Flu Vaccine Nasal Spray vs. An Injection: Which One Results in Better Immunization Rates?
Written by admin, November 12, 2013
November 12, 2013 – Local Students to be Offered FluMist Vaccine as part of Provincial Study
Students from ten local elementary schools are taking part in a provincial study to determine if offering FluMist® (a nasal spray influenza vaccine) in schools will result in more children getting immunized against influenza in comparison to schools offering the vaccine as an injection.
“This important study is only being carried out in Peterborough and could have a significant impact on the province’s annual Universal Influenza Immunization Program,” said Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, Medical Officer of Health with Peterborough Public Health, a lead partner in the study. “Other public health agencies have seen substantially greater influenza immunization rates when they offered the nasal spray version of the vaccine because it is less invasive and even more effective in children. This study will give the province the evidence it needs to decide if it should include offer FluMist as part of its annual publicly-funded influenza campaign.”
The following ten schools in the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board have chosen to participate in the study which is being led by Public Health Ontario:
- Apsley Central Public School
- Chemong Public School
- Edmison Heights Public School
- Highland Heights Public School
- Lakefield Intermediate Public School
- North Shore Public School
- Otonabee Valley Public School
- R.F. Downey Public School
- Roger Neilson Public School
- Westmount Public School
Five of the schools have been randomly selected to receive the FluMist vaccine, and the other five schools will receive the injectable version. Public Health nurses will hold clinics in all ten schools on set dates in November.
Parents have already received information packages and consent forms and are encouraged to return them as quickly as possible to ensure as many students as possible participate in the study and get vaccinated. Parents who sign and return this form with contact information will receive invitations to participate in different parts of this study, including a web-based survey with questions to find out about their child’s vaccination experience.
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For further information, please contact:
Brittany Cadence
Communications Supervisor
(705) 743-1000, ext. 391