A flu vaccine you can administer yourself, stroke deaths on the rise and drug overdose deaths decreasing: Here's what happened in health this week.

Rebecca Corey
·Reporter
·5-min read
A woman holds a tissue to her nose as she sits on a couch.
The FDA has approved a new flu vaccine that you can administer yourself. (Getty Images)

Happy Saturday! Tomorrow is the first day of fall; kick off cozy season with some tasty fall produce (it’s good for you!). And now, here’s what you might have missed in health and wellness this week.

What our team has been interested in: These were some of our favorite topics:

  • You can finally ditch the air-conditioned gym; Kaitlin Reilly shares why fall is the perfect time to take your exercise routine outside — and how to make the most of crisper temperatures.

  • Break out your oversize sweatshirt, bike shorts and chunky socks, because “Princess Diana weather” is back. Lindsay Goldwert explains the everlasting appeal of the Diana-inspired seasonal fashion.

  • It’s still early in the fall season, with erratic weather that seems to alternate between scorching-hot and freezing-cold days. Korin Miller explains why those drastic temperature fluctuations are bad for your health — and what you can do about it.

  • Natalie Rahhal’s COVID-19 fall guide has all the details you’ll need this season: from new variants to the latest vaccine info.

  • Election Day is right around the corner! I talked to mental health experts about the latest Yahoo News/YouGov poll, which shows that Americans are more anxious about the presidential election now than they were four months ago.

What researchers have been studying: Here are some interesting new studies that have come out:

What happened in celebrity health: Celebrities make headlines for more than just fashion and films; they can call our attention to some important health topics too. Here’s what to know this week:

  • Stars of Hulu’s Secret Lives of Mormon Wives say their “dirty soda” habit is a vice that’s worth the dire health consequences. Kerry Justich talks to experts about the “liquid Satan” beverage.

  • Actress Hayden Panettiere spoke for the first time about losing her younger brother, who died suddenly last year from an undiagnosed heart condition — and shares how she’s processing her grief.

  • Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is in theaters today. I spoke with the president and CEO of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation about how the beloved star revolutionized spinal cord injury research.

And finally, these were some of the biggest headline makers in health and wellness this week.

On Friday, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first-ever flu vaccine that doesn’t need to be given by a health care provider.

The AstraZeneca vaccine FluMist, which is administered in nasal spray form, was first approved by the FDA in 2003 for people ages 5 to 49. In 2007, approval was expanded to include people as young as 2 years old. The FDA decision on Friday means that FluMist can now be acquired without a prescription, and either self-administered or administered by a caregiver.

“Getting vaccinated each year is the best way to prevent influenza, which causes illness in a substantial proportion of the U.S. population every year and may result in serious complications, including hospitalization and death,” Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in a statement. “This approval adds another option for vaccination against influenza disease.”

This is the latest example of nasal sprays shaking up health care, with the method now being used to deliver medication for everything from migraines to overdoses and allergic reactions.

Since 1990, new cases of stroke have spiked 70% and stroke-related deaths have risen 44% worldwide, according to a study published on Wednesday — making it the third leading cause of death.

Researchers identified 23 risk factors responsible for a majority of the global stroke burden, and found that climate change is a major contributor.

“Air pollution and rising temperatures are playing a larger role in strokes than ever before,” says Dr. Catherine Johnson, who co-authored the study. “We must address these environmental risks alongside metabolic and lifestyle factors to reduce the stroke burden.”

Modifiable risk factors — including high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity — were the main instigators of strokes worldwide, and experts say that exercising, not smoking and maintaining a healthy body weight are key ways to significantly lower your chances of stroke.

Public health data appears to show a drop in overdose deaths nationwide for the first time in years, NPR reported on Wednesday.

Dr. Nabarun Dasgupta, an expert on street drugs at the University of North Carolina, was one of the first researchers to detect the trend. He believes there’s now at least a 15% decline in street drug deaths nationwide, which could mean up to 20,000 fewer fatalities per year.

Possible factors responsible for the sudden decline, according to addiction experts, include public health strategies, the changing makeup of the street drug supply, the end of the COVID pandemic and the high number of people who have already died from drug overdoses.

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