A study revealed that the live attenuated flu vaccine administered intranasally was as safe as the intramuscular inactivated vaccine for children with asthma.

A total of 151 children with asthma in the age group of 5 to 17 years were included in the study and randomly administered intranasal quadrivalent live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV4) or intramuscular quadrivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV4). After 42 days of vaccination, 11% in the LAIV4 experienced an asthma exacerbation compared to 15% in the IIV4 group (LAIV4-IIV4 = −0.0390 [90% confidence interval −0.1453 to 0.0674]). 

LAIV4 showed noninferiority to IIV4, regardless of the asthma severity. Fourteen days after vaccination, no significant difference was seen in the frequency of asthma symptoms, change in PEFR, or childhood asthma control test/asthma control test scores between the two groups. Vaccine reactogenicity was similar between groups, although sore throat and myalgia were more frequently observed in the IIV4 group. These observations were published in the journal Pediatrics. (MedPage Today March 28, 2022; Pediatrics e2021055432. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2021-055432)