Although it won’t be available for this winter’s flu season, a novel flu vaccine that can be sprayed in the nose has moved a step closer to approval, with government scientists saying it is safe and effective for healthy people ages 5 to 49.
A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel said there was insufficient scientific evidence that the vaccine, called FluMist, is effective for people ages 50 to 64, a key group that health officials often urge to get vaccinated.
Makers of the inhaled vaccine said they plan to collect more data on this age group if the drug is approved for the younger age group.
If approved, FluMist could be in doctors’ offices by next flu season, said Jamie Lacey, a spokeswoman for MedImmune Inc., the Gaithersburg, Md., which makes the vaccine.
Federal health officials hope that FluMist will provide a painless alternative to the injected vaccines and encourage many Americans who dislike getting shots to get vaccinated, said Dr. Keiji Fukuda, an epidemiologist in the influenza branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
More than 174 million Americans should get flu shots, but only about 70 million do.
