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Page 14 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, September 23, 2022 avvya yavvy eniiooravvy S iorn or vvy io iori by Jim Miller Flu Vaccines That Are Recommended for Older Adults Dear Savvy Senior, I just turned 65 and would like to learn more about the stronger fl u shots I see advertised for older adults. What can you tell me about them and how are they covered by Medicare? Senior Novice Dear Novice, There are actually three diff erent types of senior-specifi c fl u shots (you only need one) that the CDC is now recommending to people age 65 and older. These FDA-approved annual vaccines are designed to off er extra protection beyond what a standard fl u shot provides, which is important for older adults who have weaker immune defenses and have a greater risk of developing dangerous fl u complications. Here’s more information on these three vaccines. Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent: Approved for U.S. use in 2009, the Fluzone High-Dose is a high-potency vaccine that contains four times the amount of antigen as a regular fl u shot does, which creates a stronger immune response for better protection. According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, this vaccine was proven 24 percent more eff ective than the regular dose shot at preventing fl u in seniors. Fluad Quadrivalent: First available in the U.S. in 2016, this adjuvanted vaccine contains an added ingredient called adjuvant MF59 that also helps create a stronger immune response. In a 2013 observational study, Fluad was found 51 percent more effective in preventing fl u-related hospitalizations for older patients than a standard fl u shot. You also need to be aware that both the Fluzone High-Dose and Fluad vaccines can cause more of the mild side eff ects that can occur with a standard-dose fl u shot, like pain or tenderness where you got the shot, muscle aches, headache or fatigue. And neither vaccine is recommended for seniors who are allergic to chicken eggs, or those who have had a severe reaction to a fl u vaccine in the past. Also note that the CDC does not recommend one vaccination over the other. FluBlok Quadrivalent: For older adults that are allergic to eggs, FluBlok, which is a recombinant vaccine that does not use chicken eggs in their manufacturing process is your best option. This vaccine is proven to be 30 percent more eff ective than a standard-dose infl uenza vaccine in preventing fl u in people age 50 and older. All of these vaccines are covered 100 percent by Medicare Part B as long as your doctor, health clinic or pharmacy agrees not to charge you more than Medicare pays. Pneumonia Vaccines Another important vaccination the CDC recommends to seniors, especially this time of year, are the pneumococcal vaccines for pneumonia. Around 1.5 million Americans visit medical emergency departments each year because of pneumonia, and about 50,000 people die from it. The CDC recently updated their recommendations for the pneumococcal vaccine and now recommend that everyone 65 and older who has not previously received any pneumococcal vaccine should get either PCV20 (Prevnar 20) or PCV15 (Vaxneuvance). If PCV15 is used, this should be followed by a dose of PPSV23 (Pneumovax23) at least one year later. Or, if you’ve previously received a PPSV23 shot, you should get one dose of PCV15 or PCV20 at least one year later. Medicare Part B also covers two diff erent pneumococcal shots – the fi rst shot at any time and a diff erent, second shot if it’s given at least one year after the fi rst shot. COVID Booster If you haven’t already done so, you should also get a COVID-19 booster shot this fall. Both Moderna and Pfi zer have developed new bivalent booster vaccines that adds an Omicron BA 4/5 component to the old formula, which provides better protection. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. OBITUARY Dr. Astrid O. Peterson Of Malden. A retired Radiation Oncologist, passed away on Friday, September 16th, in Burlington after a brief illness. Astrid was born in Winthrop, MA in 1945, the daughter of Fredrik W. and Elna M. Peterson. Astrid was raised in Malden and graduated from Malden High School with the Class of 1963. She graduated from the Massachusetts General Hospital School of Nursing in 1966 and became a Surgical Nurse. After being widowed, Astrid continued her education while working as a nurse, attending Boston University Medical School’s 6-year program, gradINVITATION FOR BID CITY OF MALDEN - OFFICE OF THE CONTROLLER 2022 Lead Service Line Replacement - Contract Two (2) The City of Malden invites sealed bids in accordance with M.G.L. Ch. 30, Sec. 39M from Vendors for: Contract Documents will be available by email request at maldenengineer@ cityofmalden.org after: 10:00 A.M., Thursday September 22, 2022. Bidders are requested to email the Engineering’s Office their Company Name, Address, Email address, & Phone and what bid they are requesting. Bids must be submitted to the Office of the Engineering Department, 215 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA 02148 by 2:00 P.M. on or before Thursday October 06, 2022; bids will be publicly opened at this time. All bidders must be actively registered in sam.gov and the contract will only be awarded to a contractor that provides evidence of registration and their Unique Entity ID with their bid or promptly upon request after bids are received and prior to contract execution. All bids must be accompanied by a bid deposit in an amount that is not less than five percent (5%) of the value of the bid. Bid deposits, payable to the City of Malden, shall be either in the form of a bid bond, or cash, or a certified check on, or a treasurer’s or cashier’s check issued by, a responsible bank or trust company. Bidders are reminded that the bid deposit covers the City for damages when a bidder withdraws its bid after the bid submission date. Be advised that to the extent permitted by the law the City will retain all bid deposits for withdrawn bids. All bids are subject to the provisions of M.G.L. Chapter 30, Section 39M. Wages are subject to minimum wage rates determined by the Massachusetts Department of Labor and Industries pursuant to M.G.L. Chapter 149, Sec. 26 to 27H. The schedule of wage rates applicable to this contract is included in the bidding documents. In addition, the prevailing wage schedule will be updated annually for all applicable projects lasting longer than one (1) year. You will be required to pay the rates set out in any updated prevailing wage schedule. Increases in prevailing wage schedules will not be the basis for change order requests. The successful bidder will be required to provide a Certificate of Insurance demonstrating current coverage of the type and amounts set forth in the Project Manual. The successful bidder will be required to furnish both a Labor and Materials Payment Bond in the amount of 50% of the contract total within 10 days of notification of contract award. The costs of any bond and any insurance required in this Invitation for Bid are the responsibility of the bidder; such costs will not be reimbursed by City and should be included in your bid. All City of Malden bids are available by request. Addenda’s will be sent to the contact information provided. The City will reject any and all bids in accordance with the above referenced General Laws. In addition, the City reserves the right to waive minor informalities in any or all bids or to reject any or all bids (in whole or in part) if it be in the public interest to do so. In the event that any person wishes to attend a bid opening or pre-bid meeting, accessible and reasonable accommodations will be provided to persons requiring assistance. If you need a reasonable accommodation, please contact the city of Malden’s ADA Coordinator, Maria Luise, at least two business days in advance of the meeting: 781-397-7000, Ext. 2005 or mluise@cityofmalden.org. CITY OF MALDEN Office of the Controller September 16, 23, 2022 uating in 1977 with her Doctorate in Medicine. Initially, Astrid pursued Surgery as a specialty, but the demands of the job left her little time to watch her daughter grow. She switched to Diagnostic Radiology as it allowed her the time for her daughter and family, but it lacked the direct contact with patients she enjoyed. She eventually settled in OBITUARY | SEE PAGE 16

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