Top in ID: First self-administered influenza vaccine; Reducing severe COVID-19 symptoms

The FDA approved FluMist, a nasal spray vaccine, for self-administration in people aged 2 to 49 years, making it the first ever influenza vaccine that does not need to be administered by a health care professional, the FDA announced.

The nasal spray vaccine contains weakened influenza viruses, whereas influenza vaccines given as injections contain inactivated viruses.

“This approval adds another option for vaccination against influenza disease,” Peter Marks, MD, PhD, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in a press release. The nasal vaccine offers “greater convenience, flexibility and accessibility for individuals and families,” he added.

It was the top story in infectious disease last week.

In another top story, researchers found that the antiviral molnupiravir modestly reduced the risk for severe symptoms of COVID-19 in study participants and may reduce risk for long COVID.

Read these and more top stories in infectious disease below:

FDA approves nasal spray as first self-administered flu vaccine

The FDA approved the first ever influenza vaccine that does not have to be given by a health care professional. Read more.

Molnupiravir cuts risk for severe COVID-19 symptoms — and possibly long COVID

The antiviral molnupiravir modestly reduces the risk for severe symptoms of COVID-19 and may also reduce the risk for long COVID, according to results from a randomized controlled trial. Read more.

CDC: Close contact of Missouri bird flu case had symptoms but was not tested

A household contact of a person in Missouri confirmed to be infected with H5 avian influenza began exhibiting symptoms of infection on the same day but was not tested for the virus, the CDC said. Read more.

Another Marburg vaccine candidate reaches human trials

The University of Oxford announced that researchers initiated the first-in-human trial of a Marburg virus vaccine to test its safety and evaluate its immune response among a young, healthy population. Read more.

Study: More than 39 million could die from antibiotic resistance by 2050

Without improvements to access and delivery of health care, more than 39 million people may die because of antimicrobial-resistant bacterial infections between 2025 and 2050, according to new estimates. Read more.