The share of shopping that consumers do online has been growing for years, and the coronavirus pandemic sent the trend into hyperdrive, with ecommerce accounting for one-fifth of U.S. retail spending in 2020, according to research firm Digital Commerce 360.

Cybercriminals are keeping pace. Online purchasing is the most common scam type reported to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), accounting for 38 percent of complaints to the BBB’s Scam Tracker in the first seven months of 2020 — up from 24 percent in 2019. An AARP-sponsored study by Javelin Strategy & Research found that 29 percent of consumers ages 50 and over have been stung by online shopping scams.

The typical shopping scam starts with a bogus website, mobile app or social media ad. Some faux e-stores are invented from whole cloth, but many mimic trusted retailers, with familiar logos and slogans and a URL that’s easily mistaken for the real thing. They offer popular items at a fraction of the usual cost and promise perks like free shipping and overnight delivery, exploiting the premium online shoppers put on price and speed.

Some of these copycats do deliver merchandise — shoddy knockoffs worth less than even the “discount” price advertised as a once-in-a-lifetime deal on, say, Tiffany watches or Timberland boots. More often, you’ll wait in vain for your purchase to arrive. Reports to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) of undelivered orders quadrupled from 2015 to 2019, and no-shows reached record highs in the spring of 2020 as the spread of COVID-19 fueled a spike in online shopping. 

And your losses might not stop there: Scammers may seed phony sites, apps, or links in pop-up ads and email coupons with malware that infects your device and harvests personal information for use in identity theft.

Not surprisingly, these frauds flourish during the holiday season. A November 2020 AARP survey on holiday shopping found that while 72 percent of U.S. consumers are concerned about the security of their personal and financial information when buying something online, only 15 percent could correctly answer at least 7 of 10 true/false questions about safe shopping practices. You need not forgo the ease and endless selection of online shopping, but take precautions to make sure you get what you pay for.

Warning Signs

• Bargain-basement prices. Internet security firm Norton says to be on guard if discounts exceed 55 percent.
• Shoddy website design or sloppy English. Real retailers take great care with their online presentation.
• Limited or suspicious contact options — for example, they only have a fill-in contact form, or the customer-service email is a Yahoo or Gmail account, not a corporate one.
• URLs with extraneous words or characters (most stores use only their brand name in web addresses) or unusual domains — for example, .bargain, .app or a foreign domain instead of .com or .net.

Do’s

• Do use trusted sites rather than shopping with a search engine. Scammers can game search results to lead you astray.
• Do comparison shop. Check prices from multiple retailers to help determine if a deal you’ve seen really is too good to be true.
• Do research an unfamiliar product or brand. Search for its name with terms like “scam” or “complaint,” and look for reviews.
• Do check that phone numbers and addresses on store sites are genuine, so you can contact the seller in case of problems.
• Do carefully read delivery, exchange, refund and privacy policies. If they are vague or nonexistent, take your business elsewhere.
• Do look twice at URLs and app names. Misplaced or transposed letters are a scam giveaway but easy to miss.
• Do pay by credit card. Liability for fraudulent charges on credit cards is generally limited to $50, and some providers offer 100 percent purchase protection. Paying by debit card does not off offer such safeguards.

Don’ts

• Don’t pay by wire transfer, money order or gift card. Sellers that demand these types of payments are scammers, and unlike with credit cards or reputable e-pay services, there’s little recourse to recover your money.
• Don’t assume a retail website is safe because it is encrypted. Many scam sites use encryption, indicated by a padlock icon or “https://” in front of the URL, to provide a false sense of security. Use other means, like those listed to the left, to confirm if a site is legit.
• Don’t provide more information than a retailer needs. That should be only your billing information and the shipping address.
• Don’t use sites that require you to download software or enter personal information to access coupons or discount codes.
• Don’t buy from sites that are very new, security software maker Norton recommends. Look for a copyright date, and use the WHOIS lookup service to see when a domain was created.

Reprinted from AARP Fraud Watch Network

 Americans will spend $207 billion online over the 2021 holidays, according to Adobe’s annual seasonal shopping forecast. That’s up 10 percent from 2020 as consumers increasingly gravitate toward the ease and convenience of e-commerce. Scammers love the trend, too: They’ve developed myriad tricks to take advantage of the proliferation of packages, especially during the holiday season.

