• Wednesday, March 02, 2022 9:23 AM | Jennifer Casasanta (Administrator)

    Itasca, Illinois— In the wake of updated COVID-19 guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on how communities can approach public health measures to reduce the risk of illness, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) offers considerations for families to inform their decisions.

    CDC’s updated recommendations allow communities to relax risk mitigation measures like masking when all three of the following conditions are met: low COVID-19 transmission rates, low hospital admission rates, and adequate hospital capacity. Communities with high levels of immunization also have more protections that make masks less critical, though many children and individuals lack this protection.

    “While CDC’s new approach is reasonable, pediatricians urge state and local policymakers to keep in mind the unique needs of children when considering COVID-19 mitigation measures. For some children—including those too young to be immunized and many with special health care needs—masking will still be an important layer of protection for a while longer,” said AAP President Moira Szilagyi, MD, PhD, FAAP. “We encourage each family to make a plan that works best for them, while also modeling empathy and discouraging bullying of any child who chooses to mask to protect themselves and their family even when not required to do so.”

    AAP advises families to consider the following factors in making this decision:

    • If their child is between ages 2 and 5 and currently ineligible for COVID-19 vaccine

    • If their child is immunocompromised and may not have a protective immune response to the COVID-19 vaccine, or is at high risk for severe COVID-19 illness

    • If their child is not immunized

    • If other members of their family are at higher risk of severe disease or are not immunized

    • If they live in a community with “high” COVID-19 transmission

    These factors may lead adults and children to continue wearing face masks in public indoor settings, including schools, even if not required. According to the AAP, children, adolescents, and teachers who choose to continue wearing face masks in school settings should be supported in their decision to do so.

    CDC’s guidance calls for public health decision-making on masks based on local conditions. Based on CDC’s new guidance, universal mask policies are still necessary in many parts of the country. In addition, localities will need flexibility to reinstitute masking as local situations warrant. Policies that serve as impediments to this local decision-making are inappropriate and should be eliminated.

    “The toll of the pandemic has not been felt equally across racial or economic lines, and we must acknowledge these inequities as we help families navigate the right choices to keep themselves and their children safe and healthy,” said Dr. Szilagyi. “Families of children with special health care needs may also now be forced to stay home from school or other activities if universal masking goes away. One of the best ways to protect our communities is to encourage everyone ages five and older to get vaccinated.”

    The AAP strongly recommends that all individuals ages 5 years and older receive the COVID –19 vaccine. Additional layered prevention strategies such as testing, ventilation, and masking can also create a cocooning effect that offers protection for children too young to be vaccinated or who have health conditions, such as immune-compromising or lung conditions, that are more likely to result in severe disease from COVID-19 infection.

    “While we are disappointed by new data that may suggest waning efficacy of the vaccine in preventing mild infection with the Omicron variant in children ages 5 to 11, the vaccine is effective in protecting children from severe illness and hospitalization, and pediatricians still recommend every eligible child receive the vaccine,” said Dr. Szilagyi. ###The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. For more information, visit www.aap.org and follow us on Twitter @AmerAcadPeds. For Release: 3/1/2022 Media Contact: Jamie Poslosky 202-724-3301 jposlosky@aap.org


    https://www.aap.org/en/news-room/news-releases/aap/2022/american-academy-of-pediatrics-offers-new-masking-recommendations-for-families-following-updated-cdc-guidance/


  • Monday, January 31, 2022 12:20 PM | Jennifer Casasanta (Administrator)

    Wednesday, February 16, 2022, 8:30am- 1:00pm.More details below...For program information and to register, please visit

    https://cmetracker.net/ROCHESTER/Publisher?page=pubOpen#/EventID/158246/



  • Wednesday, January 19, 2022 4:06 PM | Jennifer Casasanta (Administrator)

    Linking Research to Community Health Improvement

    This session is jointly organized by the Center for Community Health & Prevention and the Clinical and Translational Science Institute’s Office of Health Equity Research Towards a Quantifiable Science of Research Equity

    Pre-registration for this session is required using the link below: https://rochester.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rmnhP9MMQ66cF_Rak8Ggrw

    Flyer here: Public Health Grand Rounds Flyer

    *ASL interpreters in attendance* Contact Carolyn_Settle@URMC.Rochester.edu with questions. 

  • Tuesday, January 18, 2022 3:28 PM | Jennifer Casasanta (Administrator)

    Place Your Order for Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests

    Residential households in the U.S. can order one set of 4 free at-home tests from USPS.com. Here’s what you need to know about your order:

    • Limit of one order per residential address
    • One order includes 4 individual rapid antigen COVID-19 tests
    • Orders will ship free starting in late January

    Fill in this form with your contact and shipping information to order your tests.

    https://special.usps.com/testkits

  • Tuesday, January 11, 2022 2:33 PM | Jennifer Casasanta (Administrator)

    What is NY Project Hope?

    NY Project Hope is a FEMA-funded program that provides emotional support for NYS residents in response to COVID-19. We offer…

    • An Emotional Support Helpline: Our Helpline is staffed by trained crisis counselors who help callers talk through their emotions and find resources to help them cope with the challenges of COVID. Call the Helpline at 1-844-863-9314, any day between 8am-10pm.
    • Local Crisis Counseling Providers: Local NY Project Hope COVID-19-related crisis counseling is available in several NYS counties, including Broome, Dutchess, Erie, Nassau, Niagara, NYC (all boroughs), Oneida, Orange, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester.
    • Online Wellness Groups: Virtual discussion groups, facilitated by trained crisis counselors, provide emotional support to help people cope with changes caused by COVID. These free, confidential groups are open to all; no registration is required.
    • Supportive Resources: NY Project Hope offers digital educational materials, a supportive social media presence, and a website filled with resources and relevant materials that folks can access anytime at www.nyprojecthope.org. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
    • Public Education: Contact Cheryl.Gerstler@omh.ny.gov to learn more about virtual presentations!

    Our services are always confidential, free, and anonymous.

    NYProjectHope.org

    A program of the NYS Office of Mental Health/ Funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency


  • Monday, January 10, 2022 10:00 AM | Jennifer Casasanta (Administrator)

    You can access it via the website at National Government Services (NGS) www.ngsmedicare.com. NGS has streamlined its site, but the steps are still familiar. You start on the NGS home page, work with the very interactive Fee Schedule Lookup Page, and finally navigate to the fee schedule.

    Click here to learn How to Access the 2022 MC Fee Schedule


  • Monday, January 10, 2022 8:33 AM | Jennifer Casasanta (Administrator)

    Reduced Pricing on N95 Masks for Members 

    • Monroe County Medical Society members can take advantage of this offer for NIOSH–certified N–95 masks at 20% off the reduced price offered to the public at–large.
    • Pure Environments by Shatkin FIRST, Inc. is providing N95 NIOSH–approved masks to our community with an extra 20% off for members of the Medical Society. 
    • A special thank you to our friends at the Erie County Medical Society for sharing this opportunity with the Monroe County Medical Society. 
    • By clicking this link you will automatically get the discount and pay .80 per mask. Use promo code MEDICALSOCIETY at checkout

    CLICK HERE FOR THE SPECIAL RATE


  • Monday, January 03, 2022 8:21 AM | Jennifer Casasanta (Administrator)

    Overview of COVID-19 Isolation for K-12 Schools 

    CDC has updated isolation and quarantine recommendations for the public. These recommendations do not apply to healthcare personnel and do not supersede state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations. Read CDC’s media statement.

    https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/k-12-contact-tracing/about-isolation.html

  • Thursday, December 16, 2021 12:54 PM | Jennifer Casasanta (Administrator)


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