September 30, 2011
Philippe Krakowsky gets his flu shot every year.
"It goes in deep in the muscle and you definitely can feel it sore in your arm for a few days," he said.
If the thought of that needle makes you wince, you may want to choose a new, less painful option this year. It's a thinner needle that doesn't have to penetrate as deep.
"The shot that we gave before goes into the muscle itself. This one goes into the skin, as opposed to the muscle," said Dr. Jahangir Rahman of Columbia University. "The benefit is supposed to be that it hurts less and more people will be willing to get the vaccine."
Krakowsky gave it a shot.
"Much better, barely felt it at all," he said.
The thinner needle has a smaller dose of flu vaccine, but it still gives the same protection. And unlike traditional flu shots, arm soreness lasts a few hours versus a few days.
Ted Scull isn't complaining.
"Instead of having a needle that you know is going deeply into you, this was like a little prick," he said.
He says a little discomfort is worth keeping the flu away.
"It can be a very serious health hazard if you're older and you don't know how badly you're going to get it," Scull said.
It's recommended that everyone over 6 months old get a flu vaccine. Right now, the new needle option is only available for adults 18 to 65.
The new needle can cause skin reactions including redness, swelling and itching.
