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Wednesday, September 8, 2021 - Pike County Journal Reporter - Page 3B
To Your Health
Are COVID-19
vaccines safe?
Simple ways to thank local nurses
PHOTO BY CHAD MOORE / MOORE PHOTOGRAPHY
There are many ways ordinary citizens can thank nurses working in their communities,
including thoughtful gifts and services, prayers and discounts at local businesses. Above,
Shannon Moore, a nurse who lives in Pike County, is prayed for by her mother Mae Hill.
Vaccinating a high
percentage of individuals
against COVID-19 is a key
component of the global
strategy to diminish the
effects of the virus that
first appeared in late
2019. Since the distribu
tion of the COVID-19 vac
cines began in the U.S.
in December 2020, more
than 294 million doses
have been administered,
and more than 135 mil
lion people, or 41 percent
of the total U.S. popula
tion, have been fully
vaccinated, according
to data from the Centers
for Disease Control and
Prevention released.
The following informa
tion, courtesy of Johns
Hopkins Medicine, the
CDC, the Cleveland Clinic
and the Mayo Clinic Health
System, can clear up some
misinformation about the
COVID-19 vaccines.
Myth #1: Because
COVID-19 vaccines were
rushed, they’re not safe
and can’t be trusted.
Fact: The vaccines
were developed in record
time but not because
there were shortcuts in
the process. Certain red
tape was navigated more
efficiently than it had
been with past vaccines.
Plus, the new technol
ogy at the center of the
mRNA-based vaccines
has been in development
for more than three de
cades. The vaccine devel
opers put the vaccines
through rigorous clinical
trials involving tens of
thousands of volunteers.
Myth #2: COVID-19 vac
cines will change DNA.
Fact: Both mRNA
vaccines and viral vec
tor vaccine, which is
the technology for the
Janssen vaccine, deliver
genetic material to cells
to start virus protec
tion. The material never
enters the nucleus of the
cell, which is where DNA
is stored. That means
these vaccines do not al
ter or interact with DNA
in any way.
Myth #3: Vaccines
have severe side effects.
Fact: Side effects to the
vaccines are short-term,
mild or moderate reac
tions that often resolve
without complication
or injury and include
things like headache,
body aches, fatigue, or
mild fever. The Janssen/
Johnson&Johnson vac
cine has been linked to
blood clots in a very small
percentage of vaccine
recipients, but the risk
was so minimal that the
vaccine was cleared for
use after a brief pause.
Myth #4: The vaccines
were made using contro
versial ingredients.
Fact: The COVID-19
vaccines were not devel
oped using fetal tissue,
eggs, latex, or other aller
gens. In addition, they do
not contain microchips
or tracking devices.
Nurses have long
been unsung heroes of
the medical community.
But that tide began to
turn in 2020 as the world
confronted the COVID-19
pandemic and realized
just how invaluable nurs
es are to public health.
According to the Ameri
can Nurses Association,
nearly 400 nurses in the
United States died as a
result of COVID-19 within
eight months of a pan
demic being declared
in America. That data is
sobering and serves as
a reminder that nurses
put their lives on the
line each day they go to
work. Such sacrifices are
worthy of widespread
support, and there are
many ways ordinary citi
zens can thank nurses
working in their commu
nities.
• Give nurses and
their families a night
off from cooking. Long
shifts in stressful situa
tions have taken a toll
on nurses and their
families. Neighbors can
pitch in by offering to
cook and deliver meals
or pay for takeout for
nurses and their fami
lies. This simple gesture
can provide a much-
needed break for nurses
and their spouses who
have been stretched
thin during the pandem
ic, and it’s a great way
to remind nurses their
heroic efforts are not
going unnoticed.
• Help out with
chores. Before going to
the grocery store, text
or call a friend or neigh
bor in the nursing field
to see if he or she needs
anything from the store.
If nurses shop online for
their groceries, arrange
to pick them up so nurs
es can spend more time
relaxing at home with
their families. During
warm weather seasons,
offer to mow the lawn or
help with leaf pickup.
• Offer discounts to
nurses in the community.
Local business owners
can do their part by offer
ing discounts to nurses
and other health care pro
fessionals in their com
munities. A10 percent
discount on a restaurant
bill or a nursing discount
on a fresh bouquet of
flowers can lift nurses’
spirits and reassure them
that their communities
are behind them.
• Provide self-care
items. “The hours are
long, so care packages
with various self-care
items like candles,
lotions, toiletries and
sanitizing wipes can
be a great support,”
says Dawn Day, chair
and associate profes
sor of graduate nursing
programs at the school
of nursing and health
sciences at Spring Arbor
University in Michigan.
