The following food safety tips will allow you to prepare, serve and enjoy a safe holiday meal:

• Wash hands – Wash hands for 20 seconds with soap and water following restroom use, before preparing foods, after handling raw meat and before eating.
• Clean – Wash and sanitize food-contact surfaces often. To sanitize utensils, immerse for 30 seconds in clean, hot water at 170 degrees Fahrenheit, or immerse for at least one minute in a solution containing one teaspoon of 5.25 percent household bleach per gallon of water. Bacteria can spread and get onto cutting boards, knives and counter tops. Wash fruits and vegetables before preparing.
• Thaw properly – Proper methods for thawing a turkey include thawing in a refrigerator with a temperature of 41 degrees Fahrenheit or less (allow 3-4 days for thawing); placing under cool running water at a temperature of 75 degrees Fahrenheit or less; or thawing in microwave and cooking the turkey immediately.
• Take temperatures – Cook turkey at 325 degrees Fahrenheit until the internal temperature reaches at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Cooked, hot foods should be kept at 135 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer. Be sure to use a food thermometer to check temperatures.
• Keep it cold – Cold foods should be kept at 41 degrees Fahrenheit or less. After the turkey is served, immediately slice and refrigerate on shallow platters. Use refrigerated turkey and stuffing within three to four days. Use gravy within one to two days. If freezing leftovers, use within two to six months for best quality.
• Transport safely – Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.
• Reheat – Leftover turkey and stuffing should be stored separately in shallow dishes or platters. Rapidly reheat leftovers to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
• When in doubt, throw it out – If you are unsure of how long a particular food item has been left out at room temperature, the best thing to do is discard the item.

The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department wishes you a safe and happy holiday. For more information about food safety, please contact the Division of Environmental Health and Protection at (859) 231-9791.

Protect yourself, your family and your friends this fall and winter with a FREE flu shot! We’re giving up to 1,000 free flu shots 3-7 p.m. Oct. 13 at Consolidated Baptist Church, 1625 Russell Cave Road. Walk-ins are accepted, and registration blocks can be made at www.lfchd.org/flushots2022. (En espanol: www.lfchd.org/gripe2022espanol).

Please stay home if you have currently tested positive for COVID-19, are under isolation or quarantine orders or are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. Masks are required for everyone ages 2 and older. The COVID-19 vaccine is not available at the one-day flu shot clinic.

“An annual flu shot is the best way to fight the flu each fall and winter,” LFCHD spokesperson Kevin Hall said. “The flu shot remains important this year as we remain in the COVID-19 pandemic. It can help reduce the overall impact on respiratory illnesses on the population, which will lessen the burden on our healthcare system during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

In addition to helping prevent you from getting sick with flu, a flu shot can reduce the severity of your illness if you do get flu and reduce your risk of a flu-associated hospitalization.

The seasonal flu shot is recommended for all people ages 6 months and older and is especially important for people at the highest risk of serious complications from the flu: infants and young children, pregnant women, anyone with underlying medical conditions and adults 50 and older.

• Everyone ages 2 and older MUST wear a mask throughout the event.
• When you arrive, please be prepared to provide the name of each person registered to receive a flu shot.
• Do not wear long-sleeve or tight-fitting clothing/tops since the vaccine will be given in your upper arm.
• The COVID-19 vaccine will NOT be available at this special clinic. The COVID-19 vaccine is available by same-day appointment Monday, Wednesday and Thursday in our Public Health Clinic. Call 859-288-2483 to schedule your COVID-19 vaccine.
• The monkeypox vaccine will NOT be available at this special clinic. The monkeypox vaccine is available by same-day appointment Monday, Wednesday and Thursday in our Public Health Clinic. Register online at www.lfchd.org/monkeypox to schedule your monkeypox vaccine.

Halloween can be scary enough as is, so take steps to keep it from being even more frightening! Kids are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than on any other day of the year. Make it easier for drivers to see your kids by giving your child a flashlight or glow stick, and attach reflective tags or wristbands to their costumes! Learn more from the CDC!

You can also use these suggestions for healthier snacks/treats for your visitors!

It’s time to protect your family, your friends and yourself with the safe, effective COVID-19 bivalent booster! If you got your last primary or booster dose at least 2 months ago, you can get the new booster for protection against the original strain and the Omicron variant.

We’re hosting two special clinics for the bivalent boosters, with registration for both now open at www.LFCHD.org/vaccine:

• Get the Pfizer booster for ages 12 years and older 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Sept. 22 at Consolidated Baptist Church, 1625 Russell Cave Road.
• Get the Moderna booster for ages 18 and older 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Sept. 29 at Consolidated Baptist Church.

Anyone without internet access or needing help can call 859-899-2222.

Don’t miss your shot at a healthy fall and winter!

We have several upcoming special vaccination clinics for monkeypox, COVID-19 boosters and the flu, so mark your calendars today to get free vaccines for you and your family.