Their primary ploy is a phony delivery notification, a scam that really ramped up amid the surge in stay-at-home shopping during the coronavirus pandemic. You’ll get an email or text message that claims to come from the U.S. Postal Service or a major delivery company like FedEx or UPS. The message may say you need to confirm an order so it can be delivered, or that an unsuccessful attempt was made to drop off a package and you need to schedule another. Clicking a link will take you to a website where you can straighten things out.   

In all likelihood, it’s a ruse. The scammer is hoping you order so many things online that you can’t keep track of all your purchases, or that you’ll assume it’s a gift from a friend or relative. The link takes you to a bogus site where you’ll be asked to enter personal or financial data, enabling a crook to use it for identity theft. The fake site might also be a launchpad for malware that harvests sensitive information from your device. 

3 Ways to Avoid a Package Delivery Scam

There are low-tech variations, too. Scammers might call you posing as employees from a delivery service, saying they need a credit card number or other private data to reschedule a drop-off. Or they’ll leave a failed-delivery notice on your door with a number to call; if you do, the person on the other end will try to talk you into providing personal information to collect your purported package.

Some package crooks resort to even simpler means. These “porch pirates” watch for delivery vans that leave legitimately purchased merchandise at consumers’ doorsteps, ideally when the targets aren’t home, then swoop in and make off with the goods. In a November 2020 survey of 2,000 consumers by market-research firm C+R, 43 percent said they’d had a package stolen from a doorstep or porch, and nearly two-thirds of that group said it had happened more than once.

Warning Signs

• You get an email or other communication about a delivery of something you don’t remember ordering.
• The message presses you to urgently make a payment or provide personal or financial information to facilitate a delivery.
• The message includes misspellings or poor grammar.
• A supposed delivery company email has a sender’s address or link with a slightly different version of a business name, such as fedx.com.

Do’s

• Do be wary of unsolicited phone or electronic communications from a delivery service. Companies will usually alert you to a failed delivery by leaving a notice on your door.
• Do keep track of your online orders and their shipping status. Knowing what’s coming and when makes it easier to spot fake delivery messages.
• Do hover your cursor over links in a supposed delivery email to display the actual target URL.
• Do rely on safe ways to communicate with delivery companies. Call a confirmed customer-service number, or log on to a company’s official website and use the chat function.
• Do consider these steps to thwart porch pirates:
  • Ask neighbors to pick up your deliveries when you’re not home.
  • Have packages sent to your workplace or the home of a nearby friend or relative. 
  • Use a parcel-delivery locker. The U.S. Postal Service and Amazon offer locker delivery at select locations at no extra charge.

Don’ts

• Don’t respond to an unsolicited email claiming to be from a delivery service that asks you to provide, update or verify personal information.
• Don’t click on a link or open an attachment in an unsolicited email or text message that appears to be from a delivery company.
• Don’t give out personal or credit card information to a caller. Instead, find and call the company’s official customer-service number and ask if they were genuinely trying to contact you about a delivery.
• Don’t reveal your user ID or password for a delivery company’s website to a caller, or to anyone else.
• Don’t call the number on a delivery notice left on your door. If the notice names a company, call its official customer-service line to check on a supposed delivery.
• Don’t rely on official-looking logos or professional-sounding language as proof of authenticity. Scammers study and copy companies’ actual communications to make their ploys look and sound convincing.

Reprinted from AARP Fraud Watch Network

It’s Medicare open enrollment season through December 7. And while Medicare scams happen year-round, open enrollment season is a time when Medicare scammers, who love to take advantage of all of the attention being paid to Medicare, are particularly active. Here are a few examples of common scams related to Medicare and open enrollment.

How It Works• You get a call claiming that Medicare is sending out new “plastic” Medicare cards — all you need to do is verify your Medicare card number.•You receive a call or home visit from a home health care agency offering to sign you up for services that Medicare will pay for.•You get a call or see an ad offering state-of-the-art braces to relieve joint pain that Medicare will pay for.•You get a call from a Medicare plan, offering a special “deal” on a new plan during open enrollment, perhaps along with a free gift or limited-time offer.What You Should Know•Medicare is sticking with the current paper card and is not sending out plastic cards.•An ad or a call offering you free equipment, tests, or services from Medicare is a scam. They are only covered by Medicare under your doctor’s prescription.•By law, legitimate Medicare plans are permitted to contact you only if you have previously requested information, and they aren’t allowed to offer you cash or gifts worth more than $15 to join their plan .What You Should Do •Hang up on anyone calling and claiming they need to issue you a new plastic Medicare card. It’s a scam.•Only share your Medicare number with trusted healthcare providers, and never with someone who calls you out of the blue .•Watch this video created by Medicare to learn more about schemes and scams that occur during open enrollment period. •Visit the AARP Fraud Resource Center to learn more about Medicare scams and Medicare card scams.

