November 20, 2012 (USA TODAY) -- When it comes to flu vaccines,
most kids clearly and loudly prefer the nasal spray, at least
compared with the traditional shot in the arm. As it turns out,
those instincts are right on the nose. With mounting evidence
that the nasal spray FluMist works much better in kids than an
injection, experts are considering whether the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention actually should steer children
toward the less painful alternative. The debate reflects a
growing sense among experts that people of different ages may
get better protection from different types of vaccines, says
Gregory Poland, a professor at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and
an adviser to the CDC. The CDC now issues only general
recommendations for the flu. The agency recommends that everyone
over age 6 months get an annual flu vaccine, but it does not
specify which kind. An influenza work group, part of the CDC's
Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, is considering
whether the CDC should begin tailorin