LIFE ON THE PLAINS: Pictorial tour of Water St. – Part 2

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The Water St. Market, located on the north side of the intersection with Sherwin St. The upper floors facade of the Chez Paree can be seen at right. That area is now a parking lot for the “Chez”.

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

This week we continue our trip down the west side of Water St., and buildings that are no longer there.

(See part 1 here.)

Photos courtesy of E. Roger Hallee. Most of these photos were taken in the 1930s.

A small shoe repair shop, at 47-1/2 Water St., that sat directly next door to what is now Scotty’s Pizza. The store’s awning can be seen at right.

To the left of the shoe repair shop is this store front, located at 47-A Water St., which this author does not remember its function.

A single family home, at 53 Water St., to the left of the unknown store front.

SMALL SPACE GARDENING: Composting directly in the garden

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Trench composting, a centuries old technique, is low maintenance, effective, eliminates the need to turn piles of plant debris, requires minimal space, and doesn’t smell. (photo courtesy of MelindaMyers.com)

by Melinda Myers

Trench composting: An old tried and true method

Don’t toss those imperfect lettuce leaves, onion tops and strawberry tops into the trash. Instead, convert them into compost right in the garden.

Worm and pile composting are great ways to manage these scraps. But if these methods aren’t for you, try trench composting. This centuries old technique is low effort and effective. The process is basically invisible, eliminates the need to turn a pile of plant debris, requires minimal space and doesn’t smell.

Simply dig a 12-inch-deep trench between the rows of vegetables, in the pathway, or in any vacant spot in the garden. Be careful not to damage the plant roots. Add about four to six inches of kitchen scraps, mix with soil and cover with at least eight inches of soil that you removed from the hole. Co­vering with this much soil helps prevent animals from digging. Repeat until the trench is filled with plant debris and covered in soil.

Just like other composting methods, use plant-based materials only. Do not add meat, dairy and fat that can attract animals and rodents. And this is no place for perennial weeds like quackgrass, annual weeds gone to seed, or invasive plants that can survive the composting and take over the garden.

You can also trench compost one hole at a time. Just dig a hole in a vacant space in the garden, toss in the materials, mix, and cover with soil. I grew up with this method. After dinner or once we had a bowl full of kitchen scraps, we were sent to the garden to dig a hole, dump, and cover.

For those that want to rotate plantings as well as compost, you may want to try one of these two methods. Plant in wide rows and trench compost in the pathway. Next year, move the garden to the path location and make last year’s garden the path. You will be rotating your plantings while improving the soil.

Or designate separate adjacent areas for planting, paths, and composting. Next year, rotate so last year’s composting area becomes garden, the garden becomes the path, and the path is the new section for trench composting. In three years, you will have rotated crops and improved the soil in all three areas.

Start by contacting your local municipality to make sure there are no restrictions on any type of composting. Then get out the shovel and dig your way to healthier soil and a more productive garden.

Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including the recently released Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” DVD instant video series and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and her website is www.MelindaMyers.com.

CRITTER CHATTER: Fall preparations at the Duck Pond Rehab center

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Raccoon release at The Center. (photo from Duck Pond Archives)

by Jayne Winters

I stopped in to see Don at the Duck Pond Wildlife Rehab Center recently and was surprised to find only one critter in the house: a young gray squirrel which likely had been injured by a cat. It was able to move and use its front paws for eating from the food dish, so Don doesn’t think there’s been a spinal injury, but he’ll keep it for a day or two for observation and assessment before transfer to a rehabber in Bowdoin, who has more volunteers to help with wildlife care.

All releasable critters are gone from Duck Pond, with only nine foxes (one gray, eight red), four raccoons, ten deer, the gray squirrel mentioned above, and Don’s own geese and ducks on site for over-wintering. He usually gets opossums in the fall, which will be kept in the house or basement until warm weather returns next spring. There will likely be a few injured animals admitted during the upcoming months, but most will be transferred as Don is trying to cut back on winter patient maintenance. Although he has two part-time volunteers to help with feeding critters and cleaning cages, Don recently celebrated his 84th birthday and admits he’s slowing down a bit!

