Why was the Dangerous and Contagious FluMist Vaccine Approved by the CDC?

In February 2018, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to re-recommend the live virus nasal spray influenza vaccine, FluMist, for the 2018-19 “flu season” after a two-year hiatus. The live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) is popular, particularly with children, since it is sprayed up the nose and does not require a needle for administration. The ACIP voted against recommending the quadrivalent FluMist for the 2016-17 and 2017-18 influenza seasons due to the vaccine’s ineffectiveness in protecting against the H1N1 strain (Influenza A). It is important to note that there are cases reported in the medical literature that FluMist has resulted in shedding and transmission of vaccine strain influenza virus. Despite the fact that the efficacy and effectiveness of this vaccine is unknown, Cynthia Pellegrini, senior vice president of public policy and government affairs for March of Dimes stated, “This vaccine is better than not being vaccinated and there are kids who will not be vaccinated without this option…” The assumption that using FluMist is better than not being vaccinated given the lack of data on the efficacy is not rational because it is not based on scientific evidence.