JOURNAL

A Public Health Perspective on the New Seasonal Vaccines
Health & Homeostasis Dr. Brenda Rivera - Billings Dr.P.H., MPH, M.Sc. Health & Homeostasis Dr. Brenda Rivera - Billings Dr.P.H., MPH, M.Sc.

A Public Health Perspective on the New Seasonal Vaccines

According to the Washington Post, the 2023 flu season is shaping up to be a complicated one from a public health perspective. Several new vaccines are coming onto the market that could help curb influenza, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). However, effective deployment of these vaccines will require clear public health messaging and coordination between providers, insurance companies, and governmental agencies.

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A Public Health Perspective on Aging Well
Health & Homeostasis Dr. Brenda Rivera - Billings Dr.P.H., MPH, M.Sc. Health & Homeostasis Dr. Brenda Rivera - Billings Dr.P.H., MPH, M.Sc.

A Public Health Perspective on Aging Well

As a Doctor of Public Health, I read an interesting article on strategies for healthy aging titled, “90 Might Be the New 40 - No tricks, no hacks—just tried-and-true advice you can begin using in your life today.”

The author offers some sensible tips on taking care of your physical and mental health as you get older. However, I wanted to provide additional commentary through the lens of public health. My goal is to promote healthy aging at the community and societal levels, not just the individual level. 

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Hello Dry January - A Sobriety Challenge
Health & Homeostasis Dr. Brenda Rivera - Billings Dr.P.H., MPH, M.Sc. Health & Homeostasis Dr. Brenda Rivera - Billings Dr.P.H., MPH, M.Sc.

Hello Dry January - A Sobriety Challenge

Recent studies have indicated that taking part in a month-long sobriety challenge, like Dry January, may have advantages that last longer than the actual month. Numerous advantages for one's physical and mental well-being, as well as cost savings, can be derived from the challenge.

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A wonderful New Year’s tradition: Dropping Hopes and Dreams in Time Square
Health & Homeostasis Dr. Brenda Rivera - Billings Dr.P.H., MPH, M.Sc. Health & Homeostasis Dr. Brenda Rivera - Billings Dr.P.H., MPH, M.Sc.

A wonderful New Year’s tradition: Dropping Hopes and Dreams in Time Square

A lot of people all over the world look forward to spending New Year's Eve at Times Square. A large crystal ball is dropped from the top of One Times Square at the stroke of midnight every year to mark the beginning of the New Year and the passing of the Old. Along with the dropping of the ball at midnight, the confetti shower that follows has become an indelible part of New Year's Eve celebrations in Times Square.

 

As the confetti falls from the sky, it is easy to wonder what it represents. Does it carry with it the hopes and dreams of the people below? Is it a symbol of the fresh start that the new year brings? Or is it simply a playful and celebratory gesture?

 

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Tips for Staying Healthy this Holiday Season via Kaiser Permanente
Health & Homeostasis Dr. Brenda Rivera - Billings Dr.P.H., MPH, M.Sc. Health & Homeostasis Dr. Brenda Rivera - Billings Dr.P.H., MPH, M.Sc.

Tips for Staying Healthy this Holiday Season via Kaiser Permanente

There are plenty of things to be stressed about but staying healthy this holiday season shouldn’t be one of them.

There are many ways to protect yourself and your family during celebrations and gatherings. According to Kaiser Permanente, there are three tips for safely celebrating this holiday season:

1. GET THE UPDATED COVID-19 BOOSTER AND FLU SHOT.

Both the Covid-19 booster and flu shot give greater protection during the winter months.

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A Summary of San Francisco Laguna Honda Hospital and its 600 residents
Health & Homeostasis Dr. Brenda Rivera - Billings Dr.P.H., MPH, M.Sc. Health & Homeostasis Dr. Brenda Rivera - Billings Dr.P.H., MPH, M.Sc.

A Summary of San Francisco Laguna Honda Hospital and its 600 residents

If there’s one thing, we all know, it’s that taking care of our poor and indigent is the right thing to do. Laguna Honda Hospital, which operates as a skilled nursing facility, is being threatened to be shut down by federal officials due to the lack of inspections, which resulted in two nonfatal drug overdoses at the hospital.

