If you can’t stand the heat, take a break

Plus: Adults under 50 may be eligible for booster #2 before fall [View this email online]( [NPR Health]( July 24, 2022 by Andrea Muraskin Extreme heat like we’re seeing this week can make us sick: we’ve got [advice on how to stay safe](. Experts and the White House ponder [whether to extend second booster shots to younger adults]( and a reporter pens a [love letter to the two-wheeled life](. --------------------------------------------------------------- [How to stay safe in extreme heat]( [A sign warns of extreme heat danger last June at the Badwater Basin in Death Valley, Calif.]( Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty Images If you’re reading this, you’re probably sweating - and I mean that quite literally. This week, heat waves blanketed much of the US, breaking records and even [reaching as high as 115 degrees Fahrenheit]( in northern Texas. With climate change, heat waves are getting longer, more frequent, and more intense. And heat [can make things like chronic health conditions and drug overdoses more lethal](. So, it’s time to adapt. There are simple things we can do, like not trying to be a hero when mowing the lawn, and checking up on older neighbors and relatives. And bigger things, like planting trees in neighborhoods. We talked to Kristina Dahl, a senior climate scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists about [steps individuals and cities can take](. [Also: How to protect your pets during a heat wave]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- Thank You For Your Support Over the past few weeks, readers have answered our call and donated to local NPR stations across the country. Thank you. Your generosity and commitment means more than you know; it allows our team to stay focused on what matters most - reliable, fact-based, trustworthy reporting. No matter when or how much you give, [your support is what makes NPR possible](. --------------------------------------------------------------- [Biden admin considers a summer booster for adults under 50]( [People under 50 might have a chance at a second booster shot the summer depending what federal health officials decide. Those 50 and older have been eligible for the shots since March.]( Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images But experts disagree on whether to open up eligibility. Dr. Fauci, for one, says it doesn’t make sense for young and healthy folks to get boosted right now. Advocates point out that immunity from the first three shots is waning. And skeptics of a second booster say that the goal of the vaccines to begin with - to prevent severe disease and death - is being met. Plus there are other factors to consider: like the substantial chunk of adults who haven’t received a first or second shot, and the continuing churn of new Omicron mutations. [It’s a tough call](. [Also: The President tests positive – why even the masked, vaxxed, and boosted can catch COVID-19]( [Take yourself for a ride: cycling as a state of body and mind]( Josie Norton for NPR NPR digital reporter Bill Chappell says when he’s out on a bicycle, he feels “like my body is actually incinerating little stresses and toxins I've accumulated.” After having a ligament in one of his knees removed as a small child, his doctor told him cycling would help build up muscles to hold the knee together. Over the years he’s pulled some stunts – like biking through 8 inches of snow– but [the hobby has also helped Bill process everyday thoughts, and big feelings like love and grief](. What are you really into? We want to hear about it! [Go ahead and nerd out]( you could be featured on [npr.org]( on the radio, and/or in this very newsletter. Before you go: [An image provided by the Environmental Protection Agency shows examples of a lead pipe, left, a corroded steel pipe, center, and a lead pipe treated with protective orthophosphate. The EPA is only now requiring water systems to take stock of their lead pipes, decades after new ones were banned.]( Environmental Protection Agency - The WHO declares monkeypox a public health emergency. [Here's what to know](. - Your kid could [qualify for free healthcare]( even if you don’t. - Three common myths about [the abortion debate](. - 'Time bomb' lead pipes will be removed. But first [water utilities have to find them](. - Listen: Drugmakers are slow to prove that [medicines that got a fast track to market really work.]( We hope you enjoyed these stories. Find more of [NPR's health journalism]( on Shots and follow us on Twitter at [@NPRHealth](. All the best, Andrea Muraskin and your Shots editors --------------------------------------------------------------- Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. [Listen Live]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [shots@npr.org](mailto:shots@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! [They can sign up here.]( Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Goats & Soda, Daily News, Best of NPR and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Health emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]