You Can Now Give Yourself a Flu Vaccine at Home With a Nasal Spray

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a day ago

Courtesy of AstraZeneca
For the first time, you may be able to vaccinate yourself against the flu from the comfort of your couch, no needle required. FluMist Home, a nasal spray version of the flu vaccine, launched on August 15 and is available to order at flumist.com for people ages 18 to 49 to use themselves and for adults to give to kids ages 2 to 17.
You might recall the name FluMist from previous seasons. It's been available and recommended by the CDC since 2003—barring a hiatus from 2016 to 2018 when a previous version was found ineffective against one flu type—but it had to be administered by a health care provider. The new at-home version received FDA approval in fall 2024 after studies conducted by the drug's maker AstraZeneca showed the general public could DIY it or supply it to a child just as well as a clinician could.
This launch stands to increase the number of people who get vaccinated by lowering a couple common barriers, like the inconvenience of having to go somewhere to get it done and the fear of needles, Scott Roberts, MD, an infectious disease specialist at Yale New Haven Hospital, tells SELF. And that's especially relevant now, in the wake of last year's highly severe flu season—clocking the most hospitalizations for the virus in 15 years—and as overall flu vaccination rates still lag below pre-pandemic levels.
Read on to learn all the details about FluMist Home, including who it's for, how to use it, and how it stacks up to the standard shot.
How does FluMist Home protect you against the flu?
Both the new at-home version of FluMist and the one available to receive from a health care provider utilize the same mechanism: a live weakened virus (whereas the shot uses an inactive version). By introducing that tempered version of the virus into your nose, you trigger your immune system to pump out antibodies—so that if you were to get exposed to the flu in the future, your body would be primed to fight it.
While FluMist contains a live virus, that doesn't mean it's giving you the flu. That virus has been 'adapted to a lower temperature, so it can only survive in your nose and stimulate the immune cells there, but won't get anywhere else in your body,' Ravi Jhaveri, MD, division head of infectious disease at Northwestern University School of Medicine and a scientific consultant to AstraZeneca, tells SELF. That makes it a safe option for ramping up flu-related antibodies without actually making you sick. But like the flu shot, it does come with a few potential side effects, like a runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, and fever. (If you wind up with any of these, they'll generally subside on their own in a couple days.)
As for actually getting and using FluMist Home? You can order it online by filling out a brief questionnaire, which a health care provider will review to make sure you're eligible—that generally means you fall within the designated age bracket and aren't immunocompromised. You'll also select the date when you'd like the product to be delivered, which you can schedule out for up to a couple months, and once you're approved, you'll need to pay a fee of $8.99 for shipping and processing. (Most insurance plans will cover the cost of the vaccine itself.) It'll arrive in cold packaging ready to use, though you can also refrigerate it for several weeks (through the expiration date) if you need some extra time. Giving yourself the vaccine involves following the instructions to spritz it into each nostril. And it comes with a prepaid envelope to dispose of the used dispenser when you're done.
Is it better to use FluMist Home or get the flu shot?
The two of these are 'functionally the same' in terms of offering flu protection, Dr. Roberts says, with a couple caveats. If you're over age 50, you should stick with the shot. And because it's a live weakened virus, FluMist is not recommended for those who are immunocompromised—that's standard protocol for most live-virus vaccines due to the concern that people in this camp won't have the typical response of someone with a robust immune system, Dr. Roberts says. The CDC also doesn't suggest it for pregnant folks or those with certain preexisting health conditions.
Otherwise, the choice comes down to personal preference. Maybe you'd rather avoid needles at all costs or just find it tricky to make time for that flu-shot appointment—in these scenarios, ordering FluMist Home and inoculating yourself might be more appealing.
But that also means paying a small fee and investing some effort to correctly administer it. With any at-home product, there's room for user error, Dr. Roberts points out. Again, FluMist Home has been proven easy enough for the average person to use effectively, but it's possible that if you spritz it incorrectly (say, not deep enough in your nose), it might not stimulate that full immune response. You may also miss the mark if you're dealing with a runny or stuffy nose—which is why Dr. Jhaveri recommends waiting until your nose clears up if you're going to use FluMist Home. All things considered, you might find that it's more convenient to you or offers you more peace of mind to get the traditional flu shot.
Whichever route you choose, the important thing is to get vaccinated. Doing so has been shown to significantly lower your risk of catching the flu and reduce the chance that you wind up seriously ill if you do. Not to mention, it'll help protect the folks in your community who are more susceptible to the flu (hello, herd immunity). It's the reason Dr. Roberts sees FluMist as a boon for public health: An additional option for getting vaccinated means we can increase access, which creates greater protection for everyone.
Related:
Should You Postpone Your Flu Shot If You're Feeling Sick?
Here's Why Flu Season Can Last Longer Than You Might Think
6 Flu Complications to Be Aware of If You Start Feeling Super Sick
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Originally Appeared on Self
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