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Providing accurate and timely information about what matters in Franklin, MA since 2007. * Working in collaboration with Franklin TV and Radio (wfpr.fm) since October 2019 *
Thursday, October 3, 2024
How to order free COVID test kits from the federal government and avoid the scammers
Thursday, August 22, 2024
Free COVID-19 Test Kits!
Make sure to grab some free COVID-19 Test Kits!
Please call the Franklin Senior Center to coordinate pick-up. Call 508-613-1341
Free COVID-19 Test Kits! |
Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/home/news/free-covid-19-test-kits
Tuesday, June 11, 2024
Consider donating a blood sample for COVID research and earn some money
COVID research
Via MRN Diagnostics:
Read all about our COVID-19 research collection and others like it at www.mrndx.com/clinicalollections to see how you may qualify.
Friday, November 24, 2023
Free COVID test kits are back: Here’s how to get yours
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Free COVID test kits are back: Here’s how to get yours |
Saturday, October 14, 2023
Vaccines and what they do "reduce your risk of hospitalization and death"
"Rick from Maryland is among the many readers who expressed bewilderment about becoming infected despite vaccination. “My wife and I are both in our 80s with diabetes," he wrote. "We got the new vaccine as soon as it became available. Not even two weeks later, we both tested positive. We are fine other than for a stuffy nose, but we are wondering what happened. Some of our family members are against vaccines, and they are using our experience to explain why they are not getting vaccinated.”Rick brings up an important point: We need to be clear about what the coronavirus vaccines do and what they don’t. As with every medical intervention, health-care providers must set expectations so that people don’t view anticipated outcomes — in this case, testing positive — as failures.The most important reason to stay up-to-date on coronavirus vaccines (and the flu vaccine and RSV vaccine, for that matter) is to reduce your risk of hospitalization and death. On this front, the coronavirus vaccine has delivered consistently strong results. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the bivalent vaccine reduced the chance of critical illness by 69 percent in the week to 59 days following the shot. The protection remained three to four months later, though it diminished to 46 percent."
Vaccines and what they do "reduce your risk of hospitalization and death" |
Tuesday, September 26, 2023
Free COVID test kits are back: Here’s how to get yours
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Free COVID test kits are back: Here’s how to get yours |
Wednesday, September 13, 2023
Updated COVID-19 vaccines for adults and children have just been authorized and recommended
"NEW: Updated COVID-19 vaccines for adults and children have just been authorized and recommended.Shared from -> https://t.co/Rc34cBzbq6
This means immunizations for all three major fall and winter respiratory viruses – COVID-19, flu, and RSV – are available.
Learn more at https://t.co/S2DQV6MlBv"
Updated COVID-19 vaccines for adults and children have just been authorized and recommended |
Wednesday, August 23, 2023
Boston Globe: "Cold virus season is nearly upon us. Here’s what to know about new RSV, COVID, and flu shots"
"It’s almost time for seasonal viruses to return to the forefront of everyone’s minds. But, this year, there is good news: People will have more ways to protect themselves, thanks to new vaccines and injections for RSV, influenza, and COVID.Here is what you need to know about the multiple shots doctors recommend this season."
NATHALIA ANGARITA/BLOOMBERG CREATIVE |
Monday, July 17, 2023
Town of Franklin, MA: COVID test kits available
Residents are reminded that the Franklin Health Department has COVID-19 self test kits available. Residents can call the Public Health Nurse at (508) 613-1341 to check for availability and coordinate curbside pick up outside of the Senior Center. https://t.co/rLrMz5RuUZShared from -> https://twitter.com/TOFranklinMA/status/1680578209543225344
Town of Franklin, MA: COVID test kits available |
Thursday, April 20, 2023
CDC simplifies COVID-19 vaccine recommendations, allows older adults and immunocompromised adults to get second dose of the updated vaccine | CDC Online Newsroom | CDC
"Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration amended the emergency use authorizations (EUAs) of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 bivalent mRNA vaccines to simplify the vaccination schedule for most individuals. This action includes authorizing the current bivalent vaccines (original and omicron BA.4/BA.5 strains) to be used for all doses administered to individuals 6 months of age and older, including for an additional dose or doses for certain populations. The monovalent Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines are no longer authorized for use in the United States."
"Following FDA regulatory action, CDC has taken steps to simplify COVID-19 vaccine recommendations and allow more flexibility for people at higher risk who want the option of added protection from additional COVID-19 vaccine doses.CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met today to discuss these COVID-19 vaccine recommendation changes, and the associated implications and implementation. Although there was no vote at this meeting, ACIP members expressed their support for these recommendations."
Monday, February 13, 2023
New York Times: "For Older Americans, the Pandemic Is Not Over"
Seniors are increasingly left to protect themselves as the rest of the country abandons precautions: “Americans do not agree about the duty to protect others.”
In early December, Aldo Caretti developed a cough and, despite all his precautions, came up positive for Covid on a home test. It took his family a couple of days to persuade Mr. Caretti, never fond of doctors, to go to the emergency room. There, he was sent directly to the intensive care unit.
