Nasal spray flu vaccine approved in Canada

A nasal spray version of the flu vaccine has been approved for use in Canada, the vaccine maker says.

AstraZeneca Canada announced Wednesday that its FluMist vaccine has received Health Canada's approval.

The mist is sprayed into a nostril, with no need for needles.

FluMist is administered annually, and is approved for the prevention of seasonal influenza in Canadians two to 59 years of age, the company said.

The nasal spray should not be used by peopleat high risk for complications from flu such as those with underlying medical conditions likeheart or lung disease,pregnant women, and those with a severe allergy to chicken eggs or components of the vaccine.

"My overall impression is it's a helpful tool," said Dr. Michael Gardam of the Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion in Toronto. "It has some advantages over the regular injectable flu vaccine but it also has some disadvantages."

Advantages include itsneedle-free approach and effectiveness in children. But thenasal spray vaccine mightlead tomild flu symptoms, like a runny nose or fever in children or sore throats in adults, that don't really occurwith the injectable flu shots, Gardam said.

It is too soon to make recommendations about the product, the Public Health Agency of Canadasaid.

"The National Advisory Committee on Immunizationmust first review the science, including the evidence on its safety and effectiveness, as well as its usefulness for those people most at risk of catching the flu," the agency said in an email.

Once the committee'sreview is complete, it willissue recommendations to provinces and territories to consider when deciding whether to provide the vaccine.

Provinces and territories have already purchased seasonal flu vaccine for the upcoming flu season.

The spray has been used in the U.S. since 2003.