Now the preparations for fall begin, a little earlier this year while the nice weather holds. Don usually gets 50 bales of second crop cutting, i.e., green grass with clover, for feeding the deer that can’t be released until spring. He told me deer don’t typically eat hay, they eat what they like from the bales, then use the rest for bedding. He will use grain and corn as a winter supplement, which is kept in the “doe house.” Before the snow flies, the deer will be moved to their winter pen. This requires extra hands to set up barriers and walk them from one area to another, carefully and calmly, to avoid spooking them which could result in their jumping over the barrier.

The pens that previously housed the three bobcat kittens need to be cleared of tall grass so the remaining foxes can be relocated from their smaller cages. In addition, any torn tarps on the coon cages must be replaced and secured, fencing repaired if necessary, and any other type of winterization completed. All the dishes, cages, empty pens and dog houses that have been used to shelter animals need to be cleaned or power washed, repaired, and painted for winter storage. The mobile pens are moved to one central area where they will be securely covered with tarps to protect them from snow and ice.

Not only the grounds need to be readied for cold weather. A couple of tires on the small trailer used for hauling brush and cases of food were recently replaced. The snow plow will need to be attached to the truck. Shovels and ice chippers will come out of storage and sand for icy paths purchased. Think about all you do to get your family’s home ready for a Maine winter and multiply it to meet the needs of various species of wildlife spending the next seven or eight months with you! I’m tired just thinking about it…

Don continues to limit admissions and long-term residents by transferring many rescued critters to other rehabbers who have graciously provided assistance in their care. Please check these websites to see if there is a rehabber closer to you to help keep critter care at Duck Pond more manageable: https://www.mainevetmed.org/wildlife-rehabilitation or https://www.maine.gov/ifw/fish-wildlife/wildlife/living-with-wildlife/orphaned-injured-wildlife/index.html – Donald Cote operates Duck Pond Wildlife Care Center on Rte. 3 in Vassalboro. It is a non-profit state permitted rehab facility supported by his own resources & outside donations. Mailing address: 1787 North Belfast Ave., Vassalboro ME 04989 TEL: (207) 445-4326. PLEASE NOTE THE PRIOR wildlifecarecenter EMAIL ADDRESS IS NOT BEING MONITORED AT THIS TIME.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Barred owls are keeping me awake

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Barred owl

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

Last Thursday night my wife woke me from a sound sleep to listen to something outside our camp. Well, being somewhat groggy, I didn’t hear anything, and went back to sleep. It wasn’t long afterwards that she woke me again.

“Can’t you hear that?” she inquired sounding a little frustrated – You see, my wife tells me I’m going deaf.

I sat up, and listened attentively. “OK, I hear it, it’s a Barred Owl,” I told her.

She persisted. “Listen carefully.”

What I then heard made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It was at least two, maybe three, barred owls caterwauling to each other. This was at about 11 p.m. I had heard Barred Owls behind camp a thousand times, but never anything like this. It was almost as intriguing as listening to loons calling to each other.

The “who cooks for you, who cooks for you all” call was unmistakable. But, I think it was a strange time of year for them to engage in this activity. This is usually done during the spring courtship, when one will vocalize to its mate, and vice versa. There were times when it was so loud and sustained, it almost sounded like a barking dog.

These calls are most heard at night or in twilight, and especially during the breeding season. However, calls can be heard year round since these birds do not migrate. They are very territorial, and will chase away intruders with loud hoots. These vocalizations become more frequent during the mating season, where female birds make invitation calls to mate with males.

Scientists, however, have debated that the calls of Barred Owls are much more diverse than we think. The research indicates that more needs to be known about the Barred Owls before they can deduce more about its behaviors in and out of the breeding season. Owls in general can be a difficult species of bird to study since they are mainly nocturnal and are not incredibly active until the breeding season.

Barred Owls, Strix varia, are easiest to find when they are active at night, but they are easier to hear than to see. From a distance, their calls can sound like a barking dog. They prefer mature forests, and their main diet is small mammals, reptiles and amphibians.

Since the 1960s, Barred Owls have expanded their range to the Pacific Coast where they are considered invasive. That is because it is believed they are partly to blame for the recent decline of the northern Spotted Owl, which is native to British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and California. When Barred Owls and Spotted Owls occupy the same space, the Barred Owl is more aggressive and will out-compete the Spotted Owl. Barred Owls have even been known to kill Spotted Owls. Interbreeding is also suspected.

