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From icy sidewalks and heavy snow to the latest respiratory virus, winter in New England isn’t always postcard perfect.

Whether it’s a common cold, the flu, COVID-19 or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) spreading through our homes, schools and workplaces, it’s hard to make it through the winter unscathed. But there are things you can do to prevent some illnesses and to help stop the spread.

Dr. Helen Boucher, the dean of Tufts Medical School and an infectious disease specialist at Tufts Medical Center, explains what the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency changes.

Dr. Adam Weston provides some answers and ways to keep you and your family healthy.

Get your flu shot and keep up with your COVID-19 boosters.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV, is not new. Symptoms resemble the common cold and typically clear up in 1-2 weeks, so most years it blends into the range of cold-weather viruses that bring us cough and congestion.

As most American parents already know, cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a common illness of childhood, are surging this year.

Top Boston doctors debate whether students should mask up after a study found that mandates cut COVID cases in Boston-Area schools, plus talk about flu and RSV during NBC10 Boston’s weekly “COVID Q+A” series.

COVID-19 bivalent booster is now approved by the CDC and FDA for children as young as 5.

Pencils, notebooks and backpacks are on parents’ back-to-school check lists but what about immunizations?

View our tips on how to speak with your children about coronavirus.

Tufts Medical Center Director of Child Life Services, Andrea Colliton, offers ten tips to help make children’s life at home feel a little more normal during this abnormal time.

Massachusetts residents who were vaccinated in-state can now request, view, and/or print their own COVID-19 SMART Health card.

Omicron variant is now predominant.

CDC now recommends that children between the ages of 5 and 11 years receive the Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric COVID-19 Vaccine.

On Monday, October 25, 2021 the CDC published an update to the Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines with a focus on Booster Dose. Below are answers to commonly asked questions.

Your initial vaccination offers strong protection against the COVID-19 virus, and are working well to prevent severe illness, hospitalization and death, even against the widely circulating Delta variant. However, public health experts are starting to see reduced protection, especially among certain populations, against mild and moderate disease.

Dr. Adam Weston, an infectious disease specialist at Lowell General Hospital and a clinical leader in the hospitals’ pandemic response discusses the latest updates on 3rd dose and booster shots as well as the outlook for COVID-19 this fall.

MelroseWakefield’s Dr. Steven Sbardella warns we won’t wait out COVID, urging a consistent, sustainable response in this new phase.

Due to an increase in COVID-19 cases throughout the Commonwealth, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has released updated visitor policy guidance for hospitals.