On September 20, 2024, the US FDA approved the first self-administered nasal influenza vaccine. (FDA press release)
This is AstraZeneca’s FluMist. FluMist has been approved as a nasal (sprayed through the nose) influenza vaccine since 2003. However, this vaccine has been administered by doctors at medical institutions.
This approval allows this nasal influenza vaccine to be administered by oneself or a caregiver. This is a timely approval as vaccinations are now coming as influenza season approaches.
This self-administered nasal influenza vaccine is intended for people aged 2 to 49 years old. In addition, for people aged 2 to 17 years old, it is not administered by the person themselves, but by a caregiver.
This vaccine will be available for ordering through online pharmacies. A typical example of an online pharmacy is Amazon Pharmacy, which allows you to order online and administer it at home, so you can get the influenza vaccine without any medical institution involved, including visiting a doctor.
In the current social situation after the COVID-19 pandemic, where online activities have become even more abundant, the self-administered nasal vaccine is a timely drug that has been approved and launched on the market.
The vaccine should be stored in a refrigerator, and when administered, it is administered by spraying it into the nose all at once.
FluMist (not self-administered) was approved in Japan on March 27, 2023 (approved by Daiichi Sankyo, press release in Japanese). It will be released in fiscal year 2024, so this influenza vaccine may be used for the first time in Japan after September this year (2024) in preparation for the influenza season.
In Japan, the introduction of nasal vaccines was 20 years later than in the United States, so it is interesting to see when the time comes when the self-administration vaccine becomes available.
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