In 2007, White House officials announced a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposal to shoot Barred Owls in order to reduce the threat to the Spotted Owls. If implemented, it was estimated 2,150 to 2,850 Barred Owls should be taken over a five to 10 year period. It is feared that increased populations of Barred Owls could eventually render the Spotted Owl extinct. Environmentalists fear increased blame on Barred Owls for declining Spotted Owl numbers will result in less attention being paid to territorial protections and resumption of logging in protected Spotted Owl habitat.

According to the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office, the experiment is ongoing and results are still being studied.

An adult Barred Owl can be anywhere from 16 – 25 inches long and weigh 1.1 to 2.3 pounds, with a wingspan of 38-49 inches. The Barred Owl is the only true owl of the eastern United States which has brown eyes. All others have yellow eyes.

The upper parts are a gray/brown, the underparts are light with markings. The chest is barred horizontally while the belly is striped vertically. The legs and feet are covered with feathers to the talons, and the head is round with no ear tufts.

Even though they are primarily nocturnal, they generally hunt near dawn or dusk, swooping down from a high perch, to take their prey.

We haven’t heard them in over a week, but I know they are still out there. I can’t wait for the next concert.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

What Red Sox player was hit by a pitch an American League record 35 times in the 1986 season: Carl Yazstremski, Don Baylor, or Jim Rice?

Answer can be found here.

FOR YOUR HEALTH: Prepare for allergy season in fall

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Professionally cleaned air ducts can cut down on allergens in your home.

(NAPSI)—More than 50 million Americans suffer from allergies each year and for many of them, there are some added anxieties. For example, many people don’t realize allergies can be deadly. Or that eating local honey, living in a dry climate or avoiding cut flowers won’t cure allergies or prevent an allergic reaction. And these days, there’s often the question: Is it allergies or is it COVID-19? Fortunately, there are tests doctors can perform that can help them make that distinction. Here are a few facts that can help you, too.

What To Look For

Allergy symptoms can include watery eyes, congestion, runny nose, itchy eyes, vomitting and/or stomach cramps, wheezing, shortness of breath, dizziness or feeling faint, pale or blue skin, weak pulse, hives, repeated cough and tight, hoarse throat, trouble swallowing, swollen tongue.

What is an Allergy?

Allergies are the sixth leading cause of chronic illness in the U.S. An allergy is an overreaction of the body’s immune system to an ordinarily harmless substance. Allergies exist throughout the year, indoors and out, and affect people of all ages. Animal dander, house dust mites, foods, grasses, trees, weeds, and molds can all trigger an allergic reaction.

Autumn Allergies

Some allergies are seasonal and more likely to occur at different times of the year. The most common culprit for fall allergies is ragweed, which grows wild almost everywhere, generally between August and November. A number of plants that thrive during cool nights and warm days also trigger fall allergies.

Who is Affected?

Twenty to 40 percent of the population—including at least one of every four children—suffers from allergies*. People with allergies are often sensitive to more than one allergen. Prevention or treatment can make the difference between chronic illness and a productive, healthy life.

Diagnosing Allergies

Unfortunately, many of these also show up when someone has a cold, the flu or even COVID-19 but doctors do have ways to tell the difference. The first step is to identify allergen-specific antibodies called Immunoglobulin E (IgE). This can be done two ways. 1. Skin Prick Testing: Commonly performed on the forearm and sometimes the back, the skin is cleaned with alcohol and an allergen extract is pricked into the skin. If an allergy is present, a small itchy bump and surrounding redness often referred to as a “wheal and flare” will appear in about 15 minutes. This indicates the specific allergen. 2. In-Vitro Testing: The doctor simply draws a small amount of blood and has it tested in a lab. It is a less invasive method and receives test results within 24 hours. Many professional medical societies recommend also using in-vitro tests such as the OPTIGEN® Allergy Test. So, once you know you have allergies, what can be done? Here are some options.

