For the primary time, many individuals within the United States who need to defend themselves towards the flu this respiratory virus season can order a vaccine to give themselves at home.
AstraZeneca’s FluMist, the one nasal spray flu vaccine within the US that has been authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration, is now accessible for home supply in 34 states below the model identify FluMist Home. It may be self-administered by adults below 50 and to kids as younger as 2 with the assistance of a guardian or caregiver.
The on-line ordering platform contains a temporary medical screening questionnaire to be reviewed by a licensed health-care supplier earlier than prescribing the vaccine. It is roofed by most industrial insurance coverage, with an $8.99 payment for delivery and dealing with.
FluMist has been available on the market for greater than 20 years, receiving preliminary FDA approval in 2003. In September 2024, the FDA gave the inexperienced gentle for the nasal spray vaccine to be self-administered however it wasn’t prepared to attain the general public in time for final respiratory virus season.
Experts say this novel possibility for self-administration may very well be a useful gizmo to assist enhance vaccination charges at a important time.
Last flu season was unusually intense and severe. Preliminary estimates from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention counsel that there have been up to 82 million sicknesses, 1.3 million hospitalizations and 130,000 deaths from flu between October 2024 and May 2025 – however less than half of youngsters and adults within the US had gotten their annual flu vaccine.
The basic public is turning into “increasingly comfortable” with home administration of medication and biologics resembling Covid-19 assessments and GLP-1 injections, stated Dr. Peter Hotez, a pediatrician who co-directs the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children’s Hospital.
“We learned during Covid how home diagnostic testing became widely accepted and that turned out to be a great public health intervention,” Hotez stated. “Given the low uptake of seasonal flu vaccine in America, I think it is worth exploring some novel approaches.”
With the rise of vaccine hesitancy and different challenges, it’s key to take away as many limitations as possible, stated Elizabeth Bodin, vp of AstraZeneca’s US respiratory and immunology vaccines and immune therapies staff.
“There can be many reasons that patients maybe don’t get vaccinated, but one of them can be the practical elements of booking appointments, convenience, being able to get in to see the doctor,” she stated. “The ability to go online and with a couple of clicks to be able to order FluMist, have it reviewed by a health care provider to ensure it’s appropriate for you and your family and have it delivered to your doorstep, that can remove one of the barriers that may stand in the way of people getting vaccinated.”
The knowledge AstraZeneca introduced to the FDA for approval of FluMist Home included a “usability study” displaying folks can use it correctly with out a health-care supplier current. The outcomes confirmed that 100% of meant customers administered a full dose, in accordance to the drug firm.
A give attention to patient-centered care creates pathways for folks to take a main position in their very own well being care, Bodin stated.
“The population that I see benefiting from FluMist Home the most are individuals who are busy convenience-seekers or busy families,” she stated. “Maybe they’re getting ready for back-to-school season, and it’s one less item on their to-do list to book a clinic visit or a pharmacy visit. Knowing that they can bring FluMist Home right into their home and vaccinate on their schedule – the time they want, no waiting in line – makes it very manageable for them to ensure that they can protect their family for the upcoming flu season.”
The vaccine that individuals can now self-administer at home can have the identical vial, identical vaccine formulation and identical effectiveness because the FluMist utilized by health-care suppliers, AstraZeneca stated.
The vaccine is mailed in temperature-controlled packaging with a tag that sufferers scan to make sure the vaccine stayed at an applicable temperature all through the delivery course of. The vial contains two pre-measured doses – one to squirt into every nostril, separated by a clip – and there are a number of supplies to assist those that have questions.
FluMist is the one needle-free possibility accessible for flu vaccination within the US. It makes use of a dwell, weakened model of the influenza virus to present safety, however injectable flu vaccines use completely different expertise: both killed viruses or proteins to prepare the immune system to struggle off the virus. AstraZeneca says FluMist has been proven to be as efficient as different flu vaccines.
According to the FDA, probably the most generally reported unwanted effects of FluMist are runny nostril and congestion, in addition to a fever for younger kids and a sore throat in adults.
The FDA issued recommendations for the the composition of the 2025-2026 flu vaccines in March, and Bodin says FluMist Home is “ready to target” the virus probably to affect Americans most within the upcoming season.