Book takes unique look at Omaha

You’re invited to visit the Ralston Senior Center, 7301 Q St., Suite 100 this month for the following: • July 13: Bus trip to WinnaVegas Casino in Sloan, Iowa @ 7:30 a.m. The bus will return around 4 p.m. The cost is $5. Contact Diane @ 402-885-8895 for reservations. • July 14: Board meeting @ 10 a.m. • July 14: The Merrymakers present music by The Links @ noon. • Tuesdays and Fridays: Exercise class from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Exercise at your own pace. Stand-up or sit in a chair.

Lunch is catered in on Wednesdays. A $4.50 contribution is normally suggested for the meal. Reservations are due by noon on Tuesday. Play games and bingo after lunch. Contact Diane @ 402-885-8895 for reservations.

The center is closed on July 5 for Independence Day.

Renew or obtain a Ralston Senior Center membership. The cost for the remainder of 2021 will be $5. The annual cost will be $10 in 2022.

The center may be used for various activities such as weddings, memorial services, anniversaries, family reunions, birthdays, baby and wedding showers, etc. on weekends.

For more information, please call Diane West @ 402339-4926.

Millard Senior Center at Montclair

You’re invited to visit the Millard Senior Center at Montclair, 2304 S. 135th Ave., this month for the following: • July 7: At 9 a.m. we’ll be making sun dresses that will be sent to Africa. • July 8: Play dominoes @ 12:30 p.m. • July 14: Board meeting at 9:30 a.m. If you have any suggestions or concerns, please contact Tamara Womack or a board member. • July 21: Welcome back picnic. Sign up by July 19. Bring a side dish or dessert. Chicken will be provided.

• Thursdays: chair volleyball @ 10 a.m.

The center will be closed on July 5 for Independence Day.

For more information, please call 402-546-1270.

The Sierra Group, LLC FREE Book & CD Call Us: (800) 309-0753

Summer is here, the pandemic is nearly over, and more people are again considering traveling abroad. Though the risks of travel may be mitigated, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) still recommends checking required/recommended vaccinations for countries you’re planning to visit.

It’s important to receive certain vaccines even though you may be up to date with the typically required varieties. If you’re traveling to countries with low social/personal hygiene or with certain diseases not prevalent in the U.S., there’s a much higher risk of falling seriously ill or dying.

Fortunately, vaccinations can greatly limit the health risks of international travel. When you receive a vaccination, microorganisms in their weakest form (antigens) are injected into your body and introduced to the immune system. This enables your body to prepare for a battle with a future infection.

Different vaccines are required or strongly recommended before traveling to each country. Check with your healthcare provider or pharmacist for more information.

You may be asked to submit your basic demographics, travel itinerary, immunization history, medication history, and other details. Once submitted, your healthcare provider or pharmacist will contact you to review the recommended vaccinations for your travel sites.

Most vaccinations need to be administered a minimum of 10 to 14 days prior to travel, which is why scheduling your appointment at least 30 days prior to your departure date is recommended.

A yellow fever vaccination is recommended for travelers to countries in South America and Africa. Yellow fever is a viral disease caused by transmission through infected mosquito bites. The most recent endemic outbreak was in 2017 and 2018 in eastern Brazil, including major metropolitan areas such as Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

Several nations with chronic yellow fever outbreaks require mandatory yellow fever vaccinations for all international travelers. Some nations require all travelers to show proof of a yellow fever vaccination before they enter the country. Other countries require proof of vaccination only if travelers have been in a high-risk area.

To prove you’ve been vaccinated prior to the visit, you need to carry an International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP).

The FDA has recently approved Prevnar-20, Pfizer’s pneumococcal vaccine for persons over age 18. The pneumococcal vaccine helps prevent invasive diseases and pneumonia. Seven new serotypes (distinguishable strains of a microorganism), however, are the global causes of invasive pneumococcal disease and are associated with high case-fatality rates, antibiotic resistance, and meningitis.

“Approval of Prevnar-20 marks a significant step forward in our ongoing fight to help address the burden on pneumococcal disease, including pneumonia in adults, and broadens global protection against more disease-causing serotypes than any other pneumococcal conjugate vaccines,” said Pfizer’s Senior Vice President and Head of Vaccine Research & Development Kathrin U. Jansen, Ph.D.

In August 2021, the Prevnar-20 vaccine will be available at Americans over age 18. (Im and Kohll are with Kohll’s Rx in Omaha.)

Written by Ryan Roenfeld New book uncovers Omaha’s secrets

How did Omaha get its nickname, “The Gateway to the West” and where can you gawk at the footsteps of the first human to walk in space? Just scratch the surface of a city best known for Warren Buffett, college baseball, and a great zoo and find far more than meets the eye.

Secret Omaha: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure is just the book you’ll need to uncover all the stories of Nebraska’s lone metropolis.

Omaha rises up out of the low broken bluffs along the west bank of the Missouri River and sprawls west across what was once the prairie grasslands of the Great Plains. The buffalo wallows have been replaced by a more urban mix of grit and gentrification with tree-lined avenues, boulevards, and varied communities that hold on to their heritage for generations.

There’s a giant fork in Little Italy and stories told in stone around what was the world’s largest livestock market. There’s an old blues song by Big Joe Williams about an Omaha intersection that’s now on the National Register, and Irish Nationalists erected a grand monument to the Fenian who invaded Canada twice.

Anyone in Omaha can take a gander at Goose Hollow or visit a haven for herons, but now author and Omaha enthusiast Ryan Roenfeld takes you on your own behind-thescenes tour of the Big O.

With his book as your guide, you’ll discover a whole new side to the city that’s inspired him for years.

Secret Omaha: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure is available at bookstores and online bookdealers.