, rash, tightness in your chest, swelling of your lips, tongue or throat, trouble breathing).

Serious (report these to your healthcare provider right away): High fever, chest congestion.

Other: Fever, runny nose, stuffy nose, sore throat, cough, irritability, headache, chills, vomiting, muscle aches, tiredness, earache.

What products might interact with this medicine?

When you take this medicine with other medicines, it can change the way this or any of the other medicines work. Nonprescription medicines, vitamins, natural remedies, and certain foods may also interact. Using these products together might cause harmful side effects. Talk to your healthcare provider if you are taking:

• antiviral medicines such as amantadine, rimantadine (Flumadine), and oseltamivir (Tamiflu)
• aspirin (children or teens from 2 through 17 years of age)
• live vaccines
• immunosuppressants such as azathioprine (Imuran), cyclosporine (Gengraf, Sandimmune, Neoral), mycophenolate mofetil (CellCept), sirolimus (Rapamune), and tacrolimus (Prograf)

If you are not sure if your medicines might interact, ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider. Keep a list of all your medicines with you. List all the prescription medicines, nonprescription medicines, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins that you take. Be sure that you tell all healthcare providers who treat you about all the products you are taking.

This advisory includes selected information only and may not include all side effects of this medicine or interactions with other medicines. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for more information or if you have any questions.

Keep all medicines out of the reach of children.

Do not share medicines with other people.