Federal health officials are opening the doors for doctors to once again administer the flu vaccine through a nasal spray beginning next flu season.
The spray, known as FluMist, had been largely unused in the U.S. beginning in 2016 because officials determined it was less effective than the flu shot. The FluMist option was particularly popular among children and adults who are afraid of needles.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, voted 12-2 Wednesday to recommend reversing the decision. The agency’s recommendations influence doctors’ buying practices and broader health guidelines around the flu season, though the move may come too late this year for providers to stock the drug.
FluMist continued to be used in other countries and did not lose its approval from the Food and Drug Administration, but doctors, hospitals and clinics often turn to the CDC for guidance in deciding which medicines to stock.
AstraZeneca, FluMist’s manufacturer, provided additional evidence during the CDC meeting to demonstrate that the vaccine worked after the company made slight alterations. The company, through its subsidiary MedImmune, said after the vote that it will make its vaccine available for the flu season ahead. The nasal spray is approved for children beginning at age 2.
Officials softened the language in their documents about the nasal spray, known officially as “LAIV4,” saying doctors could choose to administer it, rather than providing a ringing endorsement.
“For the 2018-19 season, immunization providers may choose to administer any licensed, age appropriate, influenza vaccine (including LAIV, IIV and RIV). LAIV4 is an option for influenza vaccination for persons for whom it is otherwise appropriate,” the new recommendation reads, referring to the nasal spray.
