The FDA has approved a new influenza vaccine nasal spray for home use. Although this self-administered version will not be available this flu season, interest in the nasal spray product is growing.
A simple spray seems much more appealing than a needle. Intranasal devices deliver medicine to people with allergies, migraines, depression, opioid overdoses, and now vaccines too. Flumist has been approved for use since 2003, but fell out of favor in 2016 after regulators said it was less effective than injectables.
Now, a self-administered version of Flumist that meets CDC’s newly recommended efficacy standards has been approved by the FDA for the upcoming influenza season.
The FDA has approved self-administration of FluMist for adults ages 18 to 49. For ages 2 to 17, it can be administered by a caregiver. AstraZeneca plans to sell directly to consumers online.
Related article: CDC recommends nasal flu spray for children
Researchers expect other vaccines to follow suit. Some researchers are already investigating nasal sprays for Alzheimer’s disease and arrhythmia.
“Mucosal immunity provides excellent immunity to the airways and is particularly useful in respiratory diseases like COVID-19,” said Dr. David T. Kriel, a radiation oncologist at the University of Washington School of Medicine.
Kriel said nasal vaccines target the airways, where respiratory viruses enter the body. Traditional needle immunization produces antibodies in the blood, but not as much in the lungs.
“Airway vaccination or nasal vaccination increases antibodies in the nose and airways, and that’s a better protection,” Kriel explained.
People who suffer from severe allergic reactions like anaphylaxis can ask their doctors about a nasal spray version called Nephi as an alternative to the EpiPen. The FDA approved Neffy in August and it is available now.
“We know a lot about the biology of the nose,” Kriel said. “We know a lot about nasal immunology.”
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