Last checked at 
LONDON, June 23 (Reuters) - AstraZeneca said itwould take an $80 million writedown on stocks of its flu vaccineFlumist Quadrivalent, which is sprayed into the nose, after U.S.health authorities decided they would not use the product.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)ruled the vaccine should not be used in any setting, based onU.S. data indicating it did not demonstrate statisticallysignificant effectiveness in children.
Despite the setback, AstraZeneca said it maintained itsfinancial guidance for 2016. U.S. sales of the product in 2015totalled $206 million.
The company said the CDC data contrasted with its ownstudies as well as preliminary independent findings by publichealth authorities in other countries suggesting the vaccine was46 to 58 percent effective overall against flu strains duringthe 2015-2016 season.
"The distribution and use of the vaccine in other countriesare progressing as planned for the forthcoming influenza season,pending the annual release process from relevant regulatoryauthorities," AstraZeneca said in a statement on Thursday. (Reporting by Ben Hirschler; editing by Jason Neely)
