Articles by Julia Weis

COVID Community Corps Spreads Vaccine Awareness to New Jersey Latinos

January 31, 2022

COVID-19 continues to burden overlooked communities, particularly low-income and Latino immigrant populations. Often, these communities have fewer resources and need support and health education to fight COVID-19. That’s why groups like the COVID Community Corps (CCC) were started. “It’s about getting into those really hard-to-reach populations and communities and bringing the information in a very linguistic and competent manner,” said Nayeli Salazar de Noguera, the program outreach manager for the CCC. Through canvassing and educational initiatives, the CCC aims to reach these communities and increase public confidence in and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines. Learn how they are building vaccine confidence in low-vaccinated parts of New Jersey! Launching the COVID ...

Test Your Memory with the Brain Health Registry!

January 24, 2022

Want to play memory and thinking tests and help millions of families with dementia? The Brain Health Registry can help you do that. Researchers at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) developed a registry for adults interested in conducting brain tests that can help the future creation of treatments for Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson’s, and other brain disorders. Now, they’re partnering with the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases at UT Health San Antonio to expand brain health research in the Texas region of the United States, through a partnership called STOP-AD. Learn about the STOP-AD Brain Health Registry, how Alzheimer’s is affecting Latinos, and how clinical trials can help us tackle Alzheimer’s and other ...

New Orleans Bans Soft Drinks on Kids Menus in Restaurants

January 20, 2022

Next year in New Orleans, kids won’t be able to order a Coke off the kids menu in restaurants. On Jan. 6, the New Orleans City Council unanimously passed an ordinance that will require restaurants to serve water, milk, or fruit juice with kids meals, according to New Orleans Public Radio. While the ordinance faced some pushback from the soft drink beverage industry, supporters believe this new rule will make a difference in preventing childhood obesity. What Does the Ordinance Say about Soft Drinks on Kids Menus? The city health department pitched the ordinance to remove soft drinks and make healthier options as the default beverages on kids menus. New Orleans City Councilmember Cyndi Nguyen put it to a vote. “This is really about helping our young people to stay ...

Webinar Feb. 10: Targeting Needs in Efforts to Prevent and Reduce Cancer

January 18, 2022

Many cancer patients in South Texas and beyond experience challenges in access to health care, insurance, immigration, affordable housing, transportation, education, as well as background and linguistic barriers. This can dramatically impact their cancer outcomes. To address this issue, you’re invited to join us for “Targeting Needs in Efforts to Prevent and Reduce Cancer” at 1 p.m. CST on Feb. 10, 2022. This is the second webinar of a new series, “Let’s Improve Health in South Texas and Beyond.” This Zoom webinar will show how health care leaders can participate in speaking up for policy and other changes that address these health differences, beyond providing more sensitive care and/or research. “This webinar will help doctors, nurses, researchers and other ...

How Universal Free School Meals Can Help Latino Kids

January 18, 2022

Free school meals have been a staple for kids from low-income households for decades, especially Latino kids. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, unions and support organizations successfully fought to bring universal free school meals to students learning from home, with federal support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Then after several extensions, USDA funded school meals through June 30, 2022. But what happens after that? Let’s explore the current state of free school meals, the impact they have on Latino kids, and what the future holds. UPDATE 2/4/22: The Biden administration announced the USDA will change its school nutrition standards for the 2022-2023 school year, reinstating health goals that were rolled back throughout the Trump administration on ...

What You Need to Know about Flurona

January 13, 2022

As COVID-19 cases from the recent Omicron variant surge across the country, health professionals are also detecting a rise in “Flurona,” which is a combination of the common flu and coronavirus. What really is Flurona and how can you avoid it? Let’s explore the facts. What is Flurona? Technically, Flurona isn’t a new disease. It occurs when someone contracts both COVID-19 and the flu simultaneously or one after the other. “Health experts have been warning about the possibility of a ‘twindemic,’ a scenario in which spikes in cases of COVID-19 and a simultaneous rough flu season overwhelm the country’s hospital systems, since early on in the pandemic,” according to Fortune Magazine. Why is Flurona Happening Now? Flurona has been happening throughout the ...

New Toolkit Helps Latino Parents See the Harm of Sugary Fruit Drinks

January 11, 2022

Young Latino kids drink too many sugary fruit drinks. Unfortunately, sugary fruit drinks that claim to be natural are often just fruit-flavored beverages that have added sugar and are just as unhealthy as soda. This is a contributing factor to the high rates of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular issues that Latino kids often face. That’s why there’s a new toolkit called “The Truth About Fruit Drinks” from researchers at the University of Washington, University of Pennsylvania, and Interlex Communications with support from Healthy Eating Research and the Arcora Foundation. “This toolkit contains an evidence-based social media messaging campaign for countering beverage industry marketing and decreasing the purchase of fruit drinks by Latino ...

Anti-Immigrant Climate Can Lead to Latino Children’s Increased Anxiety

January 5, 2022

Latino immigrant families experience greater threats from a negative immigration climate that can lead to increased anxiety for children and difficulty paying attention in school, according to a new study from the American Psychological Association (APA). “We found substantial variability in perceived immigration threat, with immigrant parents and Latino parents reporting significantly greater levels of immigration threat compared to nonimmigrant parents and non-Latino parents,” according to APA. Heightened anxiety and other negative mental health issues can greatly affect Latino children in their development. Let’s explore the impact of anti-immigrant rhetoric on Latino kids and what steps we can take to support Latino youth mental health. What Does the APA Report Say ...

Latinos Fall Behind in COVID-19 Booster Shots

January 1, 2022

As the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines continue to be distributed across the country, several states are reporting the demographic makeup of their vaccine distribution numbers. Initially, Latinos made up a very low percentage of those getting a vaccine, despite being hurt more by COVID-19. However, in the summer and fall of 2021, more and more Latinos got vaccinated, according to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation. Still, inconsistencies for Latinos persist in different states. Differences in education level, political affiliation, and health insurance also add to the vaccine gap. As some states begin to release data on booster shots, data shows that Latinos are getting boosted at lower rates compared to other groups. Let’s take a ...

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Julia Weis

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