Question about FluMIST shedding & immunity

[newmum35]

Let's say you were standing next to someone who had JUST received the flumist (we could use swine flu as an example, or reg. seasonal flu- I don't think it matters here) and then they sneezed.

Since its a LIVE virus, the potential exists that it spreads. Suppose you inhale the same air, and then you catch that live "weakened" virus (the manufacturers insert acknowledges this can happen for up to 21 days) I THINK I read somewhere (insert?) that this happens in only 1 or 2% of cases so its not a guarantee that it will happen but ok, let's suppose they are giving hundreds of doses out and it DOES happen to you, and you get that live virus, from the person who shed, by inhaling their sneeze particles, or through whatever means.

Being that the virus is artificially weakened and is NOT the "wild" strain, doesn't this essentially mean that you've ALSO been vaxed? (Surely one could not assume they are now permanently immune as they would be if they had been exposed to the wild virus for example- because the virus in the mist had been altered, which is the same virus you just inhaled!)

I've been thinking about this a lot lately cause they will be giving out the mist where DH works, and I think that would totally SUCK to acquire the temporary immunity resulting from the vax as opposed to getting the wild virus.

Dr Gordon has an interesting 7 minute podcast which got me thinking about this (this aspect was never discussed, but he was discussing natural immunity) - link on the right side where it says "click here to visit peainthepodcast and listen to the discussion"

http://www.drjaygordon.com/


I'd really love to hear some educated opinions about this.

[Lazy Gardens]

Originally Posted by newmum35

Let's say you were standing next to someone who had JUST received the flumist (we could use swine flu as an example, or reg. seasonal flu- I don't think it matters here) and then they sneezed.

Being that the virus is artificially weakened and is NOT the "wild" strain, doesn't this essentially mean that you've ALSO been vaxed?

No. The FluMist (or other inhaled vaccines) dose is just enough to trigger your immune system into a response when you get the whole squirt into the nose.

Unless you somehow managed to get all of the other person's dose of FluMist directly into your upper nose area (mouth to nose sneezing ... ewww!), you wouldn't get enough virus to activate your immune system against it.

[newmum35]

Originally Posted by Lazy Gardens

No. The FluMist (or other inhaled vaccines) dose is just enough to trigger your immune system into a response when you get the whole squirt into the nose.

Unless you somehow managed to get all of the other person's dose of FluMist directly into your upper nose area (mouth to nose sneezing ... ewww!), you wouldn't get enough virus to activate your immune system against it.

Interesting. So a certain "threshold" of particles has to be reached first and anything smaller has no effect? Are there any links about this? I don't remember reading anything on the manufacturer's insert about it, but its been a month or more since I read it. (this was the medimmune seasonal mist)

Why is it then that some people do become ill from the shedding, as per insert? (immunocompromised for example) - is a much smaller # of particles enough to activate the immune system of the immunocompromised person?