Health Female

Friday, April 29, 2022

Will Young Kids Finally Get Vaccinated This Summer?

By Daphne Lee, News Editor

If you have kids younger than 5 in your family, you might be frustrated at how slow vaccine authorizations are coming along. It's even trickier if you're trying to plan a COVID-safe summer vacation as major airlines rushed to drop their mask requirements.

Today's Top Story

More Delays in Vaccine Authorization for Kids Under 5

Moderna announced yesterday that it has asked the FDA to authorize its COVID-19 vaccine for kids younger than age 5. But FDA officials said that the agency wouldn't make a decision until June.

This is not the first time FDA has delayed its consideration for pediatric COVID-19 vaccines. When Pfizer submitted its data in February, the FDA decided to wait for the third-dose trials to be completed around June. According to Pfizer's data at the time, two doses failed to generate a sufficient immune response among kids aged 2-4.

Some parents are upset about the delays as many states have lifted pandemic restrictions. While our country pushes to "return to normal," a lot of families still have to practice COVID precautions to protect unvaccinated young children.

Know More

Although kids 5-11 have been eligible for the vaccine since November, only 28% of them are fully vaccinated, according to CDC data. A day after the public transit mask mandate was thrown out by the court, a new study found that unvaccinated children between 5-11 years old were twice as likely to be hospitalized as those who were vaccinated during the Omicron surge.

Feel Better

If you have unvaccinated young children in your household, you can continue to take extra COVID-19 precautions to limit their exposure to the virus. Teach them to practice proper hand hygiene and pay attention to any COVID-19 symptoms. You can also keep wearing masks in public indoor settings even in the absence of a mandate. Research has consistently shown that well-fitted masks can greatly reduce the risk of infection.

Vaccination rates among children aged 5-11 remain low, but they're the highest in the northeast of the United States. In Vermont, over half of the children in this age group are fully vaccinated.

Can You Spread Omicron if You Don't Have Any Symptoms?

As Omicron subvariants are spreading across the country, COVID-19 cases are on the rise. Most Omicron cases are mild or even asymptomatic among fully vaccinated people. But experts say those without symptoms are more likely to spread the virus because they're less likely to wear a mask or quarantine. By the time they do show symptoms, they may have already gone past the infectious stage. The safest bet is to wear a mask indoors and avoid crowded indoor events and spaces with poor ventilation when case rates are high in your area.

Is Your Smartphone Giving You Text Neck?

If you stare at your screen all day while bending your head forward, be wary of text neck. It's a common problem among people who use electronic devices for prolonged periods of time, like watching movies on a tablet while you're sitting. Symptoms of text neck range from headaches, neck pain, shoulder pain to tingling and/or burning in one or both arms. Remember to raise your laptop or tablet to eye level when you work or do some at-home neck exercises throughout the day.

Anne Asher, CPT, a certified personal trainer with expertise in spine issues, suggested that you can set an alarm to ping every 15 minutes to remind yourself not to slouch.

Remember that the human body was simply not built to maintain one position all day—taking a quick break to stretch and move every half-hour or so should be an essential part of your daily routine if you work at a desk or perform repetitive motion of any kind.

Anne Asher, CPT
Certified Personal Trainer and Health Coach

In Other News

	■	The Summer of Revenge Travel Is Coming. The Washington Post

	■	What Makes Food 'Regenerative'? FoodPrint

	■	Are Eggshells Good for Plants? Treehugger

6 Essential Stretches to Reduce Back Pain

Fit Life

6 Essential Stretches to Reduce Back Pain

Lower back pain can have many causes, including having a tight or weak back, ab or core muscles; muscle sprains or strains; or a herniated disc. Here is a stretching program that you can use to reduce back pain and prevent back injuries.

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Thursday, April 28, 2022

Navigating Relationships with an Anxious Attachment Style in the 21st Century

Healthy Mind

Anxiously Attached in the 21st Century

You know the feeling, the one you get after finally hitting 'send' on that well-crafted text to your new love interest, and an hour goes by, then two, then 10, and they still haven't replied? The way your mind jumps to the conclusion that they aren't interested in you anymore—even if things have been going great? If this sounds familiar, it'll give you a sense of what it's like to date with an anxious attachment style.