AstraZeneca (NASDAQ:AZN) has secured approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the self-administration of FluMist, a needle-free nasal spray influenza vaccine.
The approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was based on a comprehensive submission, which included results from a usability study demonstrating that individuals over 18 years of age could self-administer or administer FluMist to eligible individuals 2-49 years of age.
This marks the first influenza vaccine in the US approved for self-administration by adults up to 49 years old and caregiver-administration for individuals aged 2-17 years.
"For the first time, families and caregivers will be able to protect themselves against influenza with a needle-free, self-administered vaccine, from the convenience of their own home," said Dr. Ravi Jhaveri, Division Head of Infectious Diseases at Northwestern University.
This approval is an important step forward in making vaccines more accessible to fight the high annual burden of influenza.