Extra vaccine doses are now available to millions of Americans. Here’s the latest on what to expect

 Tens of millions of Americans who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 are now eligible for a booster shot, which is meant to wake up the immune system so it stays sharp if confronted with the coronavirus. 

Boosters from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson (J&J) are now available in pharmacies, health clinics and doctor’s offices across the country. Here’s what you need to know about these additional doses as the shots roll out:

1. Boosters are available, but not everyone qualifies for one 

Nearly 190 million Americans are fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), but not everybody can get a booster shot at this time. Moderna and Pfizer vaccine recipients are only eligible for a booster if they are at least six months out from the original vaccine and are 65 and older, or 18 and older with an underlying health condition that puts them at high risk for severe COVID-19. Individuals 18 and up who live or work in high-risk settings also qualify for an mRNA booster.

Young and otherwise healthy adults whose jobs or living situations don’t put them at risk are encouraged to hold off on a booster shot for now. Data shows the mRNA vaccines are still highly protective against severe illness in most people. 

When it comes to J&J’s booster, eligibility requirements are more straightforward: Anyone 18 or older who had their vaccine at least two months ago can get a booster. 

2. Moderna’s booster is a tad different 

The boosters from Pfizer and J&J are the same formulation and dosage as the initial vaccines, but Moderna’s booster is half the dose — 50 micrograms — of the first two shots. Clinical trial data show that the smaller dose still generates a strong immune response, and the company says the lower dose helps to increase worldwide supply.

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• 3. Booster shots could rev up waning protection in some  

While the coronavirus vaccines can help to thwart infection (unvaccinated people are eight times more likely to get COVID-19 than vaccinated individuals, according to the CDC), their primary function is to prevent serious illness, explains Anna Durbin, M.D., a vaccine and infectious disease expert at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. And the COVID-19 vaccines are still highly effective at doing just that — they’re keeping people out of the hospital and preventing them from succumbing to the disease. Very few fully vaccinated Americans have been hospitalized or have died from COVID-19 — about 0.009 percent, according to the most recent data.

That said, multiple studies show that some populations are starting to see protection against disease dwindle, including older adults, who account for the majority of the severe breakthrough infections. And top public health experts have said that the current protection could continue to diminish in the months ahead, “especially among those who are at higher risk or were vaccinated during the earlier phases of the vaccination rollout.”  

It’s not unusual to see this waning response. “Even highly effective vaccines become less effective over time,” U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, M.D., explained in a White House COVID-19 task force briefing. And other vaccines require booster shots to reinvigorate the immune system, like the tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (Tdap) vaccine.

Israel started administering booster shots to its 60-plus population this summer and has seen a significant reduction in the risk of infection and severe disease, Anthony Fauci, M.D., director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in a recent briefing.

Many experts argue the data isn’t strong enough to support booster shots for younger populations who are showing a slower decline in immune protection — at least right now. “And we shouldn’t be giving a valuable resource just because we can,” Durbin says about booster doses for everybody. “It really needs to be indicated, I think, by the epidemiology of the disease and of the illness,” she notes, adding that the science could change.

4. Don’t expect any new or unusual side effects

Let’s start with Pfizer’s booster: Data reviewed by the FDA shows that Pfizer’s booster shot does not appear to have different safety risks than the first two vaccine doses, Mark McClellan, M.D., a former FDA commissioner and director of the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy at Duke University, told AARP in a statement. And evidence on boosters from Israel and elsewhere “seems to show benefits in people who are older or are at higher risk of serious complications because of health conditions, without unusual side effects,” McClellan adds.

Pfizer’s booster trial reported symptoms similar to what some people experienced after their first and second doses: temporary pain at the injection site, fever, chills, headache, fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea, and joint and muscle pain. And data presented on Sept. 22 by a vaccine safety group within the CDC’s advisory committee found that a third dose of the mRNA vaccines brought on fewer side effects than the second shot.

An FDA review of Moderna’s booster data details similar findings. The booster caused side effects like those seen after the second dose of the vaccine. The most common among adults 65 and older were injection site pain, fatigue, headache, muscle aches and joint pain. No serious adverse events or serious safety concerns were reported. 

When it comes to J&J booster shots, about 40 percent of clinical trial participants 60 and older reported pain at the injection site after the shot, an FDA review of the data shows. Roughly 29 percent experienced headache and fatigue, about 26 percent noted muscle pain, 12.4 percent had nausea, and 2.3 percent had a fever.