Treatments

Allergy management falls into three main categories: avoidance, medication and immunotherapy. Avoidance: Once the source of an allergy is identified, a solution may be to simply avoid it. This is most effective with food and animal allergies. Medication: Prescription drugs can reduce allergy symptoms. Many are effective immediately, though some may have side effects or not work for everybody. Immunotherapy: Allergy shots are given frequently in scheduled doses of gradually increasing concentrations using extracts containing relevant allergens. The idea is to slowly desensitize the body to the offending allergens. Ideally, an injection program can be discontinued after some years.

Learn More

For additional facts and tips on dealing with allergies, visit www.henryschein.com/MinarisMedical.

SMALL SPACE GARDENING: Harvesting red and green tomatoes

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‘Tye Dye’ tomato in the garden with red and green tomatoes to harvest. (photo courtesy of
MelindaMyers.com)

by Melinda Myers

Nothing beats the flavor of fresh-from-the-garden tomatoes. Harvesting when they are fully ripe ensures the best flavor for eating fresh, cooking, and preserving.

Visit your garden often and watch for the fruit to turn from green to fully colored. Then leave them on the plant for five to eight days. Vine-ripened tomatoes have the best flavor for using fresh or preserving.

Check plants regularly and keep harvesting, so the plants continue to produce. This also reduces problems with insects and disease organisms attacking overripe or rotting fruit. Store mature, fully colored tomatoes in cool, 45-to-50-degree conditions with high humidity. They will last about seven to 14 days in these conditions.

When growing indeterminate tomatoes, you will notice the plants keep growing and producing more flowers and fruit until the frost kills the plant. Redirect the plant’s energy from sprouting new blossoms and fruit to ripening the fruit that is already on the plant. Prune off the stem tip of indeterminate tomatoes about a month before the average first fall frost in your area. This allows the existing flowers to develop into fruit and the existing fruit to mature before the end of the growing season.

Extend the harvest season with the help of floating row covers. These fabrics allow air, light, and water through, but trap heat around the plants. Protecting plants from the first few fall frosts often provides time for more tomatoes to ripen.

Sometimes you cannot protect plants from frost or hungry critters prevent you from leaving the tomatoes on the plant to fully ripen. You can pick any tomatoes that are starting to show color before the killing frost and finish ripening them indoors. The blossom end should be greenish white or starting to color up. Use blemished and cracked fruit right away since these do not store well.

Store green and under-ripe tomatoes in a cool 60-to-65-degree location to maximize their storage life. Set the tomatoes on heavy paper spread apart so they are not touching. Or wrap them individually in newspaper so the fruit do not make direct contact. This helps prevent rot spreading from one fruit to the next.

These tomatoes will ripen over the next few weeks. You can speed up the process by moving a few tomatoes to a bright, warm location a few days before they are needed.

Extend the tomato season next year by growing a Long Keeper. The flavor is not as good as vine-ripened fruit, but you can pick these before the first fall frost and enjoy garden tomatoes for up to three months.

And don’t let the rest of the green tomatoes go to waste. Use them for frying, chow chow, green salsa, and other tasty treats.

Keep harvesting and enjoying your garden-fresh tomatoes as long as your growing season allows. Then make space to store them a few weeks after the first fall frost.

Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including the recently released Midwest Gardeners Handbook, 2nd Edition and Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” instant video and DVD series and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and her website is www.MelindaMyers.com.

REVIEW POTPOURRI: Pierre Monteux

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Pierre Monteux

Peter Catesby Peter Cates

Pierre Monteux

Beethoven’s 4th Symphony has exerted charm for me for more than 50 years since I obtained a powerful recording by Pierre Monteux (1875-1964) and the London Symphony, from when he was 86 years old, had just been appointed the Orchestra’s music director with a 25-year contract and still worked with the energy of men half his age until a fall in the bathtub which led to his death during the summer of 1964 (Some Mainers with long memories would still recall Monteux’s Domaine School, Downeast, in Hancock, where he spent summers teaching conducting for over 20 years. It is also still opened).

Having already developed an interest in duplicates, I did not let the high quality of Monteux’s conducting distract me, even with limited funds, from acquiring other recordings of a Symphony that was one of Beethoven’s most serene masterpieces; even the rhythmically exciting 1st, 3rd and 4th movements sustain the composer’s serene mood in composing it at a time when financial pressures, not to mention the occupation of Vienna by Napoleon’s troops and his own growing deafness, would have destroyed lesser men.

