AstraZeneca made a huge leap forward in at-home, self-administered vaccines by launching FluMist Home in August.
While the rollout signals a new generation of self-administered vaccines and flu immunization accessibility, a lot has changed since FluMist Home first got the FDA nod in September 2024.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s HHS has spent the last several months kneecapping vaccine access and development, from limiting this year’s COVID-19 vaccine approval to pulling $500 million in research funding for mRNA vaccines, including those with needle-free administration, which is key to at-home use.
Despite this backdrop, FluMist Home launched as the only self-administered flu vaccine, and was approved for adults 18 to 49 years old or by a parent or caregiver to patients 2 to 17 years old.
Increasing the number and types of locations where people can get vaccines has long been…