Who is eligible for a booster shot? ​

If you had a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, you are eligible for a booster if:

• You completed your primary series at least six months ago 
• You are 65 or older 
• You are 18+ and have an underlying medical condition
• You are 18+ and work or live in a high-risk settings

If you had J&J, you are eligible for a booster if: 

• You had your initial vaccine at least two months ago
• You are 18 or older 

Source: CDC

5. Boosters can be mixed and matched

Federal officials have given their blessing for mixing and matching booster shots, making it possible for people to get boosted with a different vaccine than the one they originally had. “Some people may have a preference for the vaccine type that they originally received and others may prefer to get a different booster,” the CDC said in its news release announcing the decision. 

Mixing and matching also makes it easier for people to get a booster if they don’t have access to their original vaccine. 

Preliminary results from a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that people who were boosted with a shot different from their original vaccine saw a spike in antibody levels, which is one measure of immune response. In particular, J&J vaccine recipients who were boosted with either the Pfizer or the Moderna vaccine saw an increase in antibody levels much higher than those boosted with the J&J vaccine. What’s more, no safety concerns were identified. 

If you are considering mixing and matching and have questions and concerns, talk to your doctor, says Mohammad Sobhanie, M.D., an infectious disease expert at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “I think it’s incredibly important that you have these conversations with your primary care physician so that they can give you the best advice out there based on your medical conditions,” he says. 

6. Booster doses should be widely available   

Wondering how you can get your booster shot? The same way you got the first shot: Health clinics, pharmacies and other official vaccination sites will continue to administer the COVID-19 vaccines, as well as the boosters. You may need an appointment, so it’s good to check ahead of time.

Health officials have confirmed that the government has adequate supplies, so no shortages are expected. And just like the initial series, the booster shots will be free in the U.S. — no ID or insurance card is required. It is, however, a good idea to bring your paper vaccination record so the date of your booster shot can be added.

“The bottom line is that we are prepared for boosters and we will hit the ground running,” said Jeffrey Zients, White House coronavirus response coordinator. 

7. It’s unclear whether boosters will be needed annually

Experts aren’t sure if the COVID-19 vaccine will be needed on a regular basis, like the flu shot. One thing that could make that scenario more likely, Durbin says, is “if we are unable to control this pandemic — if we continue to see surges that are requiring hospitalization and really taxing health care systems.”

However, if we can control the spread of COVID-19 and bring down the levels of severe disease we’re seeing, “we may not need booster shots every year,” Durbin adds. “But a lot of that is going to depend on the epidemiology of the pandemic.”

8. There could be a new standard for ‘fully vaccinated’

Now that boosters are available, our definition of “fully vaccinated” could change. Currently, people are considered fully vaccinated if they have had two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or a single dose of the J&J vaccine.   

Reprinted from AARP.org

November is eyecare month. You may qualify for free eyecare with an ophthalmologist.

• EyeCare America, one of the country’s leading public service programs provides eye care through a pool of more than 5,500 volunteer ophthalmologists. Since 1985, EyeCare America has helped more than 2 million people. Ninety percent of the care provided is at no out-of-pocket cost to the patient.We offer two programs:
  1. The Seniors Program connects eligible seniors 65 and older with local volunteer ophthalmologists who provide a medical eye exam often at no out-of-pocket cost, and up to one year of followup care for any condition diagnosed during the initial exam, for the physician services.
  2. The Glaucoma Program provides a glaucoma eye exam at no cost to those who are eligible and uninsured. Those who are eligible and insured are billed normal office procedure, and responsible for any co-payments. (This is an awareness program to provide a baseline glaucoma eye exam to those who may not be aware they are at increased risk). See if you are eligible for one of our programs.
• Seniors Program:
  • U.S. citizen or legal resident
  • Age 65 or older
  • Not belong to an HMO or have eye care benefits through the VA
  • Not seen an ophthalmologist in three or more yearsGlaucoma Program:
  • U.S. citizen or legal resident
  • Not belong to an HMO or have eye care benefits through the VA
  • Not had an eye exam in 12 months or more
  • At increased risk for glaucoma, determined by your age, race and family history
  • SERVICES THAT ARE NOT COVERED
  • Additional services necessary for your care such as, hospitals, surgical facilities, anesthesiologists and medications, are the patient’s responsibility and beyond the scope of EyeCare America services. The ophthalmologist is a volunteer who agrees to provide only services within these program guidelines .EYEGLASSES ARE NOT; COVERED:
  • EyeCare America provides medical eye care, only. The program does NOT provide eyeglass prescriptions or cover the cost of eye glasses. If you are concerned about the cost of these items, please discuss this with the doctor BEFORE the examination, or visit our eye glasses resources webpage
  • .ADDITIONAL REFERRALS:
  • If you were eligible for the Seniors Program, and require a re-referral to another ophthalmologist for specialty care, you or the EyeCare America volunteer ophthalmologist MUST contact EyeCare America in order to continue receiving care through the program. We may be able to locate another EyeCare America volunteer to provide the care.

