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HOLLAND, Mich. – An alternative to the influenza vaccine was released after the Center for Disease Control approved its use for the next season.
Dr. Peter Christensen, Lakeshore Health Partners' family physician, said that looking back at last year's influenza season is not easy.
"It was a difficult year, whether you shot or not."
Vaccination did not cover the flu strain of last year. In the county of Ottawa, the weekly number of influenza cases was 600 with outbreaks of influenza in eight different schools. During the last season, 180 children died as a result of the viral infection. The CDC says that about 80% of these children have not been vaccinated.
Another option is back on the market FluMist, a nasal spray that was introduced a few years ago before becoming ineffective.
"The H1N1 strain of the vaccine has mutated to the point where the vaccine has not covered it," Christensen said.
"They came back and they reformulated the vaccine, they introduced a different H1N1 strain into this new vaccine and they presented the data to the CDC and it looks like this new vaccine will really have good coverage against H1N1."
The CDC has approved its use for this next influenza season, an opportunity for Christensen to vaccinate those who fear the needle, like most children.
"The CDC wants to vaccinate as many people as possible, so they say," If science holds up and more people get that one, it's a win-win, "Christensen said.
The Ottawa County Public Health Department says that 13 ON YOUR SIDE FluMist is another option, but they claim that it will likely come later and that the offer will be limited. They stress that the most important thing is to get vaccinated.
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© 2018 WZZM
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