Spray against influenza! FDA approves Astrazeneca vaccine.
According to the Intelligence Financial app, the US FDA has approved FluMist, a nasal spray developed by Astrazeneca (AZN.US), for the prevention of influenza caused by type A and type B flu viruses in the 2 to 49 age group. FluMist is the first flu vaccine that can be self-administered or given by caregivers to eligible patients.
FluMist is a live attenuated vaccine administered as a nasal spray to prevent influenza. The vaccine was initially approved in the United States in 2003 for children and adults aged 5 to 49, and its successful approval set an important precedent for the development of nasal spray vaccines, demonstrating the protective role of mucosal immune responses.
FluMist is also one of the influenza vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). In 2007, the US FDA further approved the use of FluMist in children aged 2 to 5.