Fredericksburg Parent

22 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • April 2022 INTERVIEWED BY EMILY FREEHLING The past two years have changed our lives forever. Parents struggled to juggle remote school with remote work, all from the confines of home. Children lost important time at school with their teachers and peers. Many families mourned the loss of loved ones, or worried about at-risk friends and relatives. We may be just beginning to realize all of the ways that the COVID-19 pandemic impacted us all. And there is no doubt that the loss of the 586 individuals the disease took from our com- munity here in the Rappahannock Area Health District will be felt for years. But as spring 2022 dawns, we have the opportunity to step back and recognize the progress our country has made in fighting this disease. While there will probably never be a day when we can do a balloon drop and declare, "COVID is over!", the fact is that we now have an effective, layered protection strategy that we can all use to stay safe as case surges and new variants come and go in the years to come. We have therapeutics that can fight the disease in individuals who contract the coronavirus. And we have multiple vaccines that have been proven highly effective at preventing severe illness and deaths available to individuals 5 and older. The pandemic has taught us lessons not only about how to fight COVID-19, but also about how our actions as individuals impact those around us, and how we can build habits that will make us better able to ward off other potentially harmful diseases. Here are some important strategies for parents as we move beyond the worst moments of the pandemic. VACCINES SAVE LIVES Whether COVID is on the front page of the newspaper or not, every individual age 5 or older should receive a full series of an approved COVID-19 vaccine, and a booster when eligible. Vaccines are now widely avail- able and easy to schedule by visiting vaccines.gov. While many families may be getting back to travelling and visiting family members in other states, there's no reason for travel to interrupt your vaccine schedule. At vaccines.gov, you can enter the ZIP code where you will be on the date you need your next dose, and find a convenient location to stay on top of your immunity. While the COVID-19 vaccine is essential for eligible individuals, it's also important for parents to keep children up-to-date on important childhood immuniza- tions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has noted that during the pandemic, many fami- lies who were staying home to prevent virus spread got behind on pediatric well visits and immunizations. Catching up with vaccinations for diseases such as measles, pertussis, hepatitis, chicken pox and many more is crucial, as these diseases all pose serious risk to children. And of course, don't forget that annual flu shots are another important and free tool to protecting you and your family's health. Sponsored Material Lessons of the Past Two Years O er a Path Forward A message from the Rappahannock Area Health District

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