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, but being safe online is important year-round. It’s easier to be safe when you know what cyber-scam attempts to look for.

How It Works• Phony websites: Fake websites and bogus mobile apps have long been the territory of online shopping scams. More people than ever are shopping online since the start of the pandemic, and scammers have created more fake shopping destinations to keep up with demand .•Phishing: Emails, texts and instant messages abound, impersonating legitimate senders (like a bank, shipping company, retailer, charity, or friend, among others). The typical goal is to get you to click on a link to address a problem or learn about a free federal grant, or some other ruse. Increasingly, we are seeing fake emails from Amazon, claiming they need you to click on a link to verify a purchase made on your account .•Spear-phishing: When criminals have obtained someone’s personal information (from social media, data breaches — even public records), they use it to make a targeted attack. Whereas scammers cast a wide net with phishing, spear-phishing targets an individual or organization. What You Should Know •Fake websites and apps seek to lure us in, get us to pay for a product that never comes, or load malicious software on our devices to steal logins and passwords .•Phishing relies on the criminal’s ability to impersonate a trusted entity. Clicking on the provided link could lead to loading dangerous malware onto our device that can steal logins and passwords. It can also lead to identity fraud .•Spear-phishing is often focused on businesses to obtain access to systems and confidential information, but it isn’t limited to this. We also see it used in what we call, “Can you do me a favor?” scams. It might involve a scammer impersonating a leader of a faith community, for example, sending a quick email or text to you as an active congregant and asking you to buy hundreds of dollars in gift cards for a family in need. He directs you to snap a pic of the front and back of the card and share it, with a commitment to reimburse you later. Only the criminal impersonator drains the cards as soon as you send the pictures (and the faith leader didn’t know a thing about it) .What You Should Do• Engage your inner skeptic when looking at emails, texts and social media messages. Scammers are banking on getting us to act without first thinking things through .•Set your device’s operating systems and protective software to update automatically, so you don’t miss out on changes that are intended to address vulnerabilities. •Enable two-factor authentication everywhere it’s offered; it confirms that you are indeed the person seeking to access a password-protected site. With this, the site will require you to prove it’s you by sending you a code by text, email or automated phone message, and having you enter that code before being able to access the site. This is intended to stop a criminal from accessing your account. Reprinted from AARP Fraud Network.

Making Medicare decisions for yourself or a loved one can seem daunting. Now with the AARP Medicare Enrollment℠ Guide, you have an online tool designed to walk you through enrolling in Medicare for the first time. We’ll help you do it at your own pace, providing information that’s unbiased and easy to understand.Get more personalized helpYou’ll have access to a range of resources carefully tailored to you, based on:

• Your age
• Your coverage needs
• Whether you’re just starting out
• Whether you’re building on what you know
• Specific plan features you may need
• How close you are to enrolling

Start now Using the AARP Medicare Enrollment℠ Guide will give you the clarity and insight you need to make your Medicare choices with confidence.

TRY THE TOOL

Separating fact from fiction when it comes to getting vaccinated against Covid.

More than 207 million Americans have rolled up their sleeves for the coronavirus vaccines, but still a significant share of the eligible population hasn’t been vaccinated.

A big reason: False information spread online and in person has persuaded many people to skip the shot. In fact, a recent Kaiser Family Foundation report found about 80 percent of adults who say they will “definitely not” get the vaccine believe or are unsure about at least one prevailing COVID-19 vaccine myth. And a majority of adults (54 percent) either believe some rampant misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines or are unable to debunk it.

Facts are especially important as new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths climb throughout the U.S., driven largely by the highly contagious delta variant. Here are some common coronavirus vaccine myths and the truth behind each one.

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• Myth #1: The vaccines were developed too quickly to be trusted.

It’s true that the COVID-19 vaccines arrived in record time, but the steps that were hurried “were essentially the paperwork,” Andrew Bradley, M.D., a vaccine expert and professor at Mayo Clinic, explained in a recent media briefing.

