Flu Season...shot/nasal spray or not
 

When in doubt, please check with your neurologist or movement disorder specialist.

This is the only reference to flu shot/nasal spray I could find on the Net. If anyone has any other precautionary information, please post it.

Can the nasal-spray flu vaccine (LAIV) be used together with influenza antiviral medications?


If a person is taking an influenza antiviral drug (including Symmetrel [amantadine] for Parkinson's disease), then the nasal-spray flu vaccine should not be given until 48 hours after the last dose of the influenza antiviral medication was given. If a person has received the nasal-spray flu vaccine, an influenza antiviral medication should not be given until 2 weeks after the flu mist was administered.

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/nasalspray.htm

Yes, most definately check with your neuro or MDS before getting a flu shot.
As a general rule they will say it is ok for you to get the flu shot with PD. However, you need to know ALL the drugs you are taking wether prescription or OTC. You don't want to have a bad reaction to something that is supposed to help you.

GregD

Carolyn and all
 

The reason for avoiding antivirals such as amantadine around the time one gets "vaccinated", especially via the nasal route, is that the flu vaccine is a live, attenuated (weakened, non-infectious) virus. Amantadine will diminish the absorption of the virus across the nasal mucosa because its mechanism of action is to prevent viruses from crossing cell membranes.

If one receives the vaccine parenterally (injection) the weakened viruses get access to the cells of your body more quickly and efficiently than by the nasal route, and the presence of the amantadine has less effect.

Robert