Vaccination contemplation

Dear Readers: Today’s SOUND OFF is about those people who decide not to vaccinate their children. — Heloise

“Dear Heloise: There is a growing number of parents who refuse to vaccinate their children, claiming that if they did so, they would risk endangering their child’s health and well-being.

“Vaccines keep children healthy and keep diseases from spreading due to the unvaccinated individual. Are there risks? Yes, but minimal risks. You risk your child’s well-being and that of others around them if you don’t vaccinate.” — A Registered Nurse in New Jersey

FAST FACTS

Dear Readers: Here are some ways to brighten up your home and give it a fresh look for summer:

Paint the front door a new color.

Plant some colorful flowers in the front or on a balcony.

Replace old hardware on kitchen or bathroom cabinets.

Buy new decorative pillows for the sofa.

Replace old light fixtures — indoors and outdoors. — Heloise

WHO ARE THEY?

Dear Heloise: I’m confused as to who is a “boomer” and who is a

“millennial.” I keep hearing these terms, but don’t know who they apply to. — Sherry U., Coon Rapids, Minn.

Sherry, it’s easy to be confused by the terms used today. The groups are divided by the dates of birth:

1946-1964 — baby boomers

1965-1980 — Generation X

1981-1996 — millennials Hope this helps! — Heloise

TRAVELER’S CHECKS

Dear Heloise: I never hear of anyone using traveler’s checks anymore. Can you still get them? — Hillary F., Long Beach, Calif.

Hillary, yes, you can still get traveler’s checks at some banks. However, a large number of banks no longer issue traveler’s checks. While fewer places now accept them as payment, they aren’t completely obsolete. They also are still issued by American Express and Visa. You might be better off using a credit card that offers points and is widely accepted all over the world. — Heloise

UNPLUG

Dear Heloise: If you’re going on a trip of a week or more, it’s wise to unplug a number of things in your house, such as the TVs, computers, radios and lamps, to name a few. This lessens the chance of a fire starting or of lightning traveling the wires to destroy something in your home. Also, you’ll save energy. And you should unplug modems and routers to avoid your Wi-Fi being hacked. — Leo K., Pawtucket, R.I.