• Monkeypox vaccine: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Sept. 15, Central Baptist Church, 110 Wilson Down Road. Online registration begins Sept. 9 at www.lfchd.org/monkeypox.
• Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster (ages 12 years+): 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Sept. 22, Consolidated Baptist Church, 1625 Russell Cave Road (pending vaccine availability). Online registration opens soon at www.lfchd.org/vaccine.
• Moderna COVID-19 vaccine booster (ages 18 years+): 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Sept. 29, Consolidated Baptist Church, 1625 Russell Cave Road (pending vaccine availability). Online registration opens soon at www.lfchd.org/vaccine.
• Flu vaccine: 3-7 p.m. Oct. 13, Consolidated Baptist Church, 1625 Russell Cave Road. Online registration opens Sept. 29 at www.lfchd.org/flushots2022.

The newly approved COVID-19 boosters will be available at the special clinics Sept. 22 and Sept. 29, with appointments available in our Public Health Clinic starting Oct. 3. For people ages 12 years and older, the only authorized mRNA booster is the updated (bivalent) booster. People ages 12 years and older can no longer get the original (monovalent) mRNA booster. The Pfizer booster is for ages 12 and older, and the Moderna booster is for ages 18 and older.

Save the date, Lexington! We’ll be giving free flu shots 3-7 p.m. Oct. 13 at Consolidated Baptist Church, 1625 Russell Cave Road. Additional details, including how to register online, will be available soon at www.lfchd.org/flushots2022 and on our Facebook page and special Facebook Event.

“An annual flu shot is the best way to fight the flu each fall and winter,” LFCHD spokesperson Kevin Hall said. “This continues to be especially important as we remain in the COVID-19 pandemic. It can help reduce the overall impact on respiratory illnesses on the population, which will lessen the burden on our healthcare system during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

In addition to helping prevent you from getting sick with flu, a flu shot can reduce the severity of your illness if you do get flu and reduce your risk of a flu-associated hospitalization.

The seasonal flu shot is recommended for all people ages 6 months and older and is especially important for people at the highest risk of serious complications from the flu: infants and young children, pregnant women, anyone with underlying medical conditions and adults 50 and older.

It’s the dog days of summer, and meow’s the time to mark your calendars for our low-cost rabies vaccination clinic 6-9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8, at Tates Creek Aquatic Center, 1400 Gainesway Drive.

Vaccinations will cost just $5. All cats and ferrets must be in a carrier, and all dogs must be on leashes. In the event of bad weather, the clinic date is subject to change, with the date/location to be determined later. The health department will provide updated information at www.lfchd.org, on its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/LFCHD, and its Twitter account at www.twitter.com/LFCHD. A special Facebook Event page has also been created at www.facebook.com/event_invite/2GUWcOJ9v/.

Rabies, a viral disease of humans, pets and wild animals, is transmitted from animals to humans by the saliva of a rabid animal, usually from a bite. Rabies vaccinations typically cost about $20, making this clinic a great value to pet owners.

“A rabies shot gives protection to the pet as well as its owner and the other people of Lexington,” said Luke Mathis, LFCHD Environmental Health team leader and one of the event’s organizers. “We’re pleased to provide this useful public health service as we help Lexington be well.”

The clinic also provides pet owners with the opportunity to purchase an animal license for $8 if the animal has been spayed or neutered. A license costs $40 if the animal has not been altered or the owner has no proof of alteration. Lexington-Fayette Animal Care and Control, the Lexington Humane Society, and the Lexington-Fayette County Division of Parks and Recreation Department are also sponsoring the event.

Get ready for the Kentucky COVID-19 Vaccine EXTRAVAGANZA Event!

Health agencies across Kentucky are uniting to offer you more ways to get the free COVID-19 vaccine! Ages 6 months and older can join us 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. July 29-30 in Kroger Stadium’s Green Lot, 1540 University Drive. Get vaccinated and get a gift card, while supplies last!

Learn more by visiting https://chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dph/covid19/July2022COVIDVaccineEvent.pdf or by scanning the QR code in the image.

(En español) The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department will provide the FREE Moderna COVID-19 booster 2-4 p.m. Wednesday, April 20, at the Lexington Senior Center, 195 Life Lane.

Register in advance at https://tiny.lfchd.org/l?eventKey=D11F48C655BA9B8B8736FD0C4BD94BEF.

The second booster is only for ages 50 and older and some immunocompromised people (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/immuno.html). You must have received your first booster at least four months ago. Please bring your vaccine card with you to the clinic.

First/second doses and first boosters are also available for ages 18 and older. To receive the first booster, you must have received your second dose at least five months ago.

Registration information

• Each recipient MUST register in advance.
• Only one person can register per account — everyone registering must enter a phone number or email.
• Registration will close when all appointment slots are full. Every person who attends the clinic MUST be registered in advance.

Thank you for your interest in getting vaccinated. If you need assistance, please call our call center at 859-899-2222.