The holiday season is here, and the American Red Cross wants everyone to stay safe from home fires as they decorate their homes for the upcoming festivities.

Decorations like trees, lights and candles increase the risk of home fires during the holidays—with Christmas, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day being the top three days for home candle fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

The Red Cross wants people to stay safe from home fires—the nation’s most frequent disaster—by testing their smoke alarms and practicing their home fire escape plan with free resources at redcross.org/homefires. In addition, you can follow these 10 simple safety tips as you put up lights and ornaments:

1. Check all holiday light cords to make sure they aren’t frayed or broken. Don’t string too many strands of lights together—no more than three per extension cord.
2. If are buying an artificial tree, look for the fire-resistant label. When putting it up, keep it away from fireplaces, radiators and other sources of heat.
3. If getting a live tree, make sure it’s fresh and water it to keep it fresh. Bend the needles up and down to make sure no needles fall off.
4. If using older decorations, check their labels. Some older tinsel is lead-based. If using angel hair, wear gloves to avoid irritation. Avoid breathing in artificial snow.
5. When decorating outside, make sure decorations are for outdoor use and fasten lights securely to your home or trees. If using hooks or nails outside, make sure they are insulated to avoid an electrocution or fire hazard.
6. If using a ladder, be extra careful. Make sure to have good, stable placement and wear shoes that allow for good traction.
7. Don’t use electric lights on metallic trees.
8. Don’t forget to turn off all holiday lights when going to bed or leaving the house.
9. Keep children, pets and decorations away from candles.
10. If hanging stockings on the fireplace mantel, don’t light the fireplace.

HOME FIRE CAMPAIGN SAVE LIVES Every eight minutes, donations to the Red Cross help someone affected by a disaster—most often, home fires. Sadly, these events take more lives each year than all other natural disasters combined in the U.S. To prevent these tragedies, the Red Cross launched the national Home Fire Campaign in October 2014, working with volunteers and community partners to install free smoke alarms and help families create escape plans.

Through the campaign, the Red Cross and its partners have reached more than 1.6 million people and helped save at least 474 lives across the country by:

• Installing more than 1.5 million free smoke alarms
• Making 623,000 households safer from the threat of home fires
• Reaching more than 1.2 million children through youth preparedness programs
• You can help save lives by making a financial donation to support our mission, signing up to become a volunteer or taking steps to protect your own family from home fires. Visit redcross.org to learn more. 

If you haven't gotten your annual flu shot yet, there's still time. The flu shot is the best way to protect you and your loved ones against flu and its potentially serious complications.

For better protection, the CDC recommends people 65 or older get a higher-dose flu vaccine, if available.

It's important to stay up to date on all your vaccines this winter. Remember, Medicare covers the flu shot and the updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines. 

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Flu  D (drug coverage) can also get vaccines for shingles, whooping cough, and more, at no cost.

Just in time for winter virus season, the U.S. government is once again shipping free at-home COVID-19 tests to American households through the U.S. mail.

Each household can order four free tests on the website covidtests.gov or by calling 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489). If you skipped out on ordering a round of tests earlier this fall, you can now place a double order for eight free tests.

The news comes at the start of the holiday season, when more people will be traveling and spending time indoors with others. It also comes amid an increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths, which serves as a reminder that the virus is still with us.

More than 16,200 Americans were hospitalized with COVID-19 last week, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Did you know you have choices in your Medicare prescription drug and health coverage? Medicare's Open Enrollment Period (October 15 - December 7) is your chance to think about what matters most to you. 

Plans can change from year to year, and your health needs
may change, too. So it's important to know your options.verage Optio

You have 2 main ways to get your Medicare coverage —
1.Original Medicare
2.Medicare Advantage (Medicare-approved plans from private companies).

It's important to understand the differences between the 2 options.

Start at Medicare.gov, your official source to find the type of coverage that fits you best. If you need more help comparing options:

• Call 1-800-MEDICARE during Open Enrollment.
• Contact your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). Visit shiphelp.org to get the phone number for your state.

