The
Food
and
Drug
Administration
has
approved
a
nasally-administered
influenza
immunization
treatment
that
can
be
taken
at
home.
FluMist
—
a
nasal
spray
vaccine
that
AstraZeneca
initially
developed
as
an
in-office
treatment
two
decades
ago
—
will
still
require
a
prescription
to
obtain
and
is
expected
to
be
made
available
via
a
new
online
pharmacy
next
year,
according
to
The
New
York
Times.
The
treatment
will
require
people
to
fill
out
a
questionnaire
on
the
upcoming
FlueMist
Home
website.
Once
approved
by
a
pharmacist,
the
nasal
spray
will
be
shipped
directly
to
the
customer’s
door.
The
current
out-of-pocket
cost
is
around
$35
to
$45
per
dose
according
to
the
NYT,
but
that
may
drop
depending
on
insurance
coverage.
The
Centers
for
Disease
Control
and
Prevention
found
that
FluMist
has
a
similar
efficacy
to
the
traditional
shot.
It
has
been
available
through
healthcare
providers
ever
since
it
was
first
approved
by
the
FDA
back
in
2003.
It’s
suitable
for
people
aged
between
2
to
49
years
old
—
though
the
FDA
recommends
that
the
nasal
spray
be
administered
by
a
parent/caregiver
to
anyone
under
18.
The
spray
could
be
an
alternative
for
people
who
are
averse
to
getting
injections,
or
otherwise
find
it
difficult
or
inconvenient
to
travel
for
flu
immunization
treatments.
“Today’s
approval
of
the
first
influenza
vaccine
for
self-
or
caregiver-administration
provides
a
new
option
for
receiving
a
safe
and
effective
seasonal
influenza
vaccine
potentially
with
greater
convenience,
flexibility
and
accessibility
for
individuals
and
families,”
said
the
FDA’s
vaccine
center
director,
Dr.
Peter
Marks.
The
World
Health
Organization
reports
that
there
are
around
a
billion
annual
cases
of
seasonal
influenza,
resulting
in
290,000
to
650,000
respiratory
deaths
each
year.
(Originally posted by Jess Weatherbed)
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