A lot of people hate shots, especially kids. Even though the vaccine shot is just a little poke in the arm, just the thought of getting jabbed by a needle is enough to make some kids throw a fit.

But guess what? Now you can get a flu vaccine without getting a shot. Instead, you can get the flu mist. It's just like using nasal spray, but instead of saline solution or decongestant you get weakened flu viruses shot up your nose.

Does it work as well as a flu shot? Yes, maybe even better than the shot. The flu vaccine you get in a shot consists of inactivated viruses, meaning that the viruses are dead. The mist uses live attenuated viruses, meaning that the viruses are alive but weakened. So the body produces stronger antibodies to attack those weakened viruses and other, full-strength flu viruses that invade during flu season.

The mist reduces your chance of getting the flu by ninety-two percent. Besides not hurting, one good thing about the mist is that it goes directly into the lungs and lasts for around one year--the same as the shot.

The mist isn't for everyone. If you're younger than two or older than fifty, you have to brave the shot because the mist is known to cause wheezing and other side effects in the very young and among fifty-somethings.

But for everyone in between, the mist is a viable, painless way to avoid the flu.  

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A Moment of Science^®