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Dr Chokshi: Wrong Time for the Flu, Right Time for the Flu Shot
IN THE NEWS
15 Wrong Time for the Flu, Right Time for the Flu Shot
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BY DR. DAVE A. CHOKSHI
Flu season is just beginning in New York City, and already my twoyear-old daughter, my wife, and I have all received our seasonal flu vaccination. I encourage everyone to join us, to protect yourself and your community. Every year, the Health Department works to make the flu vaccine easily available because the influenza virus can cause painful, and potentially life-threatening, symptoms—even in healthy people. In a typical flu season, roughly 2,000 New Yorkers die from influenza and pneumonia, and some of them are kids. That is why we are recommending all New Yorkers ages six months and older to get the flu shot, especially people who are most likely to get sick, including adults ages 50 and older, pregnant people, children ages 6 months to 5 years, and people with chronic diseases like diabetes. The flu vaccine is safe and effective: Scientific evidence shows that it reduces the risk of illness between 40% and 60%, according to the CDC. If you’re 65 or older, ask your doctor about the high-dose flu vaccine. I was proud to see a record number of adult New Yorkers get the flu vaccine last year. Over 1.4 million adults got vaccinated—the most ever. Our goal this year is to have another record-breaking year, and we are well on our way with 1,039,787 adult New Yorkers already vaccinated. But despite our progress, we are still seeing troubling gaps in coverage. This is due in part to misinformation about the flu vaccine and mistrust in medical advice. I want to make clear to New Yorkers that the flu vaccine will not give you the flu. Young and healthy people can become severely ill. And getting a flu shot will not increase your risk of getting COVID-19. These are common myths, and we know we must address them in order to instill trust in the vaccine. In addition, not enough children are getting vaccinated. Our data show that only 67% of children ages 6 months to 5 years were vaccinated last year, and this year’s numbers are also looking low. With children returning to schools and families out and about in our city again, it’s even more critical than ever to protect our littlest New Yorkers. The flu vaccine is now widely available across the city for free or low-cost and regardless of immigration status. New Yorkers can find out where to get vaccinated at NYC.gov/FLU. And if you still haven’t gotten a COVID-19 vaccine, you can get one at the same time as the flu vaccine. Remember that the flu vaccine doesn’t protect you against COVID-19, and the COVID-19 vaccine doesn’t protect you against the flu. You need both! Serious reactions to the flu shot are extremely rare. Common reactions may include mild pain, redness or swelling at the injection site or headache, fever and muscle aches. As a doctor and a father, I wouldn’t ask New Yorkers to do anything I wouldn’t do myself. Flu activity usually starts as early as November and continues through late spring, and it takes a couple of weeks for your vaccine to kick in with immunity. Now is the right time, so go get that flu shot today.l
Dr. Chokshi is New York City’s Health Commissioner
Early Action is Key!
Monoclonal antibody treatment is for people who have COVID-19 or were recently exposed to someone who has had COVID-19. Monoclonal Antibody Treatment: • Helps your body 昀ght COVID-19 while your immune system begins to make its own antibodies • Reduces your risk of becoming sick from COVID-19 and avoid hospitalization • Is recommended for anyone age 12 and older who is at high risk for severe COVID-19 illness, such as older adults and people with other health conditions • Is NOT a substitute for vaccination
To 昀nd a site offering monoclonal antibody treatment, visit nyc.gov/health/map. To 昀nd a vaccination site, visit nyc.gov/vaccine昀nder or call 877-VAX-4NYC (877-829-4692).
