Northern Michigan's News LeaderHealthy Living: The Flu Shot of the Future

Healthy Living: The Flu Shot of the Future

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Got your flu shot yet? Up to 20 percent of Americans will be infected, and more than 200,000
will be hospitalized for flu-related complications this year. Now, researchers are developing ways to take the sting out of flu shots and make sure the vaccinations work for you and your family. Robyn Haines has more in Healthy Living.

Researchers may have found a better way than a painful needle-- dozens of microscopic needles coated or filled with vaccine, then placed on a patch like a band-aid. They say you don't feel any pain at all.

For the vaccine to kick in, you wear the micro-needle patch for less than 10 minutes. In a new study, it was as effective as a shot, providing even better protection. But how will you respond?  A new blood test measures changes in blood cells in the first days after a flu shot and can predict whether the vaccination will actually work.

The micro-needle patches and the vaccination efficacy test are still experimental, but researchers believe they could be available to the public within the next five years. 

 

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