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LOS ANGELES -- Debbie Meadows knows getting the seasonal flu shot can be a life-saver.

“I have a son that's had a heart transplant, so I totally get the whole flu shot thing,” Meadows said.

Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect against the flu, but it's not always a guarantee.

“Flu shots and the nasal spray vaccine, they are good vaccines,” University of Michigan School of Public Health’s Arnold Monto said. “They're not great vaccines.”

A new study shows all vaccines aren't created equal.  When it comes to protecting adults, researchers found the traditional shot to be much more effective than nasal flu spray.   

They looked at about 2,000 healthy adults in the 2007-2008 season and found that flu injections were 68 percent effective in preventing flu, while the nasal vaccine FluMist was 36 percent effective.

“The shot was about 50 percent more effective than the nasal spray vaccine,” Monto said.

One reason the nasal spray may not work as well in adults is because it's made with a live weakened virus that many may have already come in contact with.

Typically, the flu shot is between 70 and 80 percent effective in younger adults. And previous studies have shown the FluMist to be more effective in kids under the age of 5.

But how well the seasonal vaccine works varies every year because scientists make the vaccine before flu season and can't always predict which viruses will be circulating.

No matter which type you chose, health experts say to get your seasonal flu shot.

“Get the vaccine, that's the best thing we have,” Monto said. “The way to prevent flu is to get the vaccine.”

 And for Meadows it has always protected her and her family.

“I haven't gotten the flu since I've been taking the flu shot,” Meadows said.