Find Your Vaccine
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/ Categories: WELLNESS, 2022

Find Your Vaccine

As colder weather approaches, many people are wondering where they can get vaccines for illnesses that typically increase in prevalence during the fall and winter.

COVID Bivalent Boosters
Bivalent boosters are expected to be available at Southwestern Vermont Health Care’s
COVID Resource Center starting 8 a.m. – noon on Tuesday, September 13 and continuing 8 a.m. – noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The clinic will have both Pfizer and Moderna bivalent boosters available. See details, including eligibility and frequently asked questions, here. You can also search healthvermont.gov/MyVaccine for locations. Bivalent boosters are also expected to be available at pharmacies and primary care offices, as supplies increase.

Flu Shots
You can get your annual flu shot at pharmacies, your provider’s office, or at flu clinics. Southwestern Vermont Health Care will run walk-in flu shot clinics on Saturdays throughout the month of October. We’ll post details on our
website, on social media, and in our e-newsletter. Note that insurances will be billed and patients may receive a bill for the remaining cost.

High-Dose Flu Vaccine
People who are 65 or older are eligible for a special high-dose flu vaccine. It contains four times as much of the flu virus antigen compared with standard flu shots. Older people sometimes don’t develop as strong an immune response when they get typical flu shots. Also, older people are at greatest risk of developing serious flu-related complications. High-dose flu vaccine is available at pharmacies, most provider’s offices, and at SVMC’s walk-in flu clinics on Saturdays in October.  Note that insurances will be billed and patients may receive a bill for the remaining cost.

Monkeypox Vaccine
While monkeypox is not a seasonal virus, it is spreading right now. At this time, gay, bisexual, and other men or trans people who have sex with men make up a high number of early cases and might be at higher risk of coming into contact with the virus. The Vermont Department of Health has recently expanded eligibility for the vaccine to people from these groups. Anyone who has had an exposure to hMPXV or possible exposure should also get vaccinated. Call the Health Department to schedule an appointment at 802-863-7200 ext. 2 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday.

Pneumococcal Vaccine
Pneumonia is not a seasonal disease either, but it is often associated with the flu. So, now is as good a time as any to think about getting a pneumococcal vaccine, if you are eligible. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the pneumococcal vaccine for all children under age 2 and all adults 65 and older. Pneumococcal vaccines are available at your local pharmacy and your provider’s office.

Other Vaccines
People in particular age groups need other vaccines. It is recommended that children and older adults, in particular, get several vaccines at specific times. Count on your primary care provider to remind you of the vaccines you need during regular checkups. We’ve seen
in the news lately how important it is to get kids vaccinated on schedule, because it plays a large role in keeping serious illnesses under control.

Getting your vaccines at the right time can help you, your family, and your community stay well throughout the colder months and beyond.

Robert Sherman, PharmD, is the director of Pharmacy Services at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center, part of Southwestern Vermont Health Care, in Bennington. 

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Home Office How To

Did you know that many sources of chronic pain start in a poorly arranged office? Carpal tunnel, pinched nerves, overuse injuries can often be traced to chairs being positioned improperly or important tools being positioned outside easy reach. While reaching or straining once or twice wouldn't hurt us at all, doing so repeatedly day after day can cause painful and lasting injuries.

As an occupational health physician at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center, one of my responsibilities is to help employees of SVMC and other companies who have workplace injuries and recommend the adjustments they should make.

During a spike in work-from-home arrangements, I have heard about friends’ and family members' work-from-home set-ups. Some are working from laptops on their couches. Others are set up at kitchen tables. We know that their cats walk across their keyboards and their kids interrupt. Especially since Governor Scott has just indicated that remote workers will likely be the last to return to the traditional workplace, it's time to get our home office arrangements figured out.

That's why I would like to share the important details you need to arrange a healthful workspace and encourage all to invest the time (and sometimes a little bit of money) needed to implement them. Learning these points is key to avoiding injuries, as continued work-from-home policies, where feasible, will help maintain appropriate distancing needed to decrease the spread of COVID-19.

An adjustable chair is the first and most important component of an office set-up. Office chairs include crucial lumbar support and encourage good posture. When your forearms are resting on your desk or table, adjust the chair height up or down until your arms form a right angle. This is an important step in avoiding wrist pain and carpal tunnel, two of the most common office injuries. If, when your arms are in the correct position, your feet are not touching the floor, employ a footstool.

Position your monitor an arm’s length away. (If you can't see the screen from this distance, better go get an eye exam!) And raise the screen so that the top of the screen is eye level. This, too, will encourage good posture.

If you use two monitors, positioning them properly depends on how you use them. If you use them equally, the dividing line between them should be right in front of you. If you use one primarily and the other secondarily, position the more dominant screen directly in front of you. If you use a laptop, consider investing in a riser and an additional keyboard needed to raise the screen to eye level.

Put all of your other tools, including your mouse and phone, within easy reach. If you use the phone a lot, consider investing in a headset.

The only other recommendation I make is to stretch every 15 – 20 minutes. A list of helpful office-oriented stretches is available here. And every hour, be sure to get up and take a short walk or standing stretch.

If you follow these recommendations at home, you will be much more comfortable and are likely to be more productive, too, all while maintaining the social distance we need to keep COVID-19 infections low throughout this next phase of the pandemic. Most importantly, you will save yourself the pain and discomfort of office injury no matter where you're working.

Mark Zimpfer, MD, is a physician at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center's Occupational Health practice. 

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