Lifestyle
Expert Tips for Keeping Loved Ones Healthy This Winter
(Family Features) Winter can bring plenty of opportunities for cozy gatherings with loved ones and these moments can be bright spots during cold months. However, sp ending more time indoors means more chances for respiratory viruses to spread.
Flu, COVID-19 and RSV viruses can make people sick enough that they need to go to the doctor or hospital.
“Getting sick from these viruses can happen more often in the winter months,” said Dr. Manisha Patel, chief medical officer of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. “This season’s flu and COVID-19 vaccines, as well as the RSV vaccine, are the best way to avoid serious illness so people can spend time with friends and family.”
How Can You Protect Loved Ones?
Millions of people have already gotten vaccinated this fall or winter. In fact, more people are getting vaccinated for COVID-19 and flu this year compared to this time last year, according to the CDC. Vaccines are the best protection against serious illness. To help keep your loved ones healthy this winter, offer to take them to get vaccinated. Make sure they know it’s safe to get more than one vaccine at the same appointment.
The CDC recommends everyone 6 months and older get flu and COVID-19 vaccines. In addition, everyone 75 and older – and those 60 and older with certain health conditions or who live in nursing homes – should get one dose of an RSV vaccine if they haven’t before. Pregnant people who are 32 through 36 weeks pregnant during the winter months should get an RSV vaccine to help protect their baby during the first 6 months.
Are Your Loved Ones at High Risk?
According to the CDC, some people face higher risks of getting very sick from respiratory viruses, including:
- People not up to date on their vaccines: Vaccines cut your risk of needing hospital care for flu or COVID-19 by about half. In 2023, 90% of adults admitted to the hospital for COVID-19 were not up to date on their COVID-19 vaccines. People who skipped their flu shot were twice as likely to need to visit a doctor for flu.
- Older people: Most flu, COVID-19 and RSV hospitalizations and deaths are in people ages 65 and older. If you help care for an older friend or loved one, let them know their risk for getting very sick from these viruses – and that vaccines can help protect them from needing to go to the hospital.
- Those who live in long-term care facilities: Respiratory viruses can spread among people in long-term care who may be older or have health conditions that raise their risk of severe flu, COVID-19 and RSV.
- Pregnant people: Getting flu and COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy provides protection against severe illness for you and your baby during their first 6 months. An RSV vaccine during pregnancy also protects your baby from severe RSV in their first 6 months.
Urge Loved Ones to Get Vaccinated
Flu, COVID-19 and RSV vaccines are the best way for you – and your friends and family – to risk less and do more of what you enjoy this winter.
Visit cdc.gov/RiskLessDoMore or talk to your doctor to learn more about flu, COVID-19 and RSV vaccines. Visit vaccines.gov to find a nearby pharmacy.
Additional High-Risk Groups
In the U.S., some additional groups of people are at higher risk of respiratory viruses, according to the CDC.
- People in rural parts of the country: People who live in rural areas face a higher risk of getting very sick from flu, COVID-19 and RSV. In these regions, less than half of adults got a flu vaccine last year. Fewer than 1 in 5 got an updated COVID-19 vaccine. Serious illness can be even more dangerous in rural areas with less available medical care.
- Black and Hispanic people: At the peak of last year’s respiratory virus season, Black people were more likely than white or Hispanic people to be hospitalized for flu, COVID-19 or RSV. By season’s end, Hispanic people were more likely than non-Hispanic white people to have been hospitalized for flu.
Photos courtesy of Shutterstock
SOURCE:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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child education
Choose Play Every Day: How to transform everyday activities into playful learning opportunities
(Family Features) Play is a universal language spoken by people of all ages. Through play, children learn to forge connections with others, build a wide range of leadership skills, develop resilience, conquer fears and navigate relationships and social challenges.
For babies and toddlers, play is about far more than just having fun; it’s about learning and building important skills, from cognitive and physical to emotional and social abilities. As children get older, play helps reduce stress levels, process difficult emotions, promote problem-solving and build confidence – skills they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
Despite its importance, play is often undervalued and overlooked due to busy schedules, lack of resources or misconceptions about its benefits. Approximately 4 in 10 children ages 2-4 do not get enough responsive interaction or stimulation at home, based on estimates from UNICEF, and roughly 1 in 8 children under age 5 don’t have toys or playthings at home.
To overcome these barriers, it’s essential for parents and caregivers to recognize the value of both structured and unstructured play. Simple, everyday items – like kitchen utensils, cardboard boxes, leaves and stones – can be tools for imaginative play. Setting aside dedicated time for play, even in short intervals, can make a difference.
In honor of International Day of Play, consider these ideas to turn everyday activities into playful learning opportunities from UNICEF, which recognizes play as an important means to help children by providing access to evidence-based parenting programs and working with governments to prioritize play-based teaching and learning practices in schools and other learning environments.
- Turn a grocery shopping trip into a scavenger hunt to teach kids about different foods, counting and categorization.
- Role play or act out different scenarios you read in books or see in movies to help develop social skills and emotional understanding.
- Make important language connections when getting dressed, such as identifying different articles of clothing and teaching colors.
