Please see attached letter from NJ Department of Health with details on their new COVID-19 Contact Tracing Phone App. Participation in this App functionality test is voluntary.
Archives for September 16, 2020
Concerned About Voting by Mail?
September 16, 2020 By
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Concerned About Voting by Mail?Gov. Phil Murphy recently signed legislation (A-4276) to “cure” any doubts about whether your mail-in ballot will be counted by Board of Election officials. Although voting by mail has been a safe and secure method to vote for many years in New Jersey, recently a small number of ballots were rejected due to deficiencies outside the control of the voter, such as lacking a postmark or having a physical defect such as a rip in the envelope or ballot. The new law, referred to as the Ballot Cure Act, establishes provisions that require county Boards of Elections to record the rejection of a voter’s ballot and notify the voter within 24 hours of a decision to reject their ballot. The voter would have up to 48 hours prior to the date of the final certification of election results to provide a cure for their ballot by following the instructions on the “cure form” that will be provided via mail or email along with the notification of the ballot’s rejection. The law also empowers voters by allowing them to check and track their ballot after they mail it or place it in a drop box. The law expands the online voter information website, which you can access here. This measure also would provide remedies specifically for signature deficiencies, allowing voters to return a “cure form” to the county Board of Elections to verify their ballot. The Secretary of State would additionally need to publish signature-matching guidelines to ensure ballots are not needlessly invalidated during the authentication process due to slight and non-fraudulent causes of signature variance. For this year’s General Election, return your mail in ballot as soon as possible! The Ballot Cure Act will ensure it is counted and also further eliminates possibilities for voting fraud. You can start your Vote-by-Mail application by clicking here. |
COVID Stress and Coping
September 16, 2020 By
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Annual Flu Vaccine Campaign
September 16, 2020 By
The Medical Services Department is pleased to announce the commencement of its annual flu vaccine campaign for the 2020-2021 season.
This season online registration is required. To register, click here or scan this QR code:
This FREE benefit is available to all active NJ TRANSIT employees. EMPLOYEES MUST SHOW THEIR COMPANY ID TO OBTAIN A FLU VACCINE.
Eligible Employees may register for any any location to receive their free vaccine. All employees in a high-risk category of serious illness should get the flu vaccine either from Medical Services or by contacting their personal physician. Please consult your personal doctor BEFORE requesting a flu vaccine if you:
- Have ever had a serious allergic reaction to eggs
- Are currently taking antibiotic medication
Do NOT register for a flu vaccine if you:
- Have a cold, virus, or other illness (get the vaccine when you are better)
- Have been instructed by your personal doctor NOT to get a flu vaccine
Additional dates and locations will be added as they become available. Check back often — through the registration link above — for newly added dates, times, and locations near you.
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This year, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the flu shot remains important because complications of the flu could make you more susceptible to getting or becoming ill from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. Medical professionals urge most Americans to get it as early in the season as possible. The flu vaccine will help protect you and ease burdens on the strained healthcare system.
Why is it important for influenza (flu) vaccines to be given during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19, such as stay-at-home and shelter-in-place orders, have led to decreased use of routine preventive medical services, including immunization services. Ensuring that people continue or start getting routine vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic is essential for protecting people and communities from vaccine-preventable diseases and outbreaks, including flu. Routine vaccination prevents illnesses that lead to unnecessary medical visits and hospitalizations, which further strain the healthcare system. A flu vaccine may also provide several individual health benefits, including keeping you from getting sick with flu, reducing the severity of your illness if you do get flu, and reducing your risk of a flu-associated hospitalization.
Flu Vaccine Facts
- The flu vaccine will not give you the flu.
- One of the best ways to avoid getting a serious case of the flu is to get a flu vaccine.
- A flu vaccine is needed annually in order to prevent against current strains of the virus.
- The flu vaccine is an effective prevention tool.
- While the flu vaccine does not guarantee protection against the flu, those who have been vaccinated are much less likely to get the flu than those who have not been vaccinated and symptoms are less severe and shorter in duration.
- The flu vaccine is very safe. Serious problems related the flu vaccine are very rare. Some may experience minor injection site redness or tenderness, but these symptoms are generally short lived.
- The vaccine can take up to two weeks after administration to reach peak effectiveness.
- The vaccine is an important preventive tool for people with chronic health conditions.
- The inactivated flu vaccine is safe for pregnant women, helps protect them during pregnancy and their babies for up to 6 months after they are born.
- The vaccine can keep you from getting sick from flu and thereby also protects the vulnerable people around you.
- The flu vaccine prevented more than 40,000 flu-associated deaths in the United States during a nine-year period from the 2005-2006 season through 2013-2014 season
If you would like additional information about the flu, please visit:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- NJ Department of Health
- You can find a location for your family to obtain a flu vaccine on either site.
Please post this notice for the benefit of those who do not have access to e-mail.