All three available vaccines in the U.S. — from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson — were tested in tens of thousands of people in clinical trials and rigorously evaluated for their safety and effectiveness.

Scientists had a bit of a leg-up from the beginning, which helped to accelerate the process. The virus that causes COVID-19 is related to other coronaviruses that have been under the microscope for years, including those that cause severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). “The knowledge gained through past research on coronavirus vaccines helped to accelerate the initial development of the current COVID-19 vaccines,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says.

Investing in early manufacturing and distribution also got shots in arms faster than usual.

And while two of the vaccines (Pfizer’s and Moderna’s) are a new type of vaccine, called mRNA, researchers have been studying the technology for decades across a range of diseases, including flu, Zika and rabies — even cancer. This type of vaccine delivers a set of instructions to the cells and teaches them to make a protein that then produces an immune response to the virus.

Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine recently received full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Moderna’s will likely get it soon. Johnson & Johnson — whose vaccine is a viral vector vaccine, meaning it uses a modified version of a different virus to deliver those immune-triggering directions — is expected to apply for federal approval soon. Both the Moderna and the Johnson & Johnson vaccines continue to be administered under the FDA’s emergency use authorization (EUA).

Myth #2: The vaccines will alter your DNA.

None of the vaccines interact with or alter a person’s genetic material, known as DNA, the CDC confirms. The vaccines help the cells build protection against a coronavirus infection, but the vaccine material never enters the nucleus of the cell where the DNA lives.

When it comes to the mRNA vaccines, after the cell is done using the instructions delivered, it breaks down and gets rid of the mRNA. And the genetic material delivered by the viral vector (used in the Johnson & Johnson vaccine) does not integrate into a person’s DNA, the CDC says.

Myth #3: If you’ve had COVID-19 already, you don’t need to get vaccinated.

Even if you’ve had COVID-19, experts recommend getting vaccinated.

One reason: It’s unclear how long you are protected from the disease after a previous infection. Another: New research suggests that the COVID-19 vaccines offer better protection than natural immunity and can help prevent reinfections.

A study published Aug. 13 by the CDC found that unvaccinated individuals who already had COVID-19 were more than twice as likely as fully vaccinated people to get COVID-19 again. And research published this year in The Lancet suggests that older adults are more likely to be reinfected with COVID-19 than younger populations — a difference that can likely be explained by natural changes that weaken the immune system as you age, the authors note.

If you had COVID-19 and you were treated with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma, the CDC recommends waiting 90 days before getting the vaccine.

Myth #4: Once you receive the coronavirus vaccine, you’re immune for life.

Health experts are still studying how long immunity lasts after vaccination, but additional shots that increase protection against COVID-19 may be needed over time — especially as new virus strains, like the dangerous delta variant, emerge and circulate. A third dose of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines is already being recommended for certain people with compromised immune systems.

While specifics are still unknown, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced plans for a booster rollout as early as this fall if recommended by the CDC’s independent advisory committee. If approved, more vulnerable populations such as older adults and health care workers will likely be first in line for the shots.

“We need to see much more data to see what the benefits of boosting [are] to the overarching general population who are lower risk” for severe COVID-19, Cameron Wolfe, M.D., infectious disease specialist and associate professor at the Duke University School of Medicine, said in a recent news briefing on the subject.

The need for boosters, however, does not mean that the vaccines are not working. So far, the data show that they have been highly protective at preventing hospitalizations and death from COVID-19.

Myth #5: You can ditch your mask after you get vaccinated.

People who have been fully vaccinated can resume many pre-pandemic activities, but going completely mask-free isn’t recommended. The CDC is still encouraging everyone, regardless of vaccination status, to wear a mask in public indoor settings in order to curtail the spread of the virus.

The reason? New research shows that while fully vaccinated people are remarkably protected from serious illness if infected with the delta variant, it’s possible for them to spread the virus to others, including someone who is unvaccinated or immunocompromised. The guidelines are mostly for people in areas of high or substantial virus transmission. Currently, that’s 97 percent of U.S. counties, according to the CDC.

Myth #6: The vaccines use a live version of the coronavirus.

None of the authorized vaccines in the U.S. use the live virus that causes COVID-19, and they cannot give you the disease or cause you to test positive for a coronavirus infection. Instead, the vaccines use scientific techniques to train the human body to recognize and fight the coronavirus.

The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines deliver a set of instructions to your cells to encourage your body to produce antibodies. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine works differently. It uses a harmless adenovirus that can no longer replicate to send a genetic message to your cells.

