A fifth grader receives the FluMist flu vaccine in Anaheim, California in 2015.
Jeff Gritchen/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images
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Jeff Gritchen/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first flu vaccine that people can give themselves at home.
The agency on Friday gave the green light to people who have been screened to administer the FluMist nasal spray, which can be ordered directly from an online pharmacy, avoiding the need to visit a doctor.
The FluMist vaccine itself is not new: The live, attenuated flu vaccine has been approved by the FDA for more than two decades. But the ability for adults to order the vaccine at home to administer to people ages 2 to 49 is a major advance in convenience and access to preventive care.
“Getting vaccinated every year is the best way to prevent influenza, which causes illness in a significant proportion 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 another influenza vaccination option and demonstrates the FDA’s commitment to advancing public health,” Marks added.
In addition to offering the convenience of receiving the vaccine directly to your door, the nasal spray option could encourage more people who are afraid of doctors or needles to get the flu shot.
FluMist nasal spray will be available through a third-party online pharmacy, where people will have to go through a screening process to verify their eligibility. However, the FDA recommends that a caregiver administer the spray to children ages 2 to 17.
