HOUSTON – A panel of medical experts gathered Thursday for an Ask 2 Live discussion aimed at answering your questions about the coronavirus vaccine. The first doses of the vaccine will be given to essential workers and people living in long-term care facilities. She said people with some preexisting conditions are at a higher risk of complications from the virus, which makes them getting vaccinated even more important. Giordano said the 95% efficacy rate means that you are protected at that rate from developing the coronavirus disease. He said a person who has an active infection going to a clinic full of people who are getting vaccinated could infect a lot of people.

HOUSTON – During the month of November, the gentlemen of KPRC 2 participated in No-Shave November, raising funds to support cancer prevention, research and education. For 30 days, they put their razors down to help raise funds for No-Shave November, a web-based, non-profit organization devoted to growing cancer awareness. Roberts shared his story dealing with testicular cancer when he was diagnosed in 2019. Check out their No-Shave November progress picsWatch the video above to see what the guys had to say about men’s health. You can either donate to the team as a whole or donate to your favorite KPRC 2 team member.

HOUSTON – We’ve talked a lot about physical health since the start of the COVID 19 pandemic, but there’s also been an impact on mental health. With the holidays approaching and the pandemic still impacting our daily lives, how can you protect your mental health? ICYMI: Expert advice for finding affordable health care in the Houston areaDon’t put off taking care of your mental health any longer. On Thursday, anchor Kris Gutierrez and health reporter Haley Hernandez moderated an Ask 2 Live discussion with local experts and help answer your questions. If you need immediate assistance for mental health and/or intellectual and developmental disabilities related crisis, please call The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD 24-hour Crisis Line at 713-970-7000, option 1, to speak with a crisis counselor.

Some people have lost their jobs as part of the economic downturn, meaning they have also lost their health insurance. So what are people without insurance to do about health care in the midst of a pandemic? Here are some of their tips to finding affordable health care in the Houston area. Urgent care clinics are also a lower-cost option over hospitals for some major things such as broken bones. Virtual appointments are a great way to cut down on health care costs.

HOUSTON – As the school year progresses, high school students and parents will soon begin to look at colleges and universities. Whether it’s a local community college or a university out of state, this year the road to a future career is looking a bit different in the midst of COVID-19. Watch: Raising ‘good digital citizens’ and more from our Zoom conversation on cyberbullyingOn Thursday, local experts from Project GRAD Houston, College Readiness for the YMCA of Greater Houston, Lee College, Houston Community College and Houston ISD joined KPRC'2 Ask 2 Live for a discussion about college preparedness. Contact our PanelistsVeronica Lawrence, Program Manager, Project GRAD Houston, vlawrence@projectgradhouston.orgCarl Husband, Ed.D . - Assistant Registrar & Director of Admissions, Lee College, chusband@lee.eduAlyska Malveaux - Association Director of College Readiness, YMCA of Greater Houston, Alyska.malveaux@ymcahouston.orgVanessa Grover - Program Director, Outreach & Recruitment, Houston Community College, Vanessa.grover@hccs.eduMichael Love - Executive Director of Career Readiness, Houston ISD, mlove@houstonisd.orgResