If this flu-busting nasal spray lives up to its promise, it will be a blockbuster. Scientists at Harvard Medical School have developed a simple nasal spray, made of harmless ingredients, that they reckon can protect us against flu,

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first nasal spray flu vaccine which can be administered by the patient or a caregiver. FluMist, produced by European pharmaceutical company and Covid vaccine-maker AstraZeneca, was announced last week and can be used by adults aged 49 and under.

FluMist is the only nasal flu vaccine, but it is not new. The FDA approved it in 2003 for people 5 to 49 years old before expanding eligibility in 2007 to children as young as 2 years old — requiring in both instances that it be administered by a vaccine provider.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved FluMist — the nasal spray flu vaccine — for home use by a patient or adult caregiver. Dr. Nicole Saphier and Dr. Marc Siegel weigh in.

T he first-ever needleless flu vaccine that can be given at home was just approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FluMist is a nasal spray that provides protection against influenza A and B, and it’s now approved for self-administration in adults up to age 49 and caregiver-administration for kids ages 2 to 17.