Mr. Caretti and his wife, Consiglia, both 85, lived quietly in a condo in Plano, Texas. “He liked to read and learn, in English and Italian,” said his son Vic Caretti, 49. “He absolutely adored his three grandchildren.”
Aldo Caretti had encountered some health setbacks last year, including a mild stroke and a serious bout of shingles, but “he recuperated from all that.”
COVID was different. Even on a ventilator, Mr. Caretti struggled to breathe. After 10 days, “he wasn’t getting better,” said Vic Caretti, who flew in from Salt Lake City. “His organs were starting to break down. They said, ‘He’s not going to make it.’”
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/11/health/covid-pandemic-seniors.html
Tuesday, January 24, 2023
Annual booster for COVID-19 proposed
"US health officials want to make COVID-19 vaccinations more like the annual flu shot.The Food and Drug Administration on Monday proposed a simplified approach for future vaccination efforts, allowing most adults and children to get a once-a-year shot to protect against the mutating virus.This means Americans would no longer have to keep track of how many shots they’ve received or how many months it’s been since their last booster.The proposal comes as boosters have become a hard sell. While more than 80% of the US population has had at least one vaccine dose, only 16% of those eligible have received the latest boosters authorized in August."
VEEJAY VILLAFRANCA/BLOOMBERG |
Saturday, January 21, 2023
Additional COVID-19 Test Kits Available to Franklin Residents
Additional COVID-19 Test Kits Available to Franklin Residents
The Franklin Health Department received more home COVID-19 self test kits from the state. Franklin residents can call the Public Health Nurse at (508) 613-1341 to check for availability and coordinate curbside pick up outside of the Senior Center.
Pick up hours are as follows...
- Mon, Tues, Thurs: 8 AM - 4 PM
- Wednesday: 8 AM - 6 PM
- Friday 8 AM - 1 PM
There is a limited supply! One test per household member, first come first serve.
Shared from -> https://www.franklinma.gov/home/news/additional-covid-19-test-kits-available-franklin-residents
Additional COVID-19 Test Kits Available to Franklin Residents |
Monday, January 9, 2023
"significantly fewer people support requirements that children be vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella than did just two years ago"
"Vaccine disinformationists have cherry-picked data to support their claims, failing to note that genetic connective tissue disorders are important risk factors for ascending aortic aneurysms (and in my husband’s case the most likely risk factor, as early genetic test results suggest).When disinformation profiteers leverage tragedies like Grant’s and Mr. Hamlin’s for their personal gain, they re-traumatize families, compromising our ability to interpret information and distinguish truth from lies and putting all of us at risk. The results of allowing this to continue will be disastrous. Merchants of disinformation argue that vaccines killed my husband, but they’re also at least in part responsible for the return of polio to the United States and the fact that so many children in Ohio are suffering from measles right now. A recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that while most of the public still supports routine childhood vaccinations, significantly fewer people support requirements that children be vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella than did just two years ago. In December, Congress repealed a Covid vaccine mandate for troops even though doing so threatens military readiness and puts our nation’s security at risk."
Céline Gounder & Grant Wahl (via Céline Gounder) |
Friday, January 6, 2023
Board of Health reorganizes and approved Reflexology regulations (audio)
FM #909 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 909 in the series.
This session of the radio show shares the Town of Franklin Board of Health Meeting held on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. All three board members participated, 2 in room, 1 remote (hence roll call votes). Health Dept staff present were in the 3rd floor training room.
Quick Recap:
Public hearing on proposed reflexology regulations held as scheduled, regulations approved, to be effective in 30 days to allow for posting, communications, etc.
Reorganization of committee resulted in B Sweet remaining as Chair, and T Cochrane taking role as Vice-Chair
Capture of food waste pilot program made another appearance on TV, is continuing to be expanded to other schools
Inspector’s report, Nurse’s report, Epidemiologist report all touting volume and some issues but nothing major
Homeless data gathered for report to CHANA6 region (of which we are part)
Development of new OPIOID dashboard almost complete, updates to COVID dashboard ongoing, new Flu dashboard also nearing competition status
The meeting runs about 30 minutes. Let’s listen to the Board of Health meeting Jan 4, 2022. Audio file -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-909-town-of-franklin-board-of-health-mtg-01-04-23
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The Board of Health agenda can be found ->
https://www.franklinma.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif6896/f/agendas/1-4-23_0.pdf
Reflexology regulations as proposed
My notes collected in a Twitter thread PDF ->
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Y-9VCBjQzNIFo5couL4nsGDvTxRqRQz2/view?usp=share_link
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The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.
I hope you enjoy!