NOTE: If you make less than $22,000 a year ($30,000 for married couples), it's worth applying for "Extra Help." Extra Help can pay for your prescription drug coverage (Part D) premiums, deductibles, coinsurance, and other costs. Visit ssa.gov/extrahelp or call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 to apply for Extra Help.

On September 20, the Biden administration  announced  that it is reviving a program to mail free rapid coronavirus tests to Americans.

Starting Sept. 25, you can request four free tests per household at covidtests.gov. These new tests can detect the latest variants and are intended to be used through the end of the year. Many of the free government supplied tests that we have stockpiled  have expired, although the Food and Drug Administration extended some of the expiration dates

Since the coronavirus pandemic started, COVID cases and hospitalizations have risen every winter due to the cold weather and holidays.  

Vaccination is recommended by the CDC and other officials as the best way for Americans to protect themselves against severe COVID infection.. An updated coronavirus vaccine targeting the latest versions of the virus was recommended last week by the CDC and is now available at some pharmacies and doctor’s offices.

FDA Guide to COVID, Flu and RSV

 CDC COVID information page

CDC COVID Tracker

On September 11, the Food and Drug Administration  approved a reformulated coronavirus vaccine.  There has been a late-summer uptick of covid-19 cases and hospitalizations.  It is hoped the reformulated vaccine will help to protect individuals as the Fall Flu season approaches

The shots target an omicron subvariant.  The FDA cleared the shots for everyone 6 months and older.  They are manufactured by Moderna and by Pfizer and its German partner, BioNTech.  the vaccine shots might  become available in pharmacies, clinics and doctor’s offices by September 18.

You can get the Flu and Covid shot at the same visit to your doctor or pharmacy.

For more information:

FDA Guide to COVID, Flu and RSV

 CDC COVID information page

CDC COVID Tracker

The Washington Post  FDA Approves new COVID Vaccine 

People are thinking that they should get a COVID booster shot now given the  uptick in Covid-19 cases and students going back to school.  Experts are encouraging you to wait a month or two for the new booster shots.  The new COVID booster formulation target the Omicron XBB.1.5 variant, as recommended by a FDA advisory panel in June.

Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax are now working to update, test and mass-produce their vaccines.  They should be  available to the public by late September or early October, after they are officially authorized by the F.D.A.

Read more at The New York Times

By Mary Ann Kilheeney

Did you know that EG.5 is now the most prevalent variant of COVID in the U.S.? EG.5 accounts for more than 17% of cases in the U.S.  This variant has virologists, a medical researcher or scientist who studies viruses and diseases caused by them, following EG.5 closely.  EG.5 transmissibility can evade immunity.

Data indicates that symptoms of EG.5 are the same as other variants. Current tools still work:  the antivirals currently available should work against it and the diagnostic tests (both the at-home rapid tests and tests received at medical facilities) all  recognize this variant.

It is very possible that EG.5 is the most prevalent variant of COVID around because of waning population immunity. Especially since it has been some time since boosters have been provided.  The good news is that there should be new COVID vaccine and booster shots available in Fall 2023. Talk with your doctor about scheduling  your booster when you sign up to get the Flu shot this fall.

Older individuals and those with underlying medical conditions are more susceptible to COVID.  They should always take need precautions, such as frequent handwashing, wearing a mask and avoiding crowds.

For more information, please visit https://publichealth.jhu.edu .

Read more at The New York Times

The Public Health Emergency for COVID-19 ends on May 11, 2023. What does this mean for you?

• Medicare will continue to cover COVID-19 vaccines at no cost.
• You'll be able to get COVID-19 PCR and antigen tests with no out-of-pocket costs when ordered by a doctor.
• Expanded telehealth services will continue through December 31, 2024.More Info

After May 11, 2023, Medicare will no longer cover or pay for over-the-counter (OTC) COVID-19 tests. If you're enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan, you may have more access to tests depending on your benefits. Make sure to check with your plan.