c.2023, various publishers, $26.99 – $29.00, various page counts

By Terri Schlichenmeyer

The last two apps you downloaded were for diets. Ugh.

Friends say that you’re perfect but you’d like to lose your flabby arms, your thick thighs, and a few inches from your belly. You imagine what you’d be like if you were a size 6. You wonder if you could wear skinny boots again. But before you download another app, read these books about Black women’s health and body image…

There’s not just one, but at least two books out this spring that ask if it isn’t time for Black women to reclaim positive self-images about their bodies.

“It’s Always Been Ours” by eating disorder specialist Jessica Wilson (Go Hachette, $29.00), looks at the politics of Black women’s bodies. You don’t need to be told that this isn’t a new thing but the true history of Black women and the harm such negativity has done may still surprise you; Wilson also pulls in the works of novelists, friends, influencers, and others to get the best, most interesting look at the subject. If you want a call to action, this is it.

Along those lines, author Chrissy King says that body liberation is what Black women should strive for, and in “The Body Liberation Project” (Penguin Random House, $28.00), she offers ways to achieve body freedom. What sets her book apart from the Wilson book is less history, more personal tales and thought-provoking question-pages to get readers thinking about how they’ve been thinking about their bodies. Again, there could be surprises in what you learn about yourself.

With these books, King and Wilson advocate for the individual as well as for all Black women and if it feels difficult for you to pick between these two books, then don’t. Read them together or concurrently and you’ll be happier.

But okay, you love your body. Your legs, your arms, your shoulders and hair and smile — so how do you keep all that gorgeousness healthy? You can start with “Black Women’s Wellness” by Melody T. McCloud, MD (Sounds True, $26.99) and learn. Indeed, even if you’re feeling well and looking great, this book explains how to keep yourself that way, starting with what healthy looks like for a Black woman. From there, McCloud touches upon things like cancer, HIV, heart disease and diabetes before moving on to reproductive health, sex, relationships and mental health. It’s written in real language and everything is in simple, easy-to-understand, authentic terms created for grown-ups.

Beware that “Black Women’s Wellness” isn’t a replacement for your doctor or clinic, but it’s a nice question-answerer and a good launching point for knowing your body.

If these three books aren’t exactly what you’re looking for, be sure to ask your favorite librarian or bookseller. Admittedly, there aren’t a lot of modern, new books out there about body image for women of color, but a bookish person can help you find what you need. They’ll be able to put the book in your beautiful hands, your soft arms, for your gorgeous eyes.

There’s no app for that.

By Eli Walsh
Bay City News

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration updated its approval Tuesday of the Pfizer-BioNTech booster vaccine, making it available to some children under age 5.

Before this update, children under 5 were not eligible for COVID-19 booster shots. Instead, they received three doses of the regular vaccine.

As of December 2022, children age 4 and younger who have not been vaccinated receive the omicron variant-specific booster vaccine as the third dose in their primary vaccine series, following two doses of the original Pfizer vaccine.

However, children in that age range who completed their initial vaccination series before December 2022 only received three doses of the original Pfizer vaccine, and are less protected against more infectious variants of the virus as a result.

FDA officials updated the vaccine’s emergency use authorization Tuesday to allow those children who only received the original Pfizer COVID vaccine to receive one dose of the bivalent booster if it has been at least two months since they completed their initial series.

Other children under age 5 are not eligible for the booster, although everyone age 5 and up is eligible for a booster.

“Currently available data show that vaccination remains the best defense against severe disease, hospitalization and death caused by COVID-19 across all age groups, and we encourage all eligible individuals to make sure that their vaccinations are up to date with a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine,” said Dr. Peter Marks, the director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

Clinical data has found that both the original Pfizer vaccine and the booster vaccine that targets the omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 are safe for everyone aged 6 months and up and effective at preventing the worst outcomes of COVID infection, including serious illness and death.

COVID vaccines are available at primary care providers, retail pharmacies and some facilities operated by local health departments.

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Physician leader brings over two decades of experience as organization continues its expansion across Bay Area.

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., March 13, 2023 — Marin City Health and Wellness Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) dedicated to providing innovative health and wellness services to all, with the goal of African American Health Equity, is pleased to announce the appointment of Anita Juvvadi, M.D., as its new Chief Medical Officer.

Dr. Juvvadi, a pediatrician by training, brings over 24 years of experience to MCHWC and previously held the role of Medical Director at Bay Area Community Health in Gilroy, California. In 2001 Dr. Juvvadi founded a private practice, which was later acquired by Stanford Medical Center. She continued as the director of her clinic while also serving as the Medical Director for Stanford Medical Center’s pediatric urgent care clinic.

“We’re extremely excited to have Dr. Juvvadi join the Marin City Health and Wellness team,” said Harold Wallace, Chief Executive Officer of MCHWC. “Her wealth of experience as a leader, combined with her expertise in the areas of health and nutrition, adolescent medicine, and developmental and behavioral pediatrics, will continue the clinical excellence our patients and community deserve.”

Nancy Johnson, Chair of the Board of Directors at MCHWC, highlighted Dr. Juvvadi’s appointment as a key component of the organization’s current expansion efforts.

“We share the excitement of Dr. Juvvadi’s arrival and eagerly anticipate working with her as we move forward with our expansion projects in Marin City and San Rafael,” said Johnson. “Looking ahead, we recognize the impact Dr. Juvvadi’s contributions will have on our patients and community as the first pediatric specialist in our organization’s history.”

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Dr. Juvvadi is excited to bring her public service commitment to MCHWC. “I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of an organization with such a rich history of serving the community,” she said. “I look forward to doing all I can toward making Marin City Health and Wellness Center a healthcare home for all those in need of high-quality care services.”

Dr. Juvvadi received her medical training at Gandhi Medical College in India and completed both her post-doctoral fellowship in pediatric radiology and her pediatric residency at the University of California, San Francisco. Additionally, Dr. Juvvadi completed a transitional internship at Framingham Union Hospital in Boston and has been active with an NGO in southern rural Ethiopia for several years.

Dr. Juvvadi began her role as Chief Medical Officer on March 1.

About Marin City Health and Wellness Center

Marin City Health and Wellness Center is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit FQHC headquartered in San Rafael. There are three locations throughout the Bay Area, including the Marin City Clinic in Marin City, The Bayview Clinic at the Arthur H. Coleman Medical Center in San Francisco, and a women’s health center in San Rafael scheduled to open this spring.