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Saturday, December 31, 2022
New York Times: "Epidemics That Weren’t: How Countries Shut Down Recent Outbreaks"
It is important to acknowledge the instances globally in which the public health system worked as it was designed — outbreaks that were mitigated and prevented through community trust, rapid vaccine deployment and an effective public health workforce. https://t.co/JVADQ0hJhe
"While cutting-edge vaccine technology and genomic sequencing have received lots of attention in the COVID years, the interventions that helped prevent these six pandemics were steadfastly unglamorous: building the trust of communities in the local health system. Training local staff in how to report a suspected problem effectively. Making sure funds are available to dispense swiftly, to deploy contact tracers or vaccinate a village against rabies. Increasing lab capacity in areas far from the main urban centers. Priming everyone to move fast at the first sign of potential calamity."
Volunteers received training on how to conduct safe and dignified burials for Ebola victims in Mubende, Uganda, in October.Credit...Luke Dray/Getty Images |
Thursday, December 29, 2022
COVID-19 Misinformation & New variants
"Nearly three years into the pandemic, Covid-19 remains stubbornly persistent. So, too, does misinformation about the virus.As Covid cases, hospitalizations and deaths rise in parts of the country, myths and misleading narratives continue to evolve and spread, exasperating overburdened doctors and evading content moderators.What began in 2020 as rumors that cast doubt on the existence or seriousness of Covid quickly evolved into often outlandish claims about dangerous technology lurking in masks and the supposed miracle cures from unproven drugs, like ivermectin. Last year’s vaccine rollout fueled another wave of unfounded alarm. Now, in addition to all the claims still being bandied about, there are conspiracy theories about the long-term effects of the treatments, researchers say."
"A new coronavirus variant named XBB has swiftly become the dominant form of COVID-19 spreading in the Northeast, jumping from about 35 percent of cases during the week ending Dec. 17 to just over half last week, according to CDC data.The rapid spread indicates that the XBB variant is more adept than its predecessors at evading the immunity that comes from vaccines and infections.“It looks like it’s just going to blow the other ones away in a very short period,” said Dr. Jeremy Luban, professor of molecular medicine, biochemistry, and molecular biotechnology at UMass Chan Medical School. “The most likely explanation is that it’s more transmissible.”But significantly, Luban said, there is no reason to think that XBB causes more severe disease than other variants."
Jay Gates, a music teacher at the Samuel Adams Elementary School in East Boston got a COVID-19 booster shot in the school gym in early December. JOHN TLUMACKI/GLOBE STAFF |
Thursday, December 22, 2022
Here’s where to get FREE COVID tests
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Here’s where to get FREE COVID tests |
Tuesday, December 6, 2022
"more worried about what the implications of that lack of trust in public health" (audio)
"When the coronavirus vaccines first emerged, they were shown to have 94 to 95 percent efficacy in preventing symptomatic COVID-19.It was a situation where the message from public health officials was fairly simple – get the shot and help prevent the spread of the disease. Vaccine mandates, passports, and other measures were all deemed smart public health policy.But as variants of the disease began to appear and multiply, the vaccines couldn’t keep pace. Infections spread rapidly and Shira Doron, an infectious disease physician and hospital epidemiologist at Tufts Medical Center, said public health messaging couldn’t keep up."
Shira Doron, an infectious disease physician and hospital epidemiologist at Tufts Medical Center |
Sunday, November 27, 2022
CommonWealth Magazine: "Time to come clean about COVID-19"
RATES OF COVID-19 vaccination in this country are too low. Less than half of those over 65 have received a second booster and ,among children under 5, the rate of vaccination with any dose is in the single digits. Uptake of the new bivalent booster is worryingly slow, with just 31 million Americans (10.1 percent of those eligible) having received it despite the Biden administration having ordered over 170 million doses. In a recent poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation, only a third of adults said they had received the new booster or planned to.
Perhaps we should have expected this for COVID. After all, these are novel vaccines that were developed and rolled out under highly politicized conditions. But childhood vaccination rates for other conditions, including influenza, polio, and measles, are dropping as well, suggesting that people who would have vaccinated their children in the past are starting to think differently about vaccines. In addition to being a critical public health concern, this represents a serious issue with trust in public health authorities and their messengers. And it is these “science communicators” who need to take ownership of their messaging failures and fix the problem before it is too late.To be clear, misinformation surrounding vaccines has had a damaging impact on vaccine acceptance. Claims that have absolutely no basis in reality, such as the presence of microchips in the formula, or the ability of the vaccine to make you magnetic, somehow gained traction among a proportion of Americans who believe those lies. Certainly, there also was already a base of true “anti-vaxxers” – often naturopathy-inclined politically left-leaning people in the years before COVID-19 vaccines came on the scene, and primarily far right-wing followers of Donald Trump since COVID vaccines became available.
But it cannot be true that the over 90 percent of parents of children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years who haven’t opted into vaccination are anti-vaxxers, or even that they have fallen prey to nefarious misinformation spreaders. The messaging from public health authorities, government officials and doctors and scientists like us who speak to the media is simply not working. What could we do better?
CommonWealth Magazine: "Time to come clean about COVID-19" |