If this flu-busting nasal spray lives up to its promise, it will be a blockbuster. Scientists at Harvard Medical School have developed a simple nasal spray, made of harmless ingredients, that they reckon can protect us against flu,

FluMist is the only nasal flu vaccine, but it is not new. The FDA approved it in 2003 for people 5 to 49 years old before expanding eligibility in 2007 to children as young as 2 years old — requiring in both instances that it be administered by a vaccine provider.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first nasal spray flu vaccine which can be administered by the patient or a caregiver. FluMist, produced by European pharmaceutical company and Covid vaccine-maker AstraZeneca, was announced last week and can be used by adults aged 49 and under.

Most respiratory viruses, like the flu and COVID-19, enter the body through the nose. When an infected person exhales, sneezes, coughs, or even laughs, they release droplets containing the virus, which others can inhale. These pathogens attach to the nasal lining, replicate, and are further spread.

T he first-ever needleless flu vaccine that can be given at home was just approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FluMist is a nasal spray that provides protection against influenza A and B, and it’s now approved for self-administration in adults up to age 49 and caregiver-administration for kids ages 2 to 17.