Hi there,
As I near the end of each year, I often find myself reflecting, what worked well this year? What can we do better? I can say that 2021 proved to be the strongest testament of the quality work done by exceptional medical and public health professionals and community partners who impact both the physical and mental health of our community. Together we swiftly and continuously executed the largest vaccination campaign in history. We networked to provide broad access to COVID testing. Established partnerships with schools, businesses, and organizations to contact trace and investigate cases to help eliminate disease spread and spent countless hours educating the public, healthcare professionals and others about COVID-19 precautions and prevention measures. All while carrying out dozens of quality non-COVID related programs and services.
As we all know, there is still much work to-do and things to improve. But the infrastructure that was strengthened and expanded this past year, will carry over to enhance public health in Oakland County in the long-term. The last 19 months placed public health center stage. COVID-19 helped spotlight the often invisible work of public health and disease prevention more than ever before.
Therefore in 2022, I would like to further tell our story and educate our community about a variety of health promotion, disease prevention and environmental health topics. With this edition, we are transforming the COVID-19 Vaccine Newsletter to include an array of topics. Yes, it will still include the latest COVID-19 updates, but other public health topics will also be included in each monthly edition.
Please help us get the word out! Anyone can add, update, or opt out of their subscription for Health Division email or text communications by clicking here. You will need to use your e-mail address to log in to, modify or sign-up.
I sincerely wish you, your family, and friends a healthy and happy holiday season!
In good health,
Leigh-Anne Stafford, Director, Health and Human Services
Pfizer booster doses now authorized for ages 16-17
All eligible people 16 and up are now encouraged to get the Pfizer booster vaccine if six months have passes since they received two primary COVID-19 vaccines. Currently, Pfizer is the only authorized vaccine for anyone under age 18. The COVID-19 Pfizer booster dose may be given with other vaccines, including the flu vaccine, at the same time.
Booster doses, for anyone over 16, can help provide the extra protection needed especially before the holidays. According to CDC, the Omicron variant will likely spread more easily, but how easily Omicron spreads, compared to the Delta variant, remains unknown. The Centers for Disease Control expects that anyone with the Omicron infection can spread the virus to others, even if they are vaccinated or don’t have symptoms. Current vaccines are expected to protect against severe illness, hospitalizations, and deaths due to infection with the Omicron variant. However, breakthrough infections in people who are fully vaccinated are likely to occur. With other variants, like Delta, vaccines have remained effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalizations, and death.
Emergence of Omicron further emphasizes the importance of primary vaccinations and boosters. Vaccination, masking and social distancing is strongly encouraged to help slow spread of Omicron and all COVID-19 viruses.
In Michigan, from Jan 15 – Dec 3 the following occurred among individuals not fully vaccinated in Michigan:
- 85.1% of cases (711,227/835,960),
- 88.1% of hospitalized cases (17,706 / 20,101)
- 85.5% (8,733/ 10,216) of deaths
At least 77.6% of those 12 years and older and 30.7% 5-11 years old have received at least their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Visit the state’s COVID-19 vaccine dashboard and the Oakland County Vaccine Hub for even more vaccination data.
Not so merry? Holiday mental health tips
The holiday season can bring joy, but it can also be a stressful time of year. Here in Oakland County these feelings may be intensified by the recent tragedies in our communities or consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are some mental health tips during this holiday season:
Make food safety a holiday tradition
No matter what's on your menu, food is usually a central part of holiday festivities. Whether you're an experienced cook, a first-time party host, or bringing a dish to a potluck dinner follow these tips for a food safe holiday:
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Keep foods separate. Keep meat, chicken, turkey, seafood, and eggs separate from all other foods at the grocery store and in the refrigerator.
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Cook food thoroughly. Use a food thermometer to ensure meat, chicken, turkey, seafood, and eggs have been cooked to a safe internal temperature.
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Keep food out of the “danger zone. After food is prepared, keep hot food hot and cold food cold.
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Use pasteurized eggs for dishes containing raw eggs. Many holiday favorites contain raw eggs. Salmonella and other harmful germs can live on the outside and inside of normal-looking eggs.
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Do not eat raw dough or batter. Dough and batter made with flour or eggs can contain harmful germs, such as e.coli and Salmonella. This includes dough or batter for cookies, cakes, pies, biscuits, pancakes, tortillas, pizza, or crafts.
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Thaw foods safely. Perishable foods should never be thawed on the counter, or in hot water and must not be left at room temperature for more than two hours.
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Wash your hands. Wash your hands with soap and water frequently to avoid spreading germs.
Check out these other resources for ensuring you prevent foodborne illness:
Health Division upcoming COVID-19 vaccination sites
Check our Get Vaccinated page for information about upcoming COVID vaccination sites and who is eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. Appointments when available are strongly recommended online or by calling our Nurse on Call hotline at 1-800-848-5533 (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.).
OaklandCountyVaccine.com is the best place to receive the latest information.
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