SEPTEMBER 23, 2021 -- COVID-19 booster shots are recommended only for specific people at this time.

On Sept. 22, the FDA amended the Emergency Use Authorization (EAU) for a booster dose of Pfizer vaccine for people 65 and older; people 18-64 at high risk of severe COVID-19; and people whose work or institutional exposure puts them at high risk of severe COVID-19. NH+C is waiting for CDC and MDH guidance to provide booster shots for those who meet these criteria.

Chris Werner, CNP, APRN understands commitment.

Chris is a Family Nurse Practitioner . . . and a farmer. She leads the care team at NH+C’s new Kenyon Clinic, a full-service and full-time primary care clinic that provides convenient, consistent, reliable care to the Kenyon community.

“My life is about daily commitments – feeding calves, doing chores, caring for family,” Chris says. “I thrive on that continuity. It’s about being the person there when people need you, day in and day out.”

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021 – Extra doses of COVID-19 vaccine are in the news. Here’s the difference between a “third dose” and “booster shots”:

A “third dose” is recommended for immunosuppressed people who have had 2 doses Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. (Some immunosuppressed people have not built strong immunity from two doses of vaccine.) The FDA has approved a third dose of Pfizer vaccine for people with specific medical conditions (see all six conditions below). It’s important for these high-risk individuals to get this protection now.

August 25, 2021 – Northfield Hospital + Clinics is following recommendations for a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine (booster shots) for immunosuppressed individuals.

The CDC and FDA are not recommending booster shots for the general public at this time. NH+C will follow guidance from CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice (ACIP) as it evolves.

NH+C is now providing a third dose of vaccine for individuals with specific medical conditions defined by CDC and FDA:

AUGUST 24, 2021 – Northfield Hospital + Clinics has tightened visitor restrictions as cases of COVID-19 increase, driven mostly by the highly contagious delta variant.

All visitors must be masked and keep social distance. Visitors with any COVID-19 symptoms are not allowed.

AUGUST 23, 2021 – Great news: The FDA approved Pfizer’s vaccine against COVID-19.  

Health leaders expect this will persuade people who have been hesitant to now get vaccinated.

“While millions of people have already safely received COVID-19 vaccines, we recognize that for some, the FDA approval of a vaccine may now instill additional confidence to get vaccinated,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D. “Today’s milestone puts us one step closer to altering the course of this pandemic in the U.S.” 

AUGUST 9, 2021 – The highly contagious delta variant of COVID is surging across our region. Delta puts unvaccinated people at higher risk of serious illness or death. Delta also can be spread by vaccinated people. Here’s what you need to know for your health from Dr. Jennifer Fischer, Director of Emergency Medicine at NH+C:

The OB/GYN providers of NH+C's Women's Health Center answer questions about vaccination against COVID-19:

 I’m pregnant. Should I get vaccinated?

Jessica Bohren is a certified nurse midwife . . . and a breastfeeding mom. Here’s what her COVID vaccination experience was like.

“It was a really hard decision for me to get vaccinated while breastfeeding. My original plan was to wait another month or two as more people got vaccinated, so I could see that everyone was doing okay with it.”

“Sinus headaches” are really nasal headaches. ENT specialist Gerard O’Halloran, MD explains.

People who feel pressure beneath their eyes – whether or not there’s pain in their eyes or forehead – often describe it as a “sinus headache.” 

But this pressure isn’t from the sinuses: It’s actually caused by crowding in the upper part of the nose. 

Each side of the nose has 3 or 4 structures called turbinates that function as radiators to heat air as it passes through the nose. Turbinates swell during colds, and in allergy season.