The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first-ever nasal spray flu vaccination on Friday. AstraZeneca’s vaccine was licensed for self-administration.
According to the regulation, FluMist is the first flu shot that can be given without a doctor’s supervision.
Caused by the influenza virus, which typically spreads throughout the fall and winter seasons in the United States, flu is a common and contagious respiratory disease.
AstraZeneca intends to make the vaccination accessible via an online pharmacy run by a third party. Customers will need to complete a screening and eligibility assessment when ordering FluMist.
The FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research director, Peter Marks, outlined how this approval offers people and families a more convenient, flexible, and easy-to-access method of receiving their seasonal flu vaccination in addition to a safer and more effective approach.
This vaccine, initially approved in 2003 for administration only by healthcare providers, contains a weakened form of live influenza virus strains and is sprayed into the nose.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), between 2010 and 2023, the flu caused approximately 9.3 million to 41 million illnesses, 100,000 to 710,000 hospitalizations, and 4,900 to 51,000 deaths annually.
The FDA also mentioned that individuals aged 2 to 17 should not self-administer FluMist and should have it given by a caregiver. Other companies, including GSK, Sanofi, and CSL, also manufacture flu vaccines.