Should some people not get the live, attenuated nasal spray vaccine?
Certain people should not get a nasal spray flu vaccine, including the 2009 H1N1 nasal spray vaccine. This includes:
- People younger than 2 years of age;
- Pregnant women;
- People 50 years of age and older;
- People with a medical condition that places them at higher risk for complications from influenza, including those with chronic heart or lung disease, such as asthma or reactive airways disease; people with medical conditions such as diabetes or kidney failure; or people with illnesses that weaken the immune system, or who take medications that can weaken the immune system;
- Children younger than 5 years old with a history of recurrent wheezing;
- Children or adolescents receiving aspirin therapy;
- People who have had Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a rare disorder of the nervous system, within 6 weeks of getting a flu vaccine,
- People who have a severe allergy to chicken eggs or who are allergic to any of the nasal spray vaccine components.
Last Reviewed: 10/08/2009
