Doctors have been urged to not give out the FluMist nasal spray vaccine, a less painful alternative to the flu shot.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged doctors to only give the shot this year.

 

"In the last few years, we've been seeing decreasing effectiveness of the nasal mist ... about the last two to three years. This year, when they tested it they found that before they released it to the market that it was absolutely ineffective - so that's why it was pulled this year from the market," explains Dr. John Zaso.

The flu season on Long Island starts in mid-November, so doctors are urging people to get vaccinated now. Zaso says there are close to 4,000 flu deaths a year in the U.S. and between 30,000 and 40,000 hospitalizations from flu complications.