August 15, 2025
Provided image/AstraZeneca
People can now order FluMist Home, a flu vaccine nasal spray approved for self-administration.
People in 34 states, including Pennsylvania and New Jersey, can now give themselves the flu vaccine in their living rooms – no needles required.
AstraZeneca has announced the launch of FluMist Home, a seasonal influenza vaccine available for home delivery. As the name implies, FluMist Home is a nasal spray that adults ages 18-49 can administer themselves. They can also give it to children as young as 2. All orders are reviewed by a licensed health care provider, who prescribes the medication.
That approval is contingent on a medical questionnaire, which customers fill out online. After an order is screened and insurance is approved, FluMist Home ships directly to the customer's home. It arrives in an insulated package on the delivery date selected, with instructions for storage, use and disposal.
The Food and Drug Administration approved FluMist Home for self or caregiver administration last September.
The new product arrives as influenza vaccination rates continue to decline. According to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, coverage among adults has steadily decreased since the 2020-2021 flu season. Nearly 45% of adults over the age of 18 received a flu vaccine during the 2023-2024 flu season. While the coverage among children ages 6 months to 17 years was better, at 55.4%, it is a significant plunge from the pre-pandemic coverage of 63.7% during the 2019-2020 season. The last time flu protection among children was this low or lower was 12 seasons ago, the CDC says.
AstraZeneca has pitched the FluMist Home as a booster for those staggering numbers. Joris Silon, the company's U.S. president and senior vice president, called the spray a "transformational moment in the evolution of influenza protection, bringing a simple and accessible option directly into the hands of consumers." Some medical experts say it could remove existing barriers to vaccination.
“As influenza vaccination rates decline, especially among younger populations, this first-of-its-kind, at-home, needle-free option offers a critical opportunity to help make protection more accessible, convenient, and better aligned with the realities and current preferences of people’s lives," Ravi Jhaveri, the head of infectious diseases at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, said in a statement.
AstraZeneca executive Joris Silon's name was misspelled in an earlier version of this story. It has been corrected.
Follow Kristin & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @kristin_hunt
| @thePhillyVoice
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice
Have a news tip? Let us know.
