Now amidst a different pandemic environment and laxed social distancing that has prompted influenza’s inevitable resurgence, annual vaccination remains the best way to protect ourselves and families.

http://familiesfightingflu.org/

Influenza vaccination is critical in helping to avoid a potential ‘twindemic’ and alleviate the burden on our healthcare system. According to the CDC, it is both safe and effective for a COVID-19 vaccine to be co-administered with a seasonal flu vaccine and may even improve the uptake of both vaccines/boosters.

Key Flu Facts:

Influenza vaccination prevents hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations each year and can alleviate the growing burden on our healthcare system

Flu vaccine is especially critical for protecting vulnerable populations, including young children, older adults, and people with chronic health conditions

Children under 18 years of age suffered nearly 52,500 flu-related hospitalizations and 434 deaths in 2019/20, which is why it’s critical for parents of children under 18 years of age to be vigilant about vaccination

Shelle Allen, President, Families Fighting Flu (a national, nonprofit, advocacy organization dedicated to protecting children, families, and communities against the flu) will be available to discuss the importance of flu vaccines and help families plan for it. Shelle has a personal connection to this issue. Her daughter, Madi Allen, was placed on life support when she was 12 years old as a result of influenza, and even had part of her left lung removed more than a decade later due to long-term effects.

Joining Shelle will be Gregg Sylvester, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Seqirus, a global leader in influenza prevention, which is partnering with Families Fight Flu, urging them to take a “Promise” to stay on track for flu vaccines.

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The post AVOIDING A POTENTIAL ‘TWINDEMIC’ Experts Say Flu & Covid 19=Double Dose of Trouble How You & Your Family Can Help appeared first on Good News!.

Low vaccination rates among adults puts them at risk for preventable diseases like shingles, a painful rash that develops on one side of the body.[i] Did you know that approximately one in three people in the US will develop shingles in their lifetime?[ii] As a person ages, the immune system is impacted in such a way that the body is less capable of preventing the virus from re-activating and causing shingles.[iii] Anyone 50 years or older – even if you’re a healthy, active person – is considered at-risk for shingles.

Interior designer and gymnastics judge Kathlyn, 54, thought she had an outbreak of adult acne or a spider bite, but soon realized something was wrong when the bumps spread across half her face causing her eye to swell shut. Much to her surprise, Kathlyn’s doctor immediately diagnosed her with shingles, leaving her in pain and unable to spend time with her family. As someone who did not have shingles on her radar, Kathlyn works to educate others and urges them to talk to their doctor or pharmacist about shingles vaccination to help protect against the disease.

Kathlyn and Dr. Len Friedland, Vice President and Director, Scientific Affairs and Public Health, Vaccines, at GSK, will be available to discuss the topic of getting up-to-date on adult vaccinations and details about shingles.
courtesy GSK

#shingles #disease #vaccination #pandemic #national #adult #influenza #immunization #summit #naiis #control #kathlyn #len #friedland #judge #gymnastics #designer #protect #acne #gsk

The post EMPHASIZED BY THE PANDEMIC STAYING UP TO DATE ON ALL YOUR VACCINATIONS IS THE BEST WAY TO PROTECT AGAINST INFECTIOUS DISEASES INCLUDING SHINGLES appeared first on Good News!.

JOINING US NOW DURING NATIONAL RSV AWARENESS MONTH, ARE JENNIFER DEGL – MOTHER AND PASSIONATE ADVOCATE – AND DR. MITCHELL GOLDSTEIN OF LOMA LINDA UNIVERSITY CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL TO EXPLAIN WHAT EVERY PARENT SHOULD KNOW ABOUT RSV.

Mitchell Goldstein, MD, FAAP

Dr. Mitchell Goldstein is Medical Director Emeritus and Fellowship Coordinator of the Neonatal ICU in the Family Birth & Newborn Center. He completed his undergraduate and medical school in the University of Miami’s six-year Honors Medical Program on the Dean’s List and Phi Beta Kappa. He completed his Pediatrics residency at UCLA and Neonatology fellowship at UC Irvine. He is on the editorial board of the Journal of Perinatology. He is past president of the Perinatal Advisory Council: Leadership, Advocacy & Consultation (PAC-LAC), is the editor of PAC-LAC’s Guidelines of Care, and is PAC-LAC’s CME Research Chairman. He is past president of the National Perinatal Association. He is on the board of the American Academy of Pediatrics Perinatal Section. He is an Associate Professor in Pediatrics at Loma Linda University Medical Center. He is Board Certified in both Pediatrics and Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He is fluent in Spanish.

Jennifer Degl Bio

Jennifer Degl is a high school science teacher and mother of four children. Jennifer’s youngest child, Joy, was born at 23 weeks, weighing only 1 lb. and 4 oz. Following her birth, Jennifer authored the book titled, From Hope to Joy: A Memoir of a Mother’s Determination and Her Micro Preemie’s Struggle to Beat the Odds. Jennifer and her husband, John, currently live in Mahopac, NY.

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