At-home flu vaccine approved by FDA — what to know

A nasal spray version of the annual flu vaccine can now be taken at home, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says.

In a statement published Sept. 20, the FDA announced that it had approved the nasal spray iNFLuenza vaccine, called FluMist, for use at home. This allows people ages 18 to 49 to self-administer the vaccine — meaning they spray it up their own nose. The vaccine is also cleared for children and adolescents ages 2 to 17, whose caregivers can administer the spray.

FluMist was previously available for people ages 2 to 49 in the U.S., but it could be administered only by professionals in Health care settings, such as pharmacies and doctors' offices. The FDA's new announcement comes after clinical trial data showed that FluMist was easy to self-administer and that it was just as safe and effective to vaccinate this way as it was by Health care professionals.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that, except in rare circumstances, everyone 6 months and older get a flu vaccine each season — ideally between September and October, before the flu starts circulating widely. The new approval could make vaccination more convenient, flexible and accessible, Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in the statement.

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"Getting vaccinated each year is the best way to prevent iNFLuenza, which causes illness in a substantial proportion of the U.S. population every year and may result in serious complications, including hospitalization and death," Marks said. "This approval adds another option for vaccination against iNFLuenza disease and demonstrates the FDA's commitment to advancing public Health."

Here's what we know so far about using FluMist at home.