The H1N1 flu vaccine has started to arrive in Ohio and maybe you're making plans to get it. Just like the seasonal flu vaccine, H1N1 protection comes in a traditional shot in the arm or you can also get it in a nasal mist. There's no needle this way, but which should you choose? Is one better than the other?
Infectious disease experts remind us there is a distinct difference between the two versions and that's the type of virus they contain. Dr. Susan Rehm, Infectious Disease Specialist at the Cleveland Clinic, explains the difference. "For the mist, it is a live virus, but it's one that's been treated so it doesn't cause disease. On the other hand, the injectable vaccine has dead virus. It is not a live virus at all. Neither one of them can cause influenza."
The Centers for Disease Control says the live virus in the nasal mist has been weakened to the point where it can't give you the flu. The CDC recommends the mist for healthy people ages two to 49, but not to pregnant women.
The injectable vaccine, the dead virus, is approved for people six months and older with chronic problems and those who are pregnant.
Both versions train the body's immune system to fight the flu but both come with different side effects. The mist may give you a runny nose and maybe a low grade fever. The injection may give you some soreness. Either way, the side effects only last a day or two. The vaccine takes effect after about two weeks.