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The Impact of Summer on Low-Wage Workers
Health & Homeostasis, Mental Health Crystal Jones, MA Health & Homeostasis, Mental Health Crystal Jones, MA

The Impact of Summer on Low-Wage Workers

Often, when America reflects on childhood summers, nostalgic images of a full day of swimming, the smell of a tent or cabin at camp, or the hours children spend playing in the neighborhood, savoring the feeling of doing nothing, even when nothing feels like something. Unfortunately, what’s often lost in the nostalgia is how those moments are only available to a select segment of America as more and more families are supported by one or two adults who work 40+ hours a week. 2 out of 3 children live in households with parents in the workforce. For families with children who are too young to stay home alone and care for themselves, childcare is hard to find and often unaffordable. This requires parents to make difficult decisions on using income to purchase necessities, such as food, clothing, and shelter, to find childcare that keeps children safe (Novoa, 2018).

The Center for American Progress analyzed data and estimates that the average family will spend approximately 20% of their income or more than $3,000 on summer programs for two children each summer. Furthermore, if the typical summer lasts between 10-12 weeks each year, these costs represent a significant share of their budget. Additionally, parents often cannot utilize paid time off to care for their children during this time, as 40 percent of all Americans lack paid vacation time. Furthermore, grandparents are often not an option either, as many in the Boomer generation are still working. This often places children in low-quality childcare options or no childcare at all during the summer, which impacts families long-term (Novoa, 2018).

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What is Monkeypox and How Does it Spread?
Health & Homeostasis Dr. Brenda Rivera - Billings Dr.P.H., MPH, M.Sc. Health & Homeostasis Dr. Brenda Rivera - Billings Dr.P.H., MPH, M.Sc.

What is Monkeypox and How Does it Spread?

A sporadic disease called monkeypox, a much less severe cousin of smallpox is spreading worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, more than 250 cases have been reported in 16 countries. Experts say it is spread by close and prolonged contact with an infected individual.

In the United States, the first case of monkeypox in 2022 was diagnosed in a patient hospitalized in Massachusetts who had recently traveled to Canada in private transportation. In 2021, two people traveling from Nigeria to the US were diagnosed with the disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC said that cases in other parts of the world than Africa are typically linked to international travel or imported animals infected with pox.

Several cases of monkeypox reported in the UK have been among people who had no known travel or contact with others, but there is no cause for alarm, US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said Thursday on CNN's "New Day."

"At this time, we don't want people to worry," Murthy said. "These numbers are still small; we want (people) to be aware of (the) symptoms, and if they have any concerns to reach out to their doctor."

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Is the Pandemic Really Over?
Health & Homeostasis Crystal Jones, MA Health & Homeostasis Crystal Jones, MA

Is the Pandemic Really Over?

Coachella is back with an anticipated crowd size of up to 750,000 throughout the festival. And concertgoers are mask less for the most part, social distancing is not on anyone's mind and audience crowds sing their favorite songs together. It's hard to believe that only two years ago, public health officials were urging church congregations to limit singing activities to help stop the spread of COVID-19. For many, the return to Coachella is the first sign that COVID-19 restrictions are either gone or non-existent for the first time in over two years. And, as we all breathe a deep sigh of relief and enjoy each other's company, lurking in the back of many minds is a simple question. Is the pandemic really over? And who decides that it's over?

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Contributing factors for low COVID-19 vaccination rates in vulnerable populations
Health & Homeostasis Crystal Jones, MA Health & Homeostasis Crystal Jones, MA

Contributing factors for low COVID-19 vaccination rates in vulnerable populations

As we celebrate the one-year milestone of the COVID-19 crisis, a gift to all of us has been developing and implementing the COVID-19 vaccine from manufacturers Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson. While a segment of Americans throughout the country are scheduling appointments and rolling up their sleeves, vaccine hesitancy prevents a portion of the population from receiving their vaccines.

The American Journal of Preventive medicine defines vaccines hesitancy as concerns about the decision to vaccinate oneself or one's children due to a broad range of contributing factors such as their compulsory nature, their coincidental temporal relationship to adverse health outcomes, and a lack of trust in the corporation and public health (Daniel Salmon, 2015). Vaccine hesitancy was a concern for public health experts even before the COVID-19 pandemic, as it primarily impacted the influenza vaccination rates in elderly and minority populations. A report from the AARP Public Policy Institute shared that nearly half of adults aged 50 and older are vaccine-hesitant. Another 11 percent of this population never get vaccines, and that the relationship with previous vaccination behaviors is an indicator of what people can expect with the COVID-19 pandemic. The CDC's 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System showed that 53 percent of adults ages 50 and older received a flu shot in the previous year. Still, there were notable differences in the population. For example, Black (47 percent) and Hispanic (43 percent) older adults receive flu vaccines at rates below their White (55 percent) counterparts (McSpadden, 2021).

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