Gaithersburg, Maryland-based MedImmune has received the Food and Drug Administration’s approval for self- or caregiver-administration of its FluMist nasal spray flu vaccine, meaning no physician needed.

It is expected to be available through online pharmacies beginning next year.

FluMist still needs a prescription and is approved for home administration for individuals 2 to 49 years old. Those administering the vaccine, either to themselves or someone else, must be at least 18 years old, and be required to complete a screening and eligibility assessment. Once approved, the vaccine will be shipped to the address provided with the order.

For children 2 to 17 years old, the FDA said it should be administered by an adult caregiver.

“(This) approval of the first influenza vaccine for self- or caregiver-administration provides a new option for receiving a safe and effective seasonal influenza vaccine potentially with greater convenience, flexibility and accessibility for individuals and families,” said Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

MedImmune was acquired by AstraZeneca for $15.6 billion in 2007.

FluMist was originally approved as an alternative to traditional influenza vaccine shots in 2003. It is sprayed directly into the nose.

FluMist is a live attenuated influenza vaccine, meaning it contains a weakened version of the flu virus.

Between 2010 and 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that the flu resulted in 9.3 to 41 million illnesses annually, as many as 710,000 hospitalizations and 51,000 deaths annually.