In 2006, FluMist sales represented 3 percent - or $36 million - of company revenue.
In September, the FDA approved FluMist for ages 2 to 5, after MedImmune addressed problems - including bacterial contamination - at its FluMist manufacturing plant in England. The FDA said in a letter that the problems did not affect the "safety, purity or potency" of the vaccine.
Last year the company participated in vaccination programs at 60 schools nationally, including in Maryland.
FluMist costs $17.95 per dose wholesale compared with as little as $10 for flu shots, which may put it out of reach for some school systems and state programs, said analyst Damien Conover at Morningstar Inc.
FluMist is covered by 94 percent of health insurance plans with immunization benefits and is available at no cost to children eligible for the federal Vaccines for Children program, the company said.
However, pediatricians and parents may be willing to pay more out of pocket for a nasal spray to avoid the tears that often come with injections, Conover said.
"I don't think it's going to move the needle with AstraZeneca, but it is important," he said.
AstraZeneca stock closed yesterday down 88 cents to $39.15 on the New York Stock Exchange.
allison.connolly@baltsun.com
Bloomberg News contributed to this article.
