Types of Vaccines

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Anchor lead: Which type of flu vaccine is best for you? Elizabeth Tracey reports

Vaccines for the flu come in several varieties, and you likely need an expert’s opinion to decide which is right for you. That’s according to Clare Rock, an infectious disease expert at Johns Hopkins.

Rock: There are different types of flu vaccines. There is a shot or injection type of vaccine that people can get at their doctor’s office or pharmacy. And there is also a nasal spray flu vaccine that’s available for certain populations this year and so I would encourage people when they’re going for their vaccine to have that discussion at their doctor’s office or at their pharmacy to see which vaccine is best for them.   :27

Rock says the nasal spray may be good for those who don’t like needles, and there’s also a stronger version of the injectable vaccine for those over the age of 65. This vaccine boosts the immune response for better protection in older people since the immune response declines as we age. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.