Dr. Melissa Rosso

09/03/2026

🤒 FALL VACCINES: The Flu Shot 🤒
What are the options?
An annual flu shot that targets 3 strains of seasonal flu. There's a traditional vaccine and, newer for some adults, an mRNA option.

Who's eligible?
Everyone 6 months and older. (The mRNA version is for adults 50+.)

How well does it work?
It reduces your risk of having to see a doctor for the flu by about 30–60%, and helps prevent serious complications and hospitalization.

When should I get it?
October is ideal. Protection gradually wanes over the season, so timing it before flu peaks (often Dec–Feb) gives you coverage when you need it most.

💉 One quick shot each fall is your best protection against the flu.


Source: Your Local Epidemiologist

09/02/2026

🍂 Fall Vaccine Season Is Here! 🍂

As the weather cools, respiratory viruses ramp up. The good news? A few quick shots this fall can dramatically lower your risk of getting seriously sick — and help protect the people around you.
Over the next several posts, we'll break down the key vaccines for this season in plain language, answering four questions for each:
✅ What are the options?
✅ Who's eligible?
✅ How well do they work?
✅ When should I get it?

We'll cover influenza (flu), RSV (for older adults, during pregnancy, and for babies), and COVID-19.

Not sure what's right for you or your family? These posts are a starting point — always talk with your doctor or pharmacist about your personal situation. Follow along! 👇

08/29/2026

🧬 One of the coolest things happening in cancer medicine right now — a truly personalized mRNA cancer treatment for melanoma.

To be clear: this is NOT a vaccine to prevent cancer. It's a treatment for people who already have melanoma, and it's custom-built for each individual patient. 🎯

Here's how it works:
🔬 Doctors take a sample of the patient's own tumor and sequence its DNA — reading the tumor's exact "mutation fingerprint."
💉 Using that fingerprint, scientists design a one-of-a-kind mRNA therapy that teaches the immune system to recognize and attack up to 34 unique targets on that specific tumor.
🛡️ It's given together with a second drug (pembrolizumab / Keytruda) that stops cancer from "hiding" from the immune system.

And the results? In a clinical trial of patients with high-risk melanoma who'd had surgery, adding this personalized therapy to standard treatment meaningfully lowered the risk of the cancer coming back, spreading, or leading to death — and the benefit has held up over 5 years of follow-up. 📈

The best part: this is just the beginning. A large phase 3 trial in melanoma is now underway, and the same personalized mRNA approach is being tested against other cancers, including lung, bladder, pancreatic, and kidney. 🌟

The same mRNA technology behind recent vaccines is now being turned into a personalized weapon against cancer. 💪

08/27/2026

🤧 Common colds are on the rise again!
This past week, we saw a big jump in the number of people testing positive for the common cold. That's totally normal for this time of year as kids head back to school! 📚

Here's what to expect: runny noses should peak by mid-September, then start to decline — which unfortunately opens the door for other viruses like the flu and RSV to take over. 🤒

What this means for you: If you're feeling under the weather right now, it's most likely just the common cold. The good news? Rest and plenty of fluids really do help support your immune system and get you back on your feet. 💧😴

🛡️ How to protect yourself and others:
🧼 Wash your hands often with soap and water — it's the single best way to stop cold viruses from spreading 
🙌 Cover your coughs and sneezes, and try not to touch your eyes, nose, and mouth
🥗 Keep up healthy habits: good sleep, nutritious food, and staying hydrated

💊 For symptom relief:
🤒 Tylenol (acetaminophen) or ibuprofen (Advil/Motrin) can ease fever, headache, and body aches 
👃 Saline nasal spray or rinse can help clear a stuffy, runny nose — a simple, drug-free option that's safe for the whole family 
💧 Rest and fluids remain your best friends

📌 Remember: antibiotics don't work on colds since they're caused by viruses. Most colds get better on their own within 1–2 weeks. If your symptoms get worse or last longer than expected, give me a call! ☎️

Take care of yourselves out there! ❤️

08/26/2026

🧠 Blood Tests to Predict Alzheimer's: What You Should Know Before You Ask for One

New blood tests that claim to detect Alzheimer's disease are getting a lot of attention — and a lot of people without any memory problems are asking for them. Here's an honest look at why that's causing more confusion and worry than answers.

**A positive result is NOT a guarantee you'll get dementia.**
These tests look for proteins (like p-tau217 and amyloid) linked to Alzheimer's changes in the brain. But having these proteins is not the same as having — or being destined to develop — dementia. Many people with a "positive" result will never develop memory symptoms in their lifetime.

**In healthy people, "false alarms" are common.**
When these tests are used in people who feel fine, a positive result is often misleading. That can trigger months of anxiety, extra scans, and difficult conversations — sometimes for a disease that would never have caused problems.

**There's no proven way to prevent Alzheimer's if a test is positive.**
Right now, a positive result in someone without symptoms doesn't unlock a treatment that changes the outcome. Learning you're "at risk," with nothing you can do to fix it, is exactly why doctors worry about the emotional toll.