5 Reasons to Become a Paralegal
BY THE CHAMBER COALITION
Acareer as a paralegal (also known as a legal assistant) can be a wonderfully fulfilling profession. Paralegals perform legal , regulatory , and business -related research for lawyers working at their organization. Most of the time, paralegals work for law offices, non-profits, corporations' legal departments, or courts. These professionals also provide legal support services to attorneys. They assist lawyers in filing motions, memoranda, pleadings, and briefs in various court systems and accompany lawyers to see clients and go to court. Here are five great things about being a paralegal:
1. Rise in Pay Paralegal compensation has risen steadily in the past decade. As paralegals perform a broader and more complex range of tasks (paralegals even represent clients in court in certain countries and administrative tribunals), their earnings continue to rise. The average paralegal salary hovers at around $50,000 per year, but paralegals often make more through bonuses. Overtime hours can also add significant cash to a paralegal's paycheck. 2. Explosive Employment Outlook The paralegal field is one of the fastestgrowing professions on the globe. The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, predicts the employment of paralegals and legal assistants by over 25 percent, much faster than the average for all occupations. Among the factors driving this growth is client demand for cheaper, more efficient delivery of legal services. Since hourly rates charged by attorneys are typically double or triple the rates of paralegals for the same task, law firm economics mandates the increased use of paralegals to minimize costs. As a result, a paralegal career is one of the hottest non-lawyer jobs in the legal industry. 3. Easy Career Entry Unlike lawyers who must complete seven years of formal education and pass the bar exam to practice law, you can become a paralegal in as little as a few months of study.
4. Intellectual Challenge Paralegal work is intellectually challenging and involves a range of high-level skills. The most successful paralegals are problem-solvers and innovative thinkers. Paralegals must become subject matter experts in their specialty areas and master legal procedure, research, drafting, and other skills. They must stay on top of ever-changing laws and new legal trends and developments while interfacing with attorneys, opposing counsel, vendors, staff members, clients, and others. The work is varied, and each day brings new challenges.
5. Rising Prestige As paralegals perform more complex and challenging work, paralegal prestige is rising. Paralegals are no longer simply lawyer's assistants; they assume corporate management roles, leadership roles in law firms, and entrepreneurial roles in independent paralegal businesses. Over the years, paralegals have transcended the image of glorified legal secretaries to become respected legal team members.
Ready to Take the Leap? A career as a paralegal can be rewarding professionally and personally and offers a unique opportunity to help others; options vary, depending on the paralegal's practice area. Paralegals in the public interest sector help poor and disadvantaged segments of the population with legal issues ranging from protection from domestic abuse to assistance preparing wills. Ready to take the leap, the next step? Call us at 718-722-9217 or visit www.freeparalegal.org to complete your registration which includes payment.l
Need Assistance? Call 718-722-9217.
Common Problems When Dealing with a Workers' Compensation Claim
BY JARED RICHARDSON
Workers' compensation can be incredibly helpful if you were injured on the job, but that is only when it works out in your favor. Some claims are rejected, while others are accepted, yet not every successful claim results in the injured party getting the benefits that they need and deserve. If you are considering a workers' comp claim and are worried about possible problems that you may encounter during the process, here are several common questions and answers:
What if your claim is rejected? Many individuals worry about what would happen if their claim were rejected, but there is fortunately a system in place that can assist with that. There is an appeal process that allows individuals to strengthen their cases and ask for approval again, which means that you will be able to include any details that you may have missed the first time around. Furthermore, the denial of your claim should be accompanied by specific reasoning as to what went wrong and what you might be able to do in the appeal to change the ruling. If you feel that your claim was rejected unfairly, then it might be time to get some legal help and hire an employment lawyer to assist you.
What if you don't get your benefits in a timely fashion? If your claim was granted, but your benefits aren't arriving as quickly as they should, then you may need to take legal action to speed up the process. However, benefits are divided into two separate categories, so it's important to understand how they are different and how that might affect the problems that you are experiencing.
Firstly, you have medical benefits, which should be granted immediately. As long as you have properly documented the entire process and filled out a workers' comp claim as early as possible, your medical bills should be covered. In many cases, medical benefits are granted before a ruling is even made on the claim. Secondly, you have non-medical benefits, which are not quite as immediate. These benefits often become available after your claim is granted and you fill out some additional paperwork, which means that it can take weeks or even months to start receiving non-medical benefits.
How can you maximize your chances of getting a successful claim? Ultimately, your best course of action is going to be to talk to a lawyer that is specialized in the field. Not only can they help you understand the law and what you are required to do in a workers' comp claim, but they can also help you get a better idea of just how strong your case is and how much you stand to win. If you aren't sure that you want to commit to a lawyer and the fees that such a course of action would entail, then you can probably get a free consultation to determine the best course of action and whether you even need serious legal aid in the first place.l
