The FDA is clearing the way for an at-home flu vaccines.
A self-administered version of pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca’s FluMist was approved Friday by regulators for household administration in patients ages 2 to 49. The spray, which has been available via a doctor's visit since 2003, is roughly as as effective as injected vaccines.
“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,” Iskra Reic, an AstraZeneca executive, said in a statement.
Though trust in the flu vaccine is higher than many other immunizations, less than half of U.S. adults sought a shot in the 2023-24 flu season, according to the CDC. Vaccination rates have declined in recent years, as healthcare inequities and vaccine apathy make likely patients skip the shot.
FluMist still requires a prescription, though adults can administer the drugs themselves or to children 2 and up. Per the vaccine maker, the innoculation can now be prescribed through online pharmacies, which the company expects to launch ahead of the next flu season, making access easier for customers.
Doses of the spray are typically free for most insured Americans, though details on self-administered dose pricing weren’t immediately made available.
