An At-Home Nasal Vaccine

For the first time, you can vaccinate yourself against flu. The FDA recently approved the first at-home vaccine to prevent influenza, the nasal spray FluMist, which was originally approved in 2003 but only to be administered by doctors. FluMist works just like a regular vaccine, sans needle—it contains a weakened form of influenza that can activate the immune system to fight the virus, but won’t cause infection. Beginning next year, doctors can write prescriptions for FluMist for anyone under age 50, and users can order the spray online for delivery to give themselves at home. (Caregivers can administer the spray for children.) AstraZeneca expects to have doses ready for the fall-2025 flu season.