Although COVID-19 continues to be in the spotlight, this is no time to take the flu for granted. The flu can cause serious illness, require hospitalization and lead to death. As kids return to classrooms and outdoor activities transition back to indoors, it’s important for children and adults to get their flu shot.

The State of Minnesota recently announced new managed care contracts serving 600,000 Minnesotans in 80 outstate counties, along with older adults and adults with disabilities statewide. The seven-county metro area contracts, covering 700,000 Minnesotans, were finalized late last year. Minnesota’s public health care programs, including prepaid Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare, serve low-income families and children. […]

As parents send their children back to school, it’s important to remember that COVID-19 continues to be a key public health issue. COVID shots are widely available. You can visit your regular doctor, or you can get it at most pharmacies, clinics and retail clinics and other locations.

It’s important to remember your children may be due for other important vaccines — or even overdue. As the new school year begins, this would be an excellent time to get your kids caught up. Check out the list of vaccines that are recommended for kids from birth to age six.

With school back in session you’ll want to make sure your child is up to date on the MMR vaccine. The vaccine has been around for more than 50 years, and it’s been so effective that the U.S. declared measles “eliminated” back in 2000. Measles outbreaks still occur in the U.S. and have been on the rise in recent years.

Medica is asking doctors to stop using the most common method to diagnose and assess the severity of kidney disease. The health plan says the current approach overestimates kidney function in people with African ancestry and leads to worse outcomes.