The flu vaccine moves from hospitals to homes! As vaccination rates decline, Astrazeneca launches a home-use nasal spray flu vaccine

According to the Zhitong Finance APP, pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca PLC made a significant announcement on Friday regarding its home-use flu vaccine nasal spray, coinciding with the ongoing controversy in the United States over vaccine accessibility.

FluMist Home is the same product as the company's seasonal flu vaccine spray, which has been provided by clinicians for the past two decades. FluMist Home received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last fall for use in individuals aged 2 and older.

Driven by a global surge in investment in innovative drugs this year and strong revenue generation from AstraZeneca's oncology "innovation drug fleet" product portfolio, AstraZeneca (AZN.US) has seen its stock price rise by 22% in the U.S. stock market this year, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 index.

AstraZeneca's Q2 financial report showed that its oncology drug portfolio achieved total revenue of $6.3 billion in the second quarter, far exceeding Wall Street analysts' expectations, primarily due to strong demand for innovative drugs such as Tagrisso and Imfinzi. Tagrisso generated product revenue of $1.8 billion for AstraZeneca in the second quarter, a year-on-year increase of 13%, while Imfinzi's product revenue reached $1.5 billion during the same period, with a year-on-year growth rate of 30%. Both products' revenues surpassed Wall Street expectations.

"Now, households can choose to order the spray vaccine online, specifying the delivery date and time, and the product will come with instructions on how to administer it," said Andrew Leone, the company's Executive Director of U.S. Vaccines and Immunotherapy, at a media event in Philadelphia on Thursday.

FluMist Home is only available to those with insurance. Leone stated that insured customers only need to pay a shipping and handling fee of $8.99. A company spokesperson mentioned that uninsured customers can pay approximately $70. To obtain the spray, customers must fill out an online medical questionnaire that includes their insurance information.

The product launch comes at a time of broader turmoil in U.S. vaccine policy. Longtime vaccine skeptic and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dismissed all members of the influential Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). He will replace them with his own selections, some of whom are skeptical about vaccines. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services even canceled mRNA vaccine research contracts and withdrew its official recommendation for COVID-19 vaccination in healthy children.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, flu vaccination rates have steadily declined. According to preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 46% of U.S. adults received the flu vaccine during the last flu season, down from about half five years ago.

Preliminary data indicate that the 2024–2025 flu season could result in at least approximately 27,000 deaths, including 267 children. Almost all of these children were not fully immunized "We can provide more protection for everyone if we can get more people vaccinated," said Tonya Villafana, Vice President of Medical and Scientific Affairs for AstraZeneca's Vaccine and Immunotherapy Division, at the event.

The drug will be transported in refrigerated containers, and if it cannot be administered immediately, customers should place the package in the refrigerator. Patients can scan a QR code with their mobile phones to ensure temperature control before use. If the product cannot be maintained at the correct temperature, customers will receive a reminder and can collaborate with the pharmacy to obtain a replacement.

Leone stated that the product will come with instructions on how to report users' vaccination status to state health departments or local physicians.

At the launch event, Brandon Jones, General Manager of an AstraZeneca manufacturing facility, stated that the production infrastructure for FluMist Home in Philadelphia is one of 11 sites in the United States and serves 20 countries. AstraZeneca, headquartered in the UK, has committed to investing approximately $50 billion in the U.S. by 2030 for manufacturing and R&D projects in the U.S. market.

During a performance conference call with reporters in July, AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot stated that the company has its headquarters and large manufacturing facilities in the U.S., and the imminent drug tariffs from the Trump administration are expected to have little impact on the company