“We tested this needle-free vaccine in more than 8,000 children at 249 sites in 16 countries,” said Dr. Belshe, director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Saint Louis University School of Medicine.
“We discovered that the intranasal vaccine was significantly more effective in protecting these children against influenza infection than the injectable flu shot. This is especially significant because this age group is among the most vulnerable to flu infection, and they tend to spread influenza around to other family members.”
Data of the said study indicated that the intranasal vaccine candidate, known as CAIV-T (Cold Adapted Influenza Vaccine Trivalent), was 55 percent more effective than the injectable vaccine in reducing influenza-like illness in children.
At present, the only marketed live, attenuated, intranasal vaccination option for healthy children and adults between the ages of 5 and 49 years is Flumist® while CAIV-T is its investigational, next-generation, refrigerator-stable formulation.
Source: SLU News
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