**Genetic tests (like APOE) carry the same catch.**
Carrying an APOE ε4 gene raises risk — but plenty of carriers never develop Alzheimer's, and plenty of people who develop it don't carry the gene. It shifts the odds; it doesn't tell your future. Genetic results can also raise questions about insurance and family members.

**So who are these tests actually for?**
They're most useful for people who already have memory or thinking problems, ordered by a clinician to help find the cause. Expert groups do NOT recommend these tests for people without symptoms outside of research studies.

**The bottom line:**
If you're worried about your memory, the best first step isn't ordering a test online or asking for a blood test out of fear — it's talking with your doctor about what you're noticing. A test result you don't fully understand can cause more distress than clarity.

💬 Questions about memory or these tests? Give me a call and we can sit down and discuss.

08/24/2026

🦩 Remember our one-leg balance challenge? Here's how to get better at it!

Balance isn't just luck — it's a skill you can train at any age. Research shows that older adults who do balance and strength exercises at least 3 times a week can measurably improve how long they can stand on one leg (and cut their risk of falls).

Here are the moves that work best:

✅ **One-leg stands** — hold onto a counter, lift one foot, and balance. Work up to longer holds, then try it with eyes closed.
✅ **Sit-to-stands** — rise from a chair without using your hands, then sit back down slowly. Great for leg strength.
✅ **Heel-to-toe walking** — walk in a straight line placing one foot directly in front of the other.
✅ **Tai Chi** — gentle, flowing movements proven to improve balance and prevent falls.

🎥 Check out the video below for more ideas

Do them 3+ times a week — consistency is everything. 💪

👉 One safety note: if you've had falls or feel dizzy, always keep a sturdy chair or counter within reach, or have someone nearby.

Research shows that in seniors, better balance is directly correlat...

08/22/2026

⏱️ Can you stand on one leg for 10 seconds? It might say more about your health than you think.

A fascinating study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (Araujo et al., 2022) followed more than 1,700 adults aged 51–75. The researchers found that people who could NOT hold a one-legged stance for 10 seconds had nearly double the risk of dying over the next several years — even after accounting for age, weight, and other health conditions.

Why does this matter? Balance is a hidden window into your overall health. It reflects your strength, coordination, nervous system, and how well your body is aging. The good news: balance is trainable at any age! 🙌

👉 Here's the test:
1. Stand on one leg.
2. Rest the top of your free foot against the back of the other calf.
3. Keep your arms at your sides and eyes open.
4. Time how long you can hold it.

👣 How many seconds can YOU balance on one leg?

Bonus points if you get the whole family to try it too! 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

⚠️ Safety first: stand near a wall or sturdy chair you can grab, and skip it if you've been having dizziness or falls.

08/19/2026

🫀 New cholesterol guidelines just dropped — and there’s one test you should ask about.

The 2026 dyslipidemia guidelines change how we approach heart attack and stroke prevention. Here’s what matters most:

🔬 Check your Lp(a) — once in your life
Lipoprotein(a) is an inherited cholesterol particle not measured on a standard panel. About 1 in 5 people have elevated levels without knowing it — and high Lp(a) meaningfully raises your risk of heart attack and stroke. The new guidelines recommend everyone get it checked at least once.

📊 Other key updates:
Clear LDL targets are back, a more precise marker called ApoB is now recommended in certain patients, and an updated risk calculator can estimate your 10- and 30-year heart risk so treatment fits YOU.

💬 Next time you’re in, just ask: “Should I have my Lp(a) checked?” It’s one simple blood test that could reveal risk hiding in your genes.

Heart disease is still the #1 killer — but so much of it is preventable. Knowledge is power. ❤️

📖 Learn more (trusted, free patient resources):
• American Heart Association: heart.org
• ACC CardioSmart: cardiosmart.org
• Family Heart Foundation (Lp(a) & inherited cholesterol): familyheart.org

Saving Generations of Families From Stroke & Heart Attack The mission of the Family Heart Foundation is to save generations of families from heart disease through timely identification and improved care of familial hypercholesterolemia and elevated lipoprotein(a). The Family Heart Foundation is pion...

08/12/2026

📋 Setting the record straight about childhood vaccines

There’s a lot of confusing information out there right now, so I want to reassure families: the recommended childhood vaccine schedule has not changed in any way that affects the routine, time-tested vaccines your children receive.

The core schedule — protecting against measles, mumps, rubella, whooping cough, polio, tetanus, diphtheria, hepatitis, chickenpox, Hib, and pneumococcal disease — remains exactly the same. These are given on the same well-established timeline that has safely protected children for decades.

👩‍⚕️ My commitment to you: I will continue to offer childhood vaccines according to the schedule recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Vaccinating your child on time remains one of the most effective ways to protect them — and our whole community — from serious, preventable illness.

If you’ve seen something online that worries you, please reach out. I’m always happy to walk through the schedule with you and answer any questions. 💙