Brief Messages or Announcements – Page 16

Scouting for Food 2023: A National Good Turn for America!

The 2023 Scouting for Food drive is on! The Hawkeye Area Council announcement just arrived on our doorknob the other day. Pickup day is October 28, 2023. Instructions:

Prepare non-perishable food items (canned or boxed)
Place donations in a clean bag or box
Put them out by your doorstep by 8 AM
Make sure it’s visible from the street

The food drive supports local families in need. All items collected will be distributed locally. If your bag is not picked up by noon, please deliver to local food pantry.

CDC on How to Get Flu, Covid-19, and RSV Vaccines

The latest update on how to get the respiratory viruses vaccines is updated on the CDC website. Highlights:

“f you have insurance, these vaccines should be free to you in most cases.
Adults without health insurance or adults whose insurance doesn’t cover all COVID-19 vaccine costs can get an updated COVID-19 vaccine for free through the Bridge Access Program.
Most children can get recommended vaccines for free through their family’s insurance or the Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program.
How COVID-19 vaccines are being distributed changed in September 2023 when these products moved to the commercial market, but there is still plenty of vaccine supply.
Flu, COVID-19, and RSV vaccines may be given at the same visit.”

Drain Grates Screwed!

Well, early this morning all the drain grates were screwed down tight. We never heard the workers. The rocks we had set on top of them were all piled up neatly on our back yard patio.

Any critter that tries to yank those off will get a hernia. If those grates come off again, we’ll have to call the FBI and report we have an X-File for them.

CDC Update on Respiratory Viruses and the Covid-19 Vaccine

CDC posted an update on Covid-19 vaccination on October 13, 2023. In brief, the salient points:

They save lives and prevent hospitalizations.

The vaccines work.

The side effects are mild or moderate.

Scientific evidence supports the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines.

They don’t make you magnetic and they don’t have microchips to track your movements. We’re not living in an X-File episode.

The Iowa City Screaming Barn is Back!

This is just a heads up that the Iowa City Screaming Barn (the halloween haunted barn) I posted about last October is back. We just saw it today.

More to follow soon!

FEMA Emergency Alert Test Today

I just found out that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will conduct a routine Emergency Alert Test around 2:20 p.m. ET today.

According to FEMA, “The purpose of the test is to ensure that the systems continue to be effective means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level.”

You can ignore the misinformation on social media about conspiracy theories regarding the test.

CDC Recommendations for Fall-Winter Immunizations

The CDC recommendations for Fall-winter immunizations were updated as of September 29, 2023. A few states require a physician’s prescription for the RSV vaccine. Information varies on the web on which states require a prescription for the RSV vaccine. The Iowa Board of Pharmacy website is clear on the matter–you’ll need a prescription.

Most states don’t require a prescription for the RSV vaccine. The CDC recommends having a shared decision-making discussion with your doctor to help you decide about whether the RSV vaccine is right for you. The best thing to do would be to call your doctor, the state board of pharmacy, or your local pharmacy to find out how you should proceed.