Protect Yourself from Respiratory Viruses this Fall/Winter

With the arrival of Fall, Newton Health and Human Services is reaching out with important information about COVID and other respiratory illnesses.

Staying up to date on immunizations remains the best way to prevent illness and severe disease.

Current recommendations are that everyone 6 months and older should get the annual flu vaccine and an updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine. CDC has updated the vaccine recommendations for people 65 years and older and those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised to receive a second dose of 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine 6 months after their first dose. 

FREE at-home COVID-19 tests are once again available to order from the federal government by clicking here. Each order includes 4 individual rapid antigen COVID-19 tests. There is a limit of one order per residential address. Click here for more information and details, including when to test, what to do based on your test result, and other testing options.

Naloxbox Pilot Program

The City of Newton Health & Human Services Department in partnership with the Newton Coalition for Community Wellness, the City’s substance use coalition, is starting a pilot program to install opioid overdose rescue kits to combat the opioid epidemic. These kits contain naloxone (a nasal spray that rapidly reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, also known as Narcan®), barrier devices for rescue breathing, and instruction cards. These kits have already been installed in City-owned buildings, like City Hall and the Newton Public Library.

This program makes life-saving medication more easily accessible in Newton and increases our capacity to respond quickly in an emergency. Naloxone is a safe medication with minimal side effects and there are no age limits. If someone is given naloxone who is not having an opioid overdose, it will have no effect.   

Upcoming Events

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month

Lung Cancer Awareness Month 2024 is dedicated to increasing awareness about lung cancer, its risk factors, early detection, and treatment options. Smoking is the leading risk factor for lung cancer and is responsible for 80% of lung cancer deaths. The most important thing you can do to prevent lung cancer is to not start smoking, or to quit if you smoke.

For help quitting, visit smokefree.gov, call 1 (800) QUIT-NOW (784-8669), or text “QUIT” to 47848. It’s never too late to quit!

For more information about lung cancer screenings Click Here.

November is Diabetes Awareness Month

KNOW THE SIGNS & SYMPTOMS OF TYPE 1 DIABETES

2 most common early signs & symptoms:

FREQUENT URINATION

Symptom: urge to frequently urinate

Signs: repeated trips to the bathroom; waking at night to urinate; return to bed-wetting in children; constant heavy diapers in babies or toddlers

Often mistaken for: excessive drinking, being well hydrated, a urinary tract infection

EXCESSIVE THIRST

Symptoms: unquenchable thirst day and night; feeling dehydrated

Signs: waking at night to drank water/fluids; complaints about thirst

Often mistaken for: a response to participation in exercise/sports activities; hot weather

Other early signs & symptoms:

TIRED

Symptoms: unusual fatigue; low energy

Signs: appearing tired; irritable; mood swings

Often mistaken for: lack of sleep; a response to participation in exercise/sports activities; general lack of energy; viral illness

UNEXPLAINED WEIGHT LOSS

Symptom: unintended weight loss

Signs: appearing thinner even though usually hungry/eating more; clothes becoming baggy

Often mistaken for: a growth spurt in children or teenagers; a response to increased activity; an eating disorder

IMMEDIATELY CONTACT A HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IF YOU NOTICE ANY OF THESE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS. UNDIAGNOSED TYPE 1 DIABETES IS LIFE-THREATENING.

Seek emergency medical care if you are experiencing:

FRUITY-SMELLING BREATH; STOMACH PAIN; NAUSEA; VOMITING; EXTREME LETHARGY; DROWSINESS; CONFUSION; RAPID, HEAVY BREATHING

(Can be mistaken for the flu or stomach virus)

Jordan Bennett Weiss Fund - JBWfund@gmail.com

For more information:

www.beyondtype1.org www.breakthrought1d.org www.diabetes.org www.joslin.org

Fuel Assistance

The ABCD (Action for Boston Community Development, Inc.) Home Energy Assistance Program, also known as Fuel Assistance, provides financial assistance to income-eligible households for heating bills.

Residents can apply online for the 2024-2025 heating season or call the Newton Social Services Division for assistance at 617-796-1420. Please see below for income guidelines.

Holiday Support

Give Back This Holiday Season

Thanksgiving is National Family History Day

Thanksgiving is a great time for sharing stories with family members. And there are lots of projects out there to help you start those conversations. At the Health department we encourage you to use your story telling and family interviews to create a portrait of the health in your family tree. These health conversations can help your family create long, healthy family lineages to come. 

Information about specific diagnoses, ancestry, and the age and reason some relatives died can help your health care provider keep you as healthy as possible. Although some diseases run in families, having a family history of a disease doesn’t mean that you’ll definitely get it. The information can be a piece of the puzzle in how your health care provider predicts your risk and takes steps to keep you and your family healthy.

Your family members might be hesitant to talk, but starting the conversation is important. Explaining that you’re putting together a family health portrait that will benefit the entire family might help them feel more comfortable. Click below for tips and questions to get you started