Flumist® vaccine: fight the flu without needles!

The holiday season… and the flu

Winter has arrived in full force, and with it, of course, the influenza virus. Eating well, getting a good night’s sleep and exercising are all excellent ways to stay healthy. However, to boost your defences against the flu, annual vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself and your family. Traditional influenza vaccines, administered with needles, are composed of inactive viruses.

Fumist® vaccine

Flumist® vaccine, on the other hand, is sprayed half a dose into each nostril, and is created from live attenuated viruses that cannot cause the flu. Their role is to stimulate the production of antibodies (cells designed to attack a particular virus); like little soldiers, these cells remain in the body, ready to attack the same virus should it present itself.  The Flumist® vaccine is administered by a healthcare professional once a year. The team at Clinique LeBlanc+Savaria is available now to administer the Flumist® vaccine.

The flu in a nutshell

The flu usually cures itself in about a week. However, it does come with its share of inconveniences that can lead to certain complications, especially in more vulnerable groups such as young children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with chronic illnesses.

Among the most frequent complications, which can sometimes lead to hospitalization, are dehydration due to fever-induced sweating, and infections such as pneumonia, bronchitis, sinusitis or otitis.

Why is flu more common in winter?

Although they don’t disappear during the summer months, many viruses, such as influenza, colds and gastroenteritis, tend to spread more widely in winter, since they thrive in cool, dry places like our homes. We spend a lot of time indoors, and our exchanges are closer together, which increases the transmission of viruses. Whether through direct contact (infected person) or indirect contact (contaminated surfaces and objects), the flu virus is highly contagious and spreads rapidly. What’s more, people infected with influenza can transmit the virus unknowingly, since they are contagious 24 hours before showing symptoms.

That’s why vaccination is recommended in December and January, to prepare for the winter months ahead.