Once again this year, my staff and I have been very busy administering nasal influenza vaccine (FluMist). Our young patients used to complain that the nasal spray tasted horrible when it dripped down the throat. Then, one of the office staff had a great idea: She went out and bought a bag of lollipops. I have the patient suck on a lollipop while I give the vaccine. Not one child has complained of bad taste since we adopted this strategy. A lollipop also provides an effective distraction for the occasional youngster who is apprehensive about the squirt.
Burt E. Minaker, MDAttleboro Falls, Mass.
Recent reports of measles in multiple states
January 25th 2024Tina Tan, MD, FAAP, FIDSA, FPIDS, tells Contemporary Pediatrics, “This is not new and demonstrates what is known, in that if vaccination rates do not stay at a level that is protective, outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases will occur.”