This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process
and policies.
Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:
Do-it-yourself flu vaccine? Study shows it works
by Marilynn Marchione
In this Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2005 file photo, Eric Krex, 6, reacts as he is held by his mother, Margaret, while a nurse gives him a FluMist influenza vaccination in St. Leonard, Md. According to a study released Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2014, members of the military who squirted vaccine up their noses were as well-protected as others who got it from health care workers. There's no reason civilians couldn't do the same, especially for children who might be less scared if vaccine was given by mom or dad, the study leader said. (AP Photo/Chris Gardner)
× close
In this Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2005 file photo, Eric Krex, 6, reacts as he is held by his mother, Margaret, while a nurse gives him a FluMist influenza vaccination in St. Leonard, Md. According to a study released Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2014, members of the military who squirted vaccine up their noses were as well-protected as others who got it from health care workers. There's no reason civilians couldn't do the same, especially for children who might be less scared if vaccine was given by mom or dad, the study leader said. (AP Photo/Chris Gardner)
A study suggests that do-it-yourself flu vaccine might be possible. Researchers found that military folks who squirted a nasal vaccine up their noses were as well-protected as others who got it from health workers.
The study leader says there is no reason that ordinary people could not be taught to give the vaccine, especially for children who might be less scared if they received it from mom or dad.
The study tested FluMist, the nasal vaccine, in more than 1,000 military members and their families over the last two flu seasons. Blood tests showed that immune responses were comparable regardless of who administered the vaccine.
Results will be reported later this week at a meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and several other groups in Philadelphia.