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Flu came early. Vaccinate your kid without leaving the house.

The nasal spray flu vaccine now ships to your door. Here's what it costs, who it's for, and how well it works.

Dr. Rick Pescatore
Rick Pescatore, D.O.ER doctor, former state chief physician
Order FluMist at home Is it right for my kid?
Illustration: a parent giving a smiling child a nasal spray vaccine at the kitchen table
Illustration.

This year's flu, so far

EarlyCDC says activity is higher than usual for this time of year
98%of typed flu A cases are one strain, H1N1
WestThe West Coast is seeing the most activity right now

CDC FluView, week ending October 3, 2026.

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How the at-home vaccine works

  1. Order onlineThrough the FluMist Home service at flumist.com.
  2. A clinician reviews itYou answer a short health questionnaire and a licensed provider checks eligibility.
  3. It ships coldDelivered to your door in temperature-controlled packaging.
  4. You give itA quick spray in each nostril. No needle.
Most private insurance covers itCheck your plan during ordering. Medicaid coverage may differ.
About $9 feeFor the clinician review, shipping and processing.

Two doses for some younger kids. Children ages 2 to 8 who have never had at least two flu vaccines before need two doses, four weeks apart, the first year. Ask about this during the questionnaire.

Home delivery is available in most, not all, states. The site tells you if yours is covered.

Who it's for, and who it isn't

Good fit

  • Healthy kids ages 2 to 17
  • Kids who melt down at needles
  • Families who can't easily get to a pharmacy or pediatrician

Get the shot instead

  • Children under 2
  • Kids 2 to 4 with asthma or recurrent wheezing
  • Anyone pregnant
  • Anyone with a weakened immune system, or who cares for someone severely immunocompromised
  • Adults 50 and older

Not a complete list. The screening questionnaire covers the rest, and your pediatrician can answer specific questions.

"Didn't the nasal spray stop working?"

It did, against this exact strain. From 2013 to 2016 the nasal vaccine barely protected kids against H1N1, and the CDC's vaccine committee told doctors not to use it for two seasons. The manufacturer rebuilt the H1N1 part and it returned in 2018.

20%effective against H1N1 in US kids, 2013 to 2016 (old version)
73%effective against H1N1 in kids 2 to 17, UK 2022-23 (rebuilt version)

Effectiveness changes from season to season for every flu vaccine, shot or spray. For kids, the rebuilt spray has held up well.

Adults: get the shot. In the head-to-head trial in healthy adults, the shot protected far better than the spray. Grown-ups already carry some flu immunity, which seems to blunt the live spray vaccine.

It takes about two weeks to work

Vaccinate this week and your kid is protected before Thanksgiving travel and the holiday crowds.

Order FluMist at home

I have no relationship with AstraZeneca, which makes FluMist. Not sponsored. I'm sending you there because it's the easiest path I know.

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While you're here

I'm also the founder of BellyMD. I built MGB+ for people with IBS-like symptoms who were told their tests look fine. It has nothing to do with the flu.

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Dr. Rick Pescatore

Rick Pescatore, D.O.

Emergency physician and editor-in-chief of Emergency Medicine News. As Delaware's chief physician for the Division of Public Health, I ran the state's testing programs through the pandemic. Founder of BellyMD.

Meet Dr. Rick and BellyMD

Sources

  1. CDC. Weekly US Influenza Surveillance Report, week 39 ending October 3, 2026. cdc.gov/fluview
  2. AstraZeneca. FluMist now available in the US for the 2026-2027 flu season (ages 2 to 49). astrazeneca-us.com
  3. FluMist Home cost and coverage: most commercial insurance plus $8.99 fee. Fierce Pharma
  4. Chung JR, et al. Live attenuated and inactivated influenza vaccine effectiveness, US children, 2013-14 through 2015-16. Pediatrics, 2019. summary
  5. CDC ACIP. Recommendations for the use of LAIV4, 2018-19 season. MMWR 2018;67(22). cdc.gov/mmwr
  6. Whitaker HJ, et al. End of 2022/23 season influenza vaccine effectiveness in primary care in Great Britain. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses, 2024. PMC11093773
  7. Monto AS, et al. Comparative efficacy of inactivated and live attenuated influenza vaccines (healthy adults). NEJM, 2009. AAFP summary

Educational content, not medical advice. Talk with your child's pediatrician about what's right for your family. Not sponsored; no relationship with AstraZeneca. MGB+ is a dietary supplement; these statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, and it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Image is an illustration. Spotted an error? Tell me.