• Send a gift card.
Gift cards are another
good idea to help cover
costs of living, gas,
meals and even an occa
sional treat. A gift card
could help defray some
of those costs for a
nurse who’s on the front
lines. And it doesn’t
have to be a big sum of
money - every little bit
helps.
• Send a greeting
card or make a sign.
A mailed card can be
a powerful reminder
that you’re thinking of
someone, even if you’re
far away. If you know
a nurse personally or
even just want to say
thanks to a nurse who
has helped you with a
recent visit, be sure to
personalize the message
with a letter or special
card. Placing a sign
on the lawn or in the
window can also send a
strong message of hope
and support to nurses in
your community.
•Lend an ear. For
many nurses, just know
ing that someone cares
and is willing to listen
can go a long way to
ward helping them feel
a little less stressed and
isolated. Consider pro
viding the empathetic
ear for a loved one who
needs this sort of sup
port and be a compas
sionate listener.
• Ask what would be
most helpful. Though
it’s nice to try to sur
prise someone with a
thoughtful gift out of
the blue, sometimes
the most helpful thing
you can do is ask what
specific thing or support
your nurse friend or
family member needs.
How to spot signs of cyberbullying in your child and how to respond
SPECIAL PHOTO
Parents can look for certain signs and then take immediate
action if they suspect their children are being cyberbullied.
Despite its relative
infancy, the internet has
become so prevalent in
daily life that it’s hard to
imagine a time when it
wasn’t so widely avail
able. Yet that time wasn’t
so long ago.
In fact, many adults
who are now entering
or in middle-age made it
through their secondary
educations without the
internet.
That’s not so for
today’s students, and
that divide can some
times make it difficult for
parents to spot signs that
their children are victims
of cyberbullying.
Cyberbullying refers
to the use of electronic
communication to bully
a person, typically by
sending intimidating
and/or threatening mes
sages. These messages
may be sent in various
ways, including through
apps or via social media
platforms.
According to Stop-
Bullying.gov, a website
managed by the U.S.
Department of Health
and Human Services,
research has shown that
a quick and consistent
response to bullying is an
effective way to convey
that such behavior is
unacceptable.
But parents first must
learn to recognize signs
of cyberbullying, which
is not always as easy to
spot as other bullying
behaviors.
The Anti-Defamation
League notes that hateful
words and rumors are
often a component of
cyberbullying. In such
instances, that abuse
can follow young people
home, giving them the
idea that the bullying is
inescapable. In decades
past, bullying victims
could at least see their
homes as safe havens.
That’s no longer the
case, which is why it’s
vital that parents learn
to recognize the signs of
cyberbullying.
Young people may
exhibit their own unique
symptoms if they’re be
ing victimized by cyber
bullies. In addition, the
ADL notes that parents
can look for these signs
and then take immediate
action if they suspect
their children are being
cyberbullied.
• A child becomes up
set, sad or angry during
or after being online or
using their phone.
• A child withdraws
from family or friends.
• A child expresses
reluctance or refuses to
participate in activities
previously enjoyed.
• A child has an unex
plained decline in grades.
• A child refuses to go
to school or expresses
anger or dissatisfaction
with a specific class or
school in general.
• A child increasingly
reports symptoms of ill
ness for which he or she
wants to stay at home.
• A child shows signs
of depression or sadness.
The ADL urges parents
who see any of these
signs to respond to them
immediately. Take a
gentle, supportive tone
during any discussions
with children, making
sure to express your con
cerns while also listening
to the child when he or
she explains what is so
upsetting.
Parents who have
confirmed or suspect
their child is a victim of
cyberbullying should
contact their children’s
school immediately.
More information about
how to respond to cyber
bullying and prevent its
recurrence is available at
www.StopBullying.gov.
SHEPHERDCARE
H O i P I C E
Contact:
Meredith Smith
Director of
Marketing
678-603-1321
CARE" it s not just our name, it's our lifestyle!
GRIFFIN OFFICE:
150IB Kalamazoo Dr., Griffin, GA 30224
THOM ASTON OFFICE:
201 N. Church St., Thomaston, GA 30286
We service all surrounding counties to each office.
www.ShepherdCareGA.com
SEE YOUR AD HERE:
CALL 770-567-3446
City Pharmacy
Of Zebulon
460 Thomaston St, Zebulon, GA 30295
Ci 770-567-8844
Monday - Friday 8:30am-6pm
Saturday 8:30am-1 2:30pm
Sunday CLOSED