The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first self-administered seasonal influenza vaccine – AstraZeneca’s FluMist. FluMist has been available in the US since 2003, but beginning next year, the nasal spray vaccine will also be available for self-administration. This approval increases the accessibility of seasonal influenza vaccines, and has the potential to increase vaccine uptake, says GlobalData, a data and analytics company.
“FluMist is approved for use in the US in children and adults ages 2 through 49 years. It is the only seasonal influenza vaccine to be delivered intranasally, which makes it a great option for those who may be needle-phobic,” Stephanie Kurdach, Infectious Disease Analyst at GlobalData, said.
According to GlobalData, the influenza virus was responsible for at least 2.1 million illnesses, 21,000 hospitalizations, and 4,700 deaths during the 2023-2024 US influenza season. Vaccination against the influenza virus remains the most important intervention in the prevention of influenza-associated complications, and the US CDC recommends that everyone 6 months of age and older receives a vaccination each influenza season.
FluMist is a live-attenuated influenza vaccine – it is manufactured using a live, weakened version of the influenza virus. This differentiates FluMist from traditional injectable vaccines, which are manufactured using either killed viruses, proteins, or cell-culturing methods. All are effective methods of protection against the seasonal influenza virus.
“FluMist’s approval for self- or caregiver-administration provides patients with increased accessibility to the seasonal influenza vaccine. It also provides patients with increased flexibility to receive the vaccine at their convenience, and in turn, has the potential to increase uptake of the seasonal influenza vaccine,” Kurdach said.
To access FluMist for self-administration, AstraZeneca plans to utilize a third-party online pharmacy. Following a screening and eligibility assessment, the online pharmacy will prescribe and ship the vaccine to the patient’s home. AstraZeneca expects this option to be available for the 2025-2026 influenza season.
According to GlobalData, the US vaccination rate for seasonal influenza during the 2023-2024 season was estimated to be 47%, and this rate is only expected to increase marginally over the coming years.
GlobalData’s survey of high-prescribing physicians in the US reveals that the percentage of patients vaccinated against seasonal influenza who were administered FluMist during the 2022-2023 season were 2.2% of children 2-4 years of age, 13.4% of children 5-17 years of age, and 3.4% of adults 18-49 years of age.
Kurdach concludes: “By increasing access to FluMist, there is potential for these percentages to increase. It is possible that we will see an increase in US patient shares of FluMist, given the convenient route of administration and ease of access, as well as an overall increase in seasonal influenza vaccine uptake.”
