Experts Say 'Flumist' Nasal Spray May Not Be Working, Recommend Flu Shots Instead

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Getting a flu vaccine may be more painful this year.

The Centers For Disease Control is warning that the popular nasal spray Flumist is not very effective for young children.

As CBS2's Dr. Max Gomez explained, they're recommending the spray not be used this year.

It's an unusual about-face for the CDC. Just two years ago federal health officials advised doctors that they should use Flumist nasal spray on young kids instead of flu shots whenever possible.

Now, a CDC vaccine advisory council has reversed that advice.

The question is -- why? And what will it do to vaccine supplies this winter?

We're learning more from new studies on the effectiveness of the nasal spray version of the flu vaccine.

"Two of the last three seasons it hasn't worked at all. At least in our hands. We haven't seen any of our data that indicates the vaccine has been effective. On the other hand the flu shot has been effective," Dr. Joseph Bresee said.

Although Flumist is only about 8 percent of the vaccine supply, it's much more popular for young children. About a third of children who get a flu vaccine each year get the nasal spray version.

Because many hospitals, doctors, and clinics have already placed their vaccine orders for the coming flu season, some experts fear a possible shortage.

"I think it may be a doctor has to call one or two places to make sure they get the vaccine they need, but I think overall there won't be any shortages," Dr. Bresee said.

Astra Zeneca, the manufacturer of Flumist said it's evaluating the committee decision which the CDC director must still approve before it becomes official policy.

The committee was especially concerned that Flumist hasn't protected against H1N1, a type of flue that often causes more deaths and hospitalizations among children and young adults.

There are several theories as to why the mist isn't working -- one is that kids who got the spray several times may no longer respond as well to it. Others suspect it has to do with the decision a few years ago to add a fourth strain of flu into Flumist instead of the traditional three. It could be that the added strain reduced the body's response to the other strains.