Now that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given its okay, FluMist has become the first flu vaccine that adults can self-administer or give to their children outside of a pharmacy, doctor’s office, or other healthcare setting.
As with the version of FluMist administered in healthcare settings, the new home version is approved for adults under age 50 and children age 2 and up.
A Nasal Flu Vaccine Has Been Around for Years
The Home Nasal Spray Flu Vaccine Is Easy to Use
“It’s easy to do — similar to spraying saline solution in your nose,” says Carlene Muto, MD, the medical director of infection prevention and control with Temple University Health System in Philadelphia.
“Instead of taking a few hours to go to a pharmacy or to your medical provider, you can just go online, complete a questionnaire (which will be reviewed by a pharmacist), and then have the order shipped to your home,” says Edward Jones-Lopez, MD, an infectious disease specialist with Keck Medicine of USC in Los Angeles.
Who Is Most Likely to Choose the New Home Flu Vaccine?
“I remember myself being afraid of needles as a child,” says Dr. Jones-Lopez. “I think most kids, if given a choice between an injection and a little fluid squirted up their nose, would prefer the spray.”
He adds that being able to give the vaccination in a home setting may be much more comfortable both for children and adults.
Convenience is also a factor. “I could see self-administration being welcomed in populations where traveling to a clinic or pharmacy is difficult,” says Andrew Dwenger, PharmD, a clinical pharmacist at University of Utah Health in Salt Lake City. These groups include people who live in rural areas or who have a debilitating illness that makes it hard for them to get around, according to Dr. Dwenger.
The Flu Vaccine Can Save Lives
The FDA stresses that FluMist Home adds another option for vaccination against flu and that might encourage more people to get vaccinated.
“Influenza kills tens of thousands of people every year,” says Muto. “It doesn’t matter what vaccine you pick, just please pick one to protect yourself and your loved ones.”
