Coolest Inventions: For Your Health

LOOK, MA--NO NEEDLES!

Hate shots? FluMist, a new alternative vaccine for the influenza viruses that send millions of Americans back to bed every winter, is administered as a nasal spray. Approved by the FDA in June for healthy people ages 5 through 49, it triggers a buildup of antibodies in the upper respiratory tract--flu's favorite point of entry. The catch: FluMist costs three to four times as much as the shot, and most health-insurance companies won't cover it. INVENTORS Hunein Maassab and MedImmune Vaccines AVAILABILITY Now, about $50 a dose TO LEARN MORE flumist.com

A SMARTER WAY TO SKIP...

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