Best Flu Vaccines for Seniors, Kids

The nasal flu vaccine is more effective for young children, and the high-dose flu shot may be better for older adults, two new reports say. The advice on flu vaccines for children comes from a committee that advises the U.S. government. The Flu-Mist vaccine is preferred for healthy children ages 2 through 8, the committee said. This vaccine is given as a nasal mist. It contains live flu virus that has been altered so it cannot cause flu. Children can also receive standard flu shots. The new information about the high-dose vaccine comes from a study published August 15. Nearly 32,000 adults, ages 65 or older, were randomly divided into 2 groups. One group received standard flu shots. The other group got high-dose flu shots. Those who got the high-dose shots were 24% less likely to develop flu than those who got the standard shots.