FDA Approves AstraZeneca’s Needle-Free FluMist Nasal Spray for Self-Administration in Individuals Aged 2–49

Approved by the U.S. FDAAstraZeneca(AstraZeneca, AZN.US)’s needle-free nasal spray FluMist, used to prevent influenza caused by influenza A and B viruses in individuals aged 2 to 49. FluMist has become the first influenza vaccine available for eligible patients to self-administer or to be administered by a caregiver.

FluMist is a live attenuated vaccine administered as a nasal spray to prevent influenza. It was first approved in the United States in 2003 for use in children and adults aged 5 to 49. Its successful approval set an important precedent for the development of nasal spray vaccines, demonstrating the protective role of mucosal immune responses.

FluMist is also one of the influenza vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). In 2007, the U.S. FDA further approved the use of FluMist in children aged 2 to 5.

Editor: Yu Jian SF069