While the coronavirus vaccines will not make you sick with COVID-19, they can cause side effects in some people. Commonly reported side effects include injection-site pain, fatigue, headache, chills, fever and muscle aches. Most of the reactions are temporary and resolve within a few days, according to the CDC.

Myth #7: You don’t need both doses of the two-dose vaccines.

Both the Moderna and the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines require two doses that are given a few weeks apart. And experts stress that both shots are needed for optimal protection.

A study published by the CDC in May found that a single dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines were about 80 percent effective against symptomatic COVID-19; two doses were 94 percent effective.

Delta’s rise to dominance may make that second shot even more important. A U.K.-based study recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that one dose of the Pfizer vaccine or AstraZeneca vaccine (which is not currently authorized in the U.S.) is about 31 percent effective against symptomatic disease caused by delta. Two vaccine doses were about 88 percent effective.

The second Pfizer shot should be given 21 days after the first, the CDC recommends. Moderna’s doses should be administered 28 days apart. That said, the second dose of either may be given up to six weeks (42 days) from the first, if necessary.

Myth #8: The vaccines contain microchips or can cause you to be magnetic.

These two rumors have been circulating on social media, but neither one is true. “Vaccines are developed to fight against disease and are not administered to track your movement,” the CDC says. What’s more, the vaccines do not contain any metals or materials that can produce an electromagnetic field.

They are also free from manufactured products such as microelectronics, electrodes, carbon nanotubes or nanowire semiconductors, and from eggs, gelatin, latex and preservatives.

Find out more about the ingredients in the vaccines here.

Myth #9: The vaccines can cause fertility problems.

There is currently no evidence that any vaccines, including the COVID-19 vaccines, cause fertility problems in women or men, the CDC says. And in fact vaccination is recommended for people who are breastfeeding, pregnant or plan to get pregnant in the future.

The National Institutes of Health did recently award research grants to five institutions to explore potential links between COVID-19 vaccination and menstrual changes after some women reported experiencing irregular or missing periods after getting the shot.

A number of factors can lead to temporary changes in periods. Immune responses to the COVID-19 vaccine is one explanation. Others include pandemic-related stress, lifestyle changes related to the pandemic and infection with SARS-CoV-2, the NIH writes.

“These rigorous scientific studies will improve our understanding of the potential effects of COVID-19 vaccines on menstruation, giving people who menstruate more information about what to expect after vaccination and potentially reducing vaccine hesitancy,” Diana W. Bianchi, M.D., director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, said in a statement.

Myth #10: You shouldn’t get the vaccine if you’ve ever had an allergic reaction.

If you have a history of allergic reactions to oral medications, food, pets, insect stings, latex or things in the environment like pollen or dust, you can safely get the COVID-19 vaccine, the CDC says. You can also get the vaccines if you have an egg allergy, because none of the authorized vaccines contain eggs or egg-related components.

The only group the agency says should definitely abstain are those who have had a severe allergic reaction to any ingredient in a COVID-19 vaccine. If you’ve had an allergic reaction to other vaccines or to injectable medications, the CDC recommends talking to your medical provider about whether to get the vaccine.

Only a small number of the people who have received a COVID-19 vaccine so far experienced the severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis has affected about two to five people per million vaccinated, the CDC says. Although anaphylaxis is life-threatening, it almost always occurs within 30 minutes of vaccination and can be quickly halted with a medicine such as epinephrine.

The agency recommends that people with a history of anaphylaxis stay on site for observation for 30 minutes after vaccination. Those with no history of anaphylaxis should stay for 15 minutes.

For the latest coronavirus news and advice go to AARP.org/coronavirus.

What You Should Know

•Government agencies will not call you out of the blue. So, that robocall from the Social Security Administration informing you that your Social Security number has been suspended due to criminal activity is a scam.•Most businesses also won’t contact you out of the blue about some alleged issue. So, the utility company calling to tell you they are about to cut off your power because you didn’t pay your bills is also a scam.

What You Should Do

•Let your answering machine or your voicemail do the work for you, and don’t trust your caller ID to be truthful (scammers can easily fake that information). Listen to messages with a wary ear, and make a considered decision about which calls you return.• Ask your service provider for your landline and your mobile phone what they can do to block calls that are “scam likely.”• To learn more about how to spot and avoid impostor scams, visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network Fraud Resource Center page on impostor scams.

