AstraZeneca’s Flumist for Annual Flu is now Available

AstraZeneca has announced the U.S. availability of Flumist Quadrivalent (influenza vaccine live) for the 2021-2022 influenza season. This nasal-spray flu vaccine is indicated for people ages 2 through 49. The bulk of AstraZeneca’s supply for the 2021-2022 flu season is expected to be available by mid-September.

Mina Makar

“As the world continues to navigate an unpredictable public health landscape with coinciding flu and COVID-19 viruses, AstraZeneca remains committed to following the science and putting people and their communities first by helping ensure families have access to a needle-free vaccination option,” Mina Makar, senior vice president, U.S. respiratory and immunology at AstraZeneca, said in a statement.

Flumist Quadrivalent is the only FDA-approved flu vaccine to use a needle-free nasal spray administrative technique. AstraZeneca’s live attenuated influenza vaccine (either as trivalent or quadrivalent formulations) has been approved by the FDA since 2003.

In line with the 2021-2022 recommendations from the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends the flu vaccine for everyone six months and older. Nasal spray vaccines are not recommended for children younger than two years or older than 50 years, or anyone who is immune compromised.

This season, all flu vaccines will be designed to protect against the four viruses that research indicates will be most common, according to the CDC. This year, a few things are new, including the composition of the flu vaccines has been updated, and the licensure on one flu vaccine has changed. Flucelvax Quadrivalent is now approved for people 2 years and older.

The CDC indicated that this year, there were fewer flu viruses available to inform the selection process, but officials don’t believe this will impact the match between circulating viruses and the vaccines available.

The FDA has released a list of the available flu vaccines as of August 26, 2021.