Don't get stuck with expired flu vaccine

If you're thinking of getting the FluMist nasal spray vaccine this year for you or your child, ask the pharmacist or doctor to check the expiration date first. The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that the government has received nearly 900 reports of people being given expired doses of the vaccine over the last several years. And that probably vastly underestimates the situation, since most problems with the vaccine (or any drug, for that matter) never get reported to the government.

FluMist can be a good option. In fact, the CDC now recommends FluMist for children 2 through 8 years old, since it works better than the standard vaccine in that vulnerable age group. People up to 50 can also get it, which they might want to do if, for example, they are afraid of needles.

Learn more about the best flu shot for you, where to get it, and additional information about protecting yourself and your family against the flu. 

But FluMist has a much shorter shelf life (about 18 weeks) than the standard flu shot (a full flu season) since it uses a live, but weakened, virus. And an expired flu shot may not protect you against the disease.

So, if you are considering the FluMist vaccine, ask the person giving you or your child the vaccine to check the expiration date. "The pharmacist or doctor may be surprised, but it's reasonable to ask," said William Schaffner, M.D., an authority on vaccinations and infectious diseases as well as the chairman and professor of the preventive medicine department at Vanderbilt School of Medicine in Nashville.

You might also want to ask about the expiration date if you are getting the FluBlok shot. It's usually an option for people who are allergic to eggs, since it's not grown in chicken eggs the way the standard vaccine is. (Instead, it's made with a genetically engineered insect virus.) While we haven't seen reports of expired FluBlok vaccine, it has a shelf life of 6 months, about half that of the standard vaccine.

—Chris Hendel