THIS SUMMER, MOST THINGS ARE SAFE FOR KIDS IF THEY’RE FULLY VACCINATED.

While fewer children have been sick with COVID-19 compared with adults, children can become infected, can get sick, and spread the virus to others. As we move into summer, we need to think about how we keep our children and ourselves safe. Here are some things to keep in mind. COVID-19 vaccinations are recommended for everyone 12 years of age and older. The Pfizer vaccine is currently authorized for use with children 12 and older. These vaccines are safe, effective, and widely available. If you are vaccinated, your options are much greater for activities. In general, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says that fully vaccinated people can resume activities you did before the pandemic such as visit vaccinated friends and family, have a cookout, or go to a sporting event. You do not need to wear a mask or keep separated except where state or local guidelines or local business requires it. For camps were everyone is fully vaccinated prior to the start of camp, it is safe to return without full masking and without social distancing. Camps where everyone is NOT fully vaccinated should practice full precautions such as wearing masks, social distancing, hand washing, and avoiding crowded indoor activities. If you want to go swimming at a public pool, chlorine in the water kills COVID-19 easily. Local towns and cities will likely set rules for social distancing and masking as it is likely not everyone will be vaccinated. The bottom line is this: When participating in outdoor activities, your kids and others around them are safest if they are all vaccinated.

COVID-19 vaccinations are recommended for everyone 12 years of age and older. The Pfizer vaccine is currently authorized for use with children 12 and older. These vaccines are safe, effective, and widely available. If you are vaccinated, your options are much greater for activities.

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QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Q: Can I do anything to avoid COVID-19 vaccine side effects?

A: The CDC suggests consulting your doctor about whether you might benet from taking an over-the-counter medicine, such as ibuprofen or aspirin, after—but not before—vaccination for any pain and discomfort from the shots. Other recommendations include exercising your arm and applying a cool, wet washcloth over the area where you got the shot. To reduce discomfort from fever, the CDC suggests drinking lots of fluids and dressing lightly. While side effects are normal, the CDC recommends contacting your doctor if redness or tenderness at the injection site gets worse after 24 hours if your side effects concern you or if your side effects do not diminish after a few days.

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NURSING HOMES ARE NOW SAFEST PLACE FOR SENIORS

In December 2020, near the peak of the pandemic in the United States, more than 300 nursing home residents out of 10,000 tested positive for COVID-19. By the end of May 2021, the number of residents testing positive has plummeted to just six out of 10,000.

In fact, the drop in nursing home COVID-19 infections has outpaced the drop in case counts among the surrounding populations, which means there were more fatalities occurring among older adults 85 and over than there were among this same age group in nursing homes.

Nursing homes are now safe for older adults because of all the hard work we have done to work with our residents to get them vaccinated and to get ourselves vaccinated. This is tremendous work from 1199 nursing home members who faced some of the worst hardships during the pandemic. Now we need to finish the job by encouraging all our co-workers, friends, and family to get fully vaccinated so we can get back to safely spending time with friends and family.