The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that a nasal spray version of the annual flu vaccine can now be given at home.
In a statement released on September 20, the FDA announced that it has approved the flu vaccine FluMist for home use, allowing people between the ages of 18 and 49 to administer the vaccine themselves, that is, by spraying it into their nose. The vaccine is also approved for children and adolescents between the ages of 2 and 17, who can be administered the spray by their parents.
FluMist was previously available to people ages 2 to 49 in the United States, but could only be administered by a medical professional in a medical setting, such as a pharmacy or clinic. The FDA’s new announcement comes after clinical trial data showed FluMist is easy to self-administer and that vaccination this way is as safe and effective as when administered by a medical professional.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone age 6 months or older be given the influenza vaccine each season, except in rare circumstances, during September and October before influenza becomes widely circulating. Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in a statement that the new authorization could make vaccination more convenient, flexible and accessible.
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“Getting vaccinated annually is the best way to prevent influenza, which causes illness for a significant portion of the U.S. population each year and can lead to serious complications, including hospitalization and death,” Marks said. “This approval adds a new option for vaccinating against influenza illness and demonstrates the FDA’s commitment to improving the public health.”
Here’s what we know so far about using FluMist at home.
What is FluMist?
FluMist is a nasal spray-based vaccine that helps prevent illness caused by two types of influenza, called influenza A and B. These virus types are responsible for most influenza infections in humans.
FluMist is a live-attenuated vaccine that contains weakened versions of influenza A and B viruses. These weakened viruses cannot cause flu, but they prime the immune system to produce antibodies to fight future infections.
FluMist first received FDA approval in 2003 for use in people ages 5 to 49. In 2007, this approval was expanded to children as young as 2. Previously, FluMist could only be administered by health care professionals in pharmacies or other medical settings.
FluMist is the only non-injectable flu vaccine available to people in the U.S. For the 2024-2025 flu season, FluMist and all other approved vaccines protect against three influenza subtypes: two influenza A viruses and one influenza B virus.
How do I use FluMist?
FluMist is administered as one spray into each nostril. The vaccine comes in a small tube with a plunger on one end. The other end of the tube is placed into your nose and the plunger is pressed to spray, injecting half the contents of the tube into each nostril.
People over 9 years of age only need to get the vaccine once a year – one spray in each nostril. However, children between 2 and 8 years of age may need a booster shot at least one month later. This depends on the child’s vaccination history. Children who haven’t previously received at least two doses, or whose vaccination history is unknown, should get two doses.
In these cases, your health care provider can help you determine if your child needs a second dose.
The FluMist vaccine may not be available for home delivery orders until fall 2025. (Image credit: Albany Times Union/Hearst Newspapers / Contributor via Getty Images)
How do I order FluMist?
Although the FDA has approved FluMist for home use, it will be a while before the spray can be delivered to your home.
Vaccine manufacturer AstraZeneca said it expects the vaccine will be available to order through third-party online pharmacy services for home delivery by the 2025-2026 flu season. The FDA noted that the FluMist shot still requires a prescription, which in this case means a pre-approved prescription provided by an online pharmacist.
Is there anyone who should not get FluMist?
According to the CDC, there are several groups of people who should not get the FluMist vaccine, including pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems. These precautions are taken because the FluMist vaccine contains live (but weakened) virus, which the flu shot does not.
While not everyone can use FluMist, the hope is that the new approval will give more people access to a needle-free flu vaccination option.
“We’re very pleased that the FDA has taken this step and found another way to make it easier for people to get the vaccine,” said Dr. Andrew Handel, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital in New York.
The new approval could also encourage drug companies to develop nasal vaccines for other respiratory infections, such as COVID-19, he told Live Science.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide medical advice.
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