Nasal flu vaccine is now approved for at-home use

The recent approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the at-home use of the FluMist nasal spray vaccine represents a significant advancement in public health strategy aimed at increasing flu vaccination rates. Historically, vaccinations have been administered exclusively in healthcare settings, which can pose barriers to access for many individuals. The FDA's endorsement of FluMist for home use allows patients to order the vaccine online with a prescription and administer it themselves, thus enhancing convenience and potentially leading to broader immunization coverage .

FluMist is a nasal spray manufactured by AstraZeneca that has been used to protect against influenza in the United States since 2003. It’s currently available in pharmacies and other health care settings for people ages 2 to 49 who have a prescription.

Friday’s approval from the FDA adds a second option for those eligible to receive the vaccine: It can be taken at home, through self-administration by adults or to children with the help of a caregiver.

For this approval, the FDA required human factors/usability studies to evaluate whether individuals 18 through 49 years of age could properly administer FluMist when given instructions for use. Results showed that 100% of intended users administered a full dose, and efficacy, immunogenicity, and adverse events with self-administration are similar to those seen with health care professional-administered vaccination.2 These include a fever over 100°F in children 2 through 6 years of age, and runny nose and nasal congestion in individuals 2 through 49 years of age as well as a sore throat in adults.1

FluMist contains a weakened form of live influenza virus strains. A prescription is still required for the self-administered option, and the manufacturer plans to make the vaccine available through a third-party online pharmacy. Individuals who choose the self- or caregiver-administered option will complete a screening and eligibility assessment when ordering FluMist. If the third-party pharmacy determines that the intended recipient is eligible, the pharmacy will write the prescription and ship it to the address provided.1

Iskra Reic, executive vice president of vaccines and immune therapies at AstraZeneca, said in a statement, “The approval of FluMist for self-administration is an important step forward in making vaccines more accessible to fight the high annual burden of influenza.”

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Sarah H

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