I have among my own pile of duplicates, Monteux’s early 1950s San Francisco recording and a CD of his Israel Philharmonic broadcast and distinguished ones of Toscanini, Szell, Solti, Jochum, Krips, Ormandy, Weingartner, Walter, Steinberg, Cluytens, Maazel, Dorati, Bohm, Sanderling, Karajan, Konvitschny, Kubelik, Moralt, Leinsdorf, Zweden, Leibowitz etcs.

One that stands out in a recent hearing is an ancient late ‘40s Victor Red Seal LP featuring Sir Thomas Beecham (1879-1961) conducting the London Philharmonic in a 1945 recording. More than any other conductor, Beecham enjoyed making records even more than doing concerts, took his time making them and achieved many fine ones that are well worth hearing and owning.

He conducted a Beethoven 4th that communicated its joyous spirit , delectable beauties and perky rhythms. The London Philharmonic was an orchestra that he founded in 1932 for recording purposes and hand-picked the finest musicians in London.
When war broke out between England and Germany in 1940, Beecham departed for Australia and then the United States where he led the Seattle Symphony from 1941 to 1944, guest-conducted at the Metropolitan Opera and did engagements with at least 18 other orchestras.

Beecham had very strong opinions about most subjects and could express them quite wittily and at times abrasively, alienating a number of fellow Maestros. Sir Adrian Boult considered Beecham repulsive, Sir John Barbirolli, untrustworthy. But he and Monteux were friendly.

A couple of Beecham quotes:

“A musicologist is a man who can read music but can’t hear it.”

“Beethoven’s 7th Symphony is a bunch of yaks jumping about.”

Beecham was married three times and his last wife was 53 years younger.

The Beecham Beethoven 4th can be heard on Youtube.

LIFE ON THE PLAINS: Pictorial walk down Water St., and buildings that are no longer there

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by Roland D. Hallee

Over the next few weeks, we will go down Water St., from north to south, and take a look at some of the buildings that played a major role in the self-contained community of The Plains, that have long since been demolished.

(Read part 2 here.)

All photos courtesy of E. Roger Hallee

The old barn that stood across the street from the Lockwood-Duchess Textile Mill, and out buildings. The former KFC building now occupies the site.

Rodrigue’s Market, and below, Ma Roy’s Tavern. In the approximate area of where Sunrise Bagel now stands.

Ma Roy’s tavern

Pete’s Market, three doors down from where Ma Roy’s Tavern was located.

 

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Black squirrel makes another appearance

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Black squirrel on a suet feeder. (photo courtesy of Michael Bilinsky)

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

I received an email recently from a reader/supporter, from China Village, who sent along a photo of a black squirrel he has seen around his home. He asked if I could do a column on them. I did a couple of years ago, but here goes, to refresh everyone’s memory.

I know they exist, but just how many are there?

Several years ago I had the rare opportunity to see a black squirrel in Waterville. In North America, black squirrels are uncommon, with one estimate putting them at a rate of one in every 10,000 squirrels. In 1961, students at Kent State University, in Ohio, released 10 black squirrels that had been captured by Canadian wildlife authorities. The squirrels now populate the campus and have become the school’s unofficial mascot. Their coloring might help them hide from predators, which might come in handy at Kent State: The campus is also home to hawks.

Black squirrels have been spotted in both the United States and the United Kingdom, and now scientists believe they know why. Like many animals with unusual color schemes, black squirrels are the result of a genetic detour. Researchers at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge University, and the Virginia Museum of Natural History, collaborated on a project that tested squirrel DNA. Their findings, which were published in BMC Evolutionary Biology, demonstrated that the black squirrel is the product of interspecies breeding between the common gray squirrel and the fox squirrel.

The black squirrel is actually a gray squirrel with a faulty pigment gene carried over from the fox squirrel that turns their fur a darker shade. (Some fox squirrels, which are usually reddish-brown, are also black.)

Scientists theorize a black fox squirrel may have joined in on a mating chase involving gray squirrels and got busy with a female. The black fur may offer benefits in colder regions, with squirrels able to absorb and retain more heat, giving them a slight evolutionary edge.

According to Mental Floss‘ Jake Rossen, black squirrels are relatively rare, constituting just one in 10,000 of the seemingly ubiquitous rodents.

