 Friday, July 5, 2024
Updated COVID-19 and flu vaccines recommended
for fall/winter virus season
 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending everyone ages 6 months and older receive updated COVID-19 and flu vaccines to protect against these severe viruses this fall and winter.
COVID-19 recommendations
Updated COVID-19 vaccines will be available from Moderna, Novavax, and Pfizer later this year.
The virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, is always changing and protection from COVID-19 vaccines declines over time. Receiving an updated COVID-19 vaccine can restore and enhance protection against the virus variants currently responsible for most infections and hospitalizations in the United States. COVID-19 vaccination also reduces the chance of suffering the effects of Long COVID, which can develop during or following acute infection and last for an extended duration.
Flu vaccine recommendations
Most people need only one dose of the flu vaccine each season. While CDC recommends flu vaccination as long as influenza viruses are circulating, September and October remain the best times for most people to get vaccinated. Flu vaccination in July and August is not recommended for most people, but there are several considerations regarding vaccination during those months for specific groups:
- Pregnant people who are in their third trimester can get a flu vaccine in July or August to protect their babies from flu after birth, when they are too young to get vaccinated.
- Children who need two doses of the flu vaccine should get their first dose of vaccine as soon as it becomes available. The second dose should be given at least four weeks after the first.
- Vaccination in July or August can be considered for children who have health care visits during those months if there might not be another opportunity to vaccinate them.
- For adults (especially those 65 years old and older) and pregnant people in the first and second trimester, vaccination in July and August should be avoided unless it won’t be possible to vaccinate in September or October.
Please talk with your healthcare provider for more information.
- Source: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Add food safety to your backyard barbecue menu
 Throwing a backyard barbecue gathering this weekend? As you prepare to welcome a large gathering of family and friends, keep these core food safety practices in mind:
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Clean—Wash hands and surfaces often. Hands should be washed for 20 seconds with clean water and soap. If no running water is available, use hand sanitizer or moist towelettes that contain at least 60 percent alcohol.
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Separate—Separate raw meats from other foods to avoid cross-contamination of harmful bacteria. Use separate cutting boards when preparing raw meat and poultry and other foods that are ready to eat, and use different utensils and platters when placing raw foods on the grill or smoker and taking cooked foods off.
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Cook—Cook food to the safe minimum internal temperature as measured with a food thermometer. Burgers and other thin foods, such as sausages and boneless chicken thighs, should have the thermometer inserted through the side and into the center to get the most accurate thermometer reading.
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Chill—Refrigerate food promptly within two hours (or one hour if the temperature is over 90 F). Keep hot foods hot above 140 F and cold foods cold below 40 F to avoid the Danger Zone. Hot foods like burgers, hot dogs, and chicken can be kept hot by placing them on a grill on low, in heated chafing dishes, or in a slow cooker, and cold foods like deviled eggs, salads, and guacamole can be nestled in a bed of ice.
For more information about food safety, call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-MPHotline (1-888-674-6854), email MPHotline@usda.gov, or chat live at ask.usda.gov from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday to reach a food safety specialist in English or Spanish.
Source: USDA
Learn more about who we are and what we do
Young West Louisville residents can sign up
for free holistic care sessions
 Martin & Muir Counseling and Tip It Forward are offering West Louisville residents ages 18 to 35 three free mental health sessions and three free massage therapy sessions until Nov. 15.
The sessions are for young adults who have experienced trauma and may be experiencing a variety of symptoms, such as difficulty sleeping, chronic pain, anxiety and depression. Massage therapy can help dislodge thoughts and emotions tied to past traumas, while counseling helps process these emotions. Together, the sessions build a bridge toward deeper healing.
Residents residing in Shawnee, Chickasaw, California, Park DuValle, Russell, Parkland, Portland or Park Hill are encouraged to sign up.
Please scan the QR code to sign up. For more information, call 502-383-2969 or email intake@martinandMuir.com
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