- Use bathtime to explore buoyancy and water with floating toys.
- Play “I spy” while driving in the car or going for a walk around your neighborhood to help kids identify different animals, shapes, colors and elements of nature like trees, clouds and more.
- Explore the kitchen through tasks such as choosing ingredients, measuring them and keeping time while cooking.
- Use puzzles and building blocks to help develop problem-solving skills and hand-eye coordination.
- Stimulate senses and promote fine motor skills through play with materials like sand, water or crafting dough.
- Make sorting laundry educational by asking children to match socks by color or size, reinforcing their understanding of sorting and categorization.
- Take turns doing the feeding at snack or mealtimes to build hand-eye coordination.
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(Family Features) They may be cute, fluffy and friendly, but some dogs also have an important job: protecting America’s food supply.
By deploying specially trained beagles, Labrador retrievers and Jack Russell terriers, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal Plant Health Inspection Services’ (APHIS) Detector Dog Program puts elite canines to work on the front lines at international airports, mail facilities and border crossings throughout the nation. These furry sleuths maneuver between passengers and luggage to search, locate and respond to the presence of banned fruits, plants and meats that may harbor damaging insects and diseases that threaten the country’s agricultural production and natural resources.
The program was started in 1984 and soon grew in demand. By 2009, APHIS opened a 17-acre National Detector Dog Training Center near the Atlanta International Airport. At the center, dogs and their handlers go through an 8-10-week training program to learn how to inspect passenger luggage and handbags for agricultural goods such as fruits, vegetables, beef and pork.
Detector dogs patrol ports of entry, borders and airports to keep harmful pests, like invasive fruit flies, out of the country. For example, labrador retrievers and their handlers protect the nation’s fruit by patrolling citrus orchards along the Texas-Mexico border in search of infested or diseased crops.
Safeguarding U.S. agriculture and natural resources is part of the program’s mission, but APHIS’ Detector Dog Program also partners with countries like Canada and Taiwan to supply guidance, training and testing of canine detection. There are even detector dog teams on the job at cargo airports throughout countries in the Pacific, tasked with identifying invasive species and stopping them from reaching Hawaii. The work these dogs and their handlers do is critical to help stop the spread of invasive plant and animal pests and diseases that could ravage America’s agriculture.
A detector dog’s career spans 6-8 years before they retire at 9 years old. At retirement age, 90% of dogs are adopted by their handler. In the rare case they are not, the handler will recommend a good home and a successful adoption program ensures all dogs are well placed.
Constantly on the lookout for new pups, APHIS works closely with animal shelters, rescue groups and private individuals to find the right dogs for the job from anywhere in the country. New recruits are 1-3 years old, heartworm negative, have high food drive and are environmentally and socially friendly. The ideal candidate is often that high-energy, hard-to-handle pooch who simply needs a job and a purpose.
If you or someone you know would like to help the program grow its squad of super sniffers, email usdacanineadoptions@usda.gov, call (887) 797-3899 or learn more at aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/ppq-program-overview/nddtc.
Content courtesy of USDA
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5 expert ways to make the most of seasonal gatherings
(Family Features) From summer holidays and pool parties to spontaneous backyard barbecues with friends and neighbors, the hottest season of the year brings people together. When it’s your turn to host, make the most of the occasion by setting up your space to maximize the fun while showing off your festive side. “Summer is hands down my favorite time to host,” said Kristina Zias, lifestyle, beauty and fashion expert and mom. “I love any excuse to bring people together and – let’s be real – I’m always looking for a reason to throw a party. The key is keeping things low stress for the host and making sure guests feel comfortable the second they walk in.” This season, Zias and Glade are teaming up to share some of her favorite summer entertaining tips, which are simple, low-effort ways to make every gathering feel special. Whether you’re planning a full-blown backyard bash or hosting a few friends for drinks, Zias’ go-to ideas are all about setting the mood and enjoying the moment. 1. Set the Scene Without the Stress To achieve a beautiful scene and make cleanup a breeze, try using disposable plates, utensils, napkins and cups in red, white and blue. A self-serve drink station with strawberry-infused water and a table of colorful fruit skewers adds charm without requiring much prep.
2. Tap Into Nostalgia Through Scent
Scent can instantly transport guests back to cherished summer memories, making it a powerful way to set the tone and spark conversation. Zias suggests using home fragrances to do just that. The new Glade Americana collection, available exclusively in stores and online at Walmart, features three limited-edition scents inspired by nostalgic summer traditions like beach trips, ice pops and garden-fresh fruit. Masterfully crafted to help bring summer to every room of your home, they’re designed to evoke warm-weather traditions.
- Berries & Cream: Scents of a classic American summer treat spring to life in a picnic-perfect blend of apple, red berries, apricot, vanilla and sweet cream.
- Summer Pops: Reminisce on childhood memories of a cool ice pop on a warm summer day with bright notes of Brazilian orange, pineapple, strawberry, white peach and sandalwood.
- Beach Life: Transport yourself to a favorite summer vacation spot by the ocean with a breezy mix of sea salt, driftwood, white moss and white peony.
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