Black squirrels are actually grey squirrels with a genetic mutation that causes them to have black fur. They are more aggressive and territorial than the gray squirrels, too, and the result is that the black squirrels will usually run all the other squirrels “out of Dodge”.

The new work builds on research from 2014, which found that the black fur is caused by the grey squirrel having a pigment gene with a missing piece of DNA.

In mythical folklore, the black squirrel symbolism does not mean good luck. Instead, it means solar eclipse according to some legends. Therefore, a black squirrel is the enemy of humanity and needs to be destroyed if mankind wants to enjoy the heat and light of the sun. Of course, this doesn’t mean you have to go out and dispatch a black squirrel just because he’s hanging out in your neighborhood.

Black squirrels normally live up to a year, but some have lived up to 10 years. Black squirrels will eat anything they are offered, often feeding on nuts and acorns, any kind of seed, fruit, insects and even bird eggs. Mating occurs from December through January.

Black squirrels share the same natural range as their counterparts. In addition to their natural range, black morphs of eastern gray squirrels were also introduced into other areas of Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States during the 19th and 20th centuries. Black morphs of eastern gray squirrels occur most frequently in the northern portion of its range around the Great Lakes Basin. Conversely, black morphs of fox squirrels typically occur most frequently in the southeastern portions of the species’ natural range, the southeastern United States. Although they are found more frequently in those regions, the coloration remains uncommon in most areas that these species inhabit. However, black morphs of eastern gray squirrels forms the majority of the species’ population in the Canadian province of Ontario, and the U.S. state of Michigan.

Several municipalities and post-secondary schools in the United States have adopted a black squirrel for branding purposes, using it as a symbol and/or mascot. Some municipalities that have adopted the black squirrels as a symbol for their community have also passed ordinances that discourage attempts to threaten them.

If you’re fortunate enough to see, one enjoy. He is merely a gray squirrel in disguise.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

What is the New England Patriots logo commonly referred as?

Answer can be found here.

FOR YOUR HEALTH: Don’t Let Flu Season Sneak Up On You

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Flu shots are available at CVS Pharmacy and MinuteClinic locations nationwide

(NAPSI)—Get the facts, not the flu. For many people, the start of fall means busier schedules and longer to-do lists, but you shouldn’t let your annual flu shot fall to the bottom of that list.

What You Can Do About The Flu

With flu season approaching and COVID-19 cases still prevalent, Sandra Leal, PharmD, MPH, FAPhA, offers the following tips to help you fight the flu this season:

•Get your annual flu shot as soon as possible: Getting your flu vaccine is the best way to help prevent the flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends getting your vaccine as early in the fall as possible, ideally before the flu season begins. Not only can you help protect yourself from getting sick but you can help protect your family, friends and at-risk populations such as those who are 65 and older, people with certain immunocompromising or chronic medical conditions, infants or children under 5 and pregnant women. CVS Pharmacy and MinuteClinic locations nationwide administer the flu shot every day, with evening and weekend hours. New this year, you can schedule flu vaccination appointments for up to four family members at the same time for added convenience by visiting CVS.com, through the CVS app or by texting FLU to 287898.

•Stay home if you’re sick: It’s important to know what the early symptoms of the flu are, such as fever, cough and body aches. If you experience them, you should stay home and away from others and, if you are sick, you should limit your contact with others as much as possible to stop the spread.

•Practice good health habits: Beyond staying up to date with your vaccinations, you should wash your hands frequently, get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids and eat nutritious food. These are all healthy habits that can help support your immune system during flu season.

•For seniors, take advantage of your vaccine options: For those over age 65, CVS Pharmacy and MinuteClinic offer three senior dose flu vaccines—Fluzone HD, Flublok, and Fluad. They may help create a stronger immune response and are preferred for seniors because they are at greater risk of developing severe flu-related illnesses. For protection against COVID-19, the CDC has also confirmed that patients can get any of the currently authorized COVID-19 vaccines at the same time as the flu vaccine, so don’t hesitate to get your flu shot and COVID-19 booster simultaneously during your next visit.

Learn More

Certain immunizations have age and location restrictions. For additional information on vaccines, visit www.CVS.com and www.MinuteClinic.com.