FluMist Quadrivalent Vaccine Ships for 2020-2021 Flu Season

AstraZeneca has announced the first shipment of the FluMist Quadrivalent doses in the United States for the upcoming influenza season. It is the only nasal-spray flu vaccine, indicated for patients ages 2 through 49.

Flu vaccination will be particularly important in the 2020-2021 season to lessen the burden on the health care system and ensure adequate resources amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In response to this need, AstraZeneca has increased production of FluMist Quadrivalent doses in the United States by over 25% more than previously planned. According to a press release, the majority of these doses are expected to be available by the end of September.

FluMist Quadrivalent should not be administered to patients who have a severe allergy to eggs, those who have ever had a life-threatening reaction to an influenza vaccination, or those who are between 2 and 17 years of age and take aspirin or medicines containing aspirin. Children and adolescents should not be given aspirin for 4 weeks after getting the vaccine unless told otherwise by a health care provider.

The FluMist Quadrivalent vaccine has been recommended by both the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the American Academy of Pediatrics. The nasal-spray administrative technique may be preferred by some patients and parents, according to a press release.

“Helping to prevent flu is essential, and in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s even more important to do everything possible to reduce illnesses and preserve scarce health care resources,” AstraZeneca stated in a press release.

REFERENCE

AstraZeneca Ships FluMist Quadrivalent Vaccine in the US for 2020-2021 Flu Season [news release]. Business Wire; August 13, 2020. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200813005173/en/AstraZeneca-Ships-FLUMIST%C2%AE-QUADRIVALENT-Vaccine-2020-2021-Flu. Accessed August 17, 2020.