In June, the CDC recommended against using AstraZeneca's nasal flu vaccine, FluMist, citing a lack of evidence regarding the vaccine's efficacy. FluMist's absence from the American market is causing some physicians to worry about a potential flu vaccine shortage.
Here are three things to know.
- Fu Mist vaccine accounted for 8 percent — 14 million units — of the country's vaccination stock, according to Shimona Thakrar, MD, pediatrician at Scott and White Memorial Hospital in Temple, Texas.
- While drug manufacturers are working quickly to prepare for flu season, FluMist's absence from the market may increase demand for the flu shot and lead to shortages.
- Dr. Thakrar recommends patients get a flu shot as early as possible to guarantee vaccination. The shot vaccine offers protection for about a year. Flu season usually runs October through May, peaking in December and January.
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