Needle-Free Flu Vaccine

The nasal spray flu vaccine is administered intranasally, which means that the vaccine is sprayed up the nose as opposed to being injected with a needle.

This vaccine can be used in eligible individuals ages 2 through 49 years and can be a good option for people who avoid flu vaccination due to a fear of needles. The vaccine is known as “live attenuated” because it includes minuscule bits of weakened, live viruses that are modified in such a way that they can replicate in the nose to create an immune response without infecting you with a flu illness.

Some people do not qualify for the nasal spray vaccine.

Who should not get the nasal spray flu vaccine?

  • Children Younger than 2 Years Old
  • Adults 50 Years and Older
  • People with Asthma 
  • People with Heart Disease
  • People with Diabetes
  • People with Lung Disease
  • People with Cancer
  • People with Weakened Immune Systems (Immunosuppression) from any Cause
  • People who Care for Severely Immunocompromised Persons who Require a Protected Environment (or Otherwise Avoid Contact with those Persons for 7 Days after Getting the Nasal Spray Vaccine)
  • Pregnant People