Ease the ache and reduce inflammation by adding these standouts to your diet

If your hips, knees or hands have gotten stiffer and more painful in recent years, you might be among the more than 32 million Americans who suffer from osteoarthritis (OA). This degenerative joint condition, often described as the “wear and tear” form of arthritis, causes the cartilage that normally cushions joints to break down, allowing bone to rub against bone. The result: pain, redness, stiffness and inflammation.

This kind of arthritis is mainly treated by pain-relieving medications, but lifestyle changes can also help a lot. Exercise and weight loss tend to be top of the list. Regularly moving the impacted joint helps stretch and strengthen the muscles surrounding it, which can ease stiffness and promote mobility. If you’re overweight, shedding a few pounds will help take some strain off a weight-bearing joint (like your knee or hip), as well as reduce the amount of inflammatory proteins that are naturally produced by fat cells.

Dietary changes are, of course, the key to losing weight, but tweaking your eating habits can also help control arthritis symptoms. That’s because while osteoarthritis is primarily caused by overstressing one or more joints, “there’s also a component that has to do with the body’s response to injury, which is inflammation,” says Melissa Ann Prest, a registered dietician and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She points to the Mediterranean and DASH diets, which limit added sugar, refined carbohydrates and saturated fat, as anti-inflammatory standouts.

Whether you follow a specific diet plan or not, regularly adding the following foods to your plate (while simultaneously cutting back on fried food and sweets) might help soothe your achy joints and perhaps even slow down the progression of arthritis.

Superfood No 1. Salmon

Oily fish like salmon are rich in inflammation-fighting omega-3 fatty acids, which may help curtail OA symptoms, says Toby Amidor, a registered dietician and author of The Family Immunity Cookbook (October 2021). Salmon contains both EPA and DHA, two types of omega-3s that are found in all the cells of the body, she explains.

Bonus: Eating fatty fish might help people with autoimmune forms of arthritis, including rheumatoid arthritis, better manage their condition. The American Heart Association also recommends eating fish twice a week to protect your heart.

Not a fish fan? Chia seeds are the best plant-based source of omega-3s, and they’re also a good source of protein and fiber.

Superfood No. 2. Olive oil

Extra-virgin olive oil doesn’t have many omega-3s, but it does contain other unsaturated fats that similarly help quiet inflammation in the body, says Prest. This flavorful oil might even help slow the deterioration of cartilage in people with osteoarthritis, according to a research review published in Nutrients.

Perhaps most exciting for arthritis patients, however, is the fact that olive oil contains a compound called oleocanthal. Scientists have determined that oleocanthal has a mechanism of action that’s similar to the way NSAIDs like ibuprofen and naproxen work to ease pain. While no one is suggesting that you can toss your pills if you indulge in spaghetti aglio e olio (spaghetti with garlic and oil) more often, swapping saturated fats like butter for olive oil should help decrease inflammation throughout your body and might make your osteoarthritis more tolerable. (Plus, it’s better for your heart.)

Superfood No. 3. Cherries

The ruby red hue is a hint that sweet cherries are packed with anthocyanins, potent antioxidants that are also found in blueberries and raspberries. Anthocyanins “may help minimize oxidation and oxidative stress that contribute to inflammation,” including in your joints, says Amidor.

Some research also suggests that cherry consumption might decrease levels of C-reactive protein, an inflammatory protein that’s associated with autoimmune forms of arthritis (like rheumatoid arthritis), as well as OA.

Superfood No. 4. Garlic

This pungent vegetable in the allium family is often touted for its ability to help ward off cancer, heart disease and the common cold. There’s also reason to believe that it might reduce the risk of osteoarthritis. In one study, published in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, researchers determined that people who ate more alliums (including garlic, leeks, shallots and onions) were significantly less likely to develop hip OA.

The protective effect of garlic likely comes thanks to diallyl disulfide, a compound that appears to combat inflammatory cytokines (proteins) that would otherwise threaten to damage cartilage.

Superfood No. 5. Spinach and kale

These leafy greens are loaded with vitamin K, which research suggests is important for cartilage health, says Prest. That might explain why observational studies have found that older adults who don’t get enough K, which also plays a role in strengthening bones and helping blood to clot, are more apt to develop OA. Some scientists believe that vitamin K helps with arthritis by preventing the cartilage from calcifying (hardening).

While adding more spinach and kale to your diet will also give you a boost of folate, vitamin C, vitamin A and calcium, don’t rapidly up your intake if you take a blood-thinning drug like warfarin (Coumadin). The vitamin K in these greens can counteract the impact of your blood thinner, so be sure to check with your doctor before making any major dietary changes.

Reprinted from AARP