A fifth-grader receives the FluMist influenza vaccine in Anaheim, California, in 2015. Jeff Glitchen/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images, hide caption
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Jeff Glitchen/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first flu vaccine that people can administer themselves at home.
The agency on Friday allowed people who have been tested to use FluMist nasal spray on their own, which can be ordered directly from online pharmacies and does not require a doctor’s appointment.
FluMist itself is not new — live-attenuated influenza vaccines have been FDA-approved for more than 20 years — but the ability for adults to order the vaccine at home and administer it to people ages 2 to 49 marks a groundbreaking advancement in the convenience and accessibility of preventive care.
“Getting vaccinated annually is the best way to prevent influenza. Influenza causes illness in a significant portion of the U.S. population each year and can lead to serious complications, including hospitalization and death,” said Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.
“This approval adds a new influenza vaccination option and demonstrates the FDA’s commitment to improving the public health,” Marks added.
Along with the convenience of having the vaccine delivered to your home, the nasal spray option could encourage more people who fear doctors and needles to get a flu shot.
FluMist nasal spray will be available through third-party online pharmacies, where users will complete a screening process to confirm eligibility, and the FDA recommends that parents administer the spray to children ages 2 to 17.
