Nasal flu vaccine; abortion laws vs. emergency care; beyond breast cancer – Morning Medical Update

Ahead (of the flu) by a nose

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first influenza vaccine that does not require administration by a health care professional. It’s a nasal spray that does not involve a needle. Here’s what you need to know about it.

Abortion laws and emergency care

Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision in 2022, states have created their own laws regarding abortion. But when women seek emergency reproductive medical care, there have been reported legal conflicts between abortion laws and the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, known as EMTALA. The U.S. Senate Finance Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on this issue today.

Life after breast cancer

It’s a tremendous thing for women to beat breast cancer. What happens next? Here is research about young breast cancer patients and chances of recurrence due to breastfeeding, and the beginning of a study on how body mass index could affect the return of cancer. As a side benefit, patients who began an exercise program had greater weight loss than those who did not. (An aside: Men can get breast cancer and it’s a tremendous thing for them to beat it too.)