Please see Important Saftey Information at the bottom of this page
The CDC/ACIP encourages vaccination to begin as soon as a vaccine is available and to continue throughout the season.3
Information for Healthcare Professionals

Dosing and Administration

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (CDC/ACIP) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), “Children aged <9 years who are receiving influenza vaccine for the first time or who were vaccinated for the first time last season, but only received 1 dose, should have 2 doses of vaccine, at least 4 weeks apart.”8

Do not administer FluMist® to children <24 months of age due to an increased risk of hospitalization and wheezing that was observed in clinical trials.

  • Dosing

    A convenient chart showing appropriate dosing schedules for FluMist, based on age group and flu vaccination status.

Administration Guidelines for FluMist

Watch this video to learn how FluMist works in the body, how to store FluMist in your office, and how to administer it to your eligible patients. The 6 steps for administration are also listed in the diagram below.

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Administration Diagram

Each sprayer contains a single dose of FluMist; approximately one-half the contents should be administered into each nostril. Refer to the administration diagram (Figure 1) for step-by-step administration instructions. Once FluMist has been administered, the sprayer should be disposed of according to the standard procedures for medical waste (e.g., sharps container or biohazard container).

Important Safety Information

FluMist® is a vaccine indicated for active immunization of individuals 2 - 49 years of age against influenza disease caused by influenza virus subtypes A and type B contained in the vaccine.

FluMist is contraindicated in individuals with history of hypersensitivity to eggs, egg proteins, gentamicin, gelatin or arginine or with life-threatening reactions to previous influenza vaccinations, and in children and adolescents receiving concomitant aspirin or aspirin-containing therapy.

Do not administer FluMist to children <24 months of age due to an increased risk of hospitalization and wheezing that was observed in clinical trials. FluMist should not be administered to any individual with asthma and to children <5 years of age with recurrent wheezing unless the potential benefit outweighs the potential risk. Do not administer FluMist to individuals with severe asthma or active wheezing.

If Guillain-Barré syndrome has occurred with prior influenza vaccination or if an individual is immunocompromised, the decision to give FluMist should be based on careful consideration of the potential benefits and risks. FluMist should not be administered to individuals with underlying medical conditions predisposing them to wild-type influenza infection complications unless the potential benefit outweighs the potential risk. FluMist should be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed.

Most common adverse reactions (occurring at ≥10% in individuals receiving FluMist and at least 5% greater than in placebo) are runny nose or nasal congestion in recipients of all ages, fever >100°F in children 2-6 years of age, and sore throat in adults.

FluMist may not protect all individuals receiving the vaccine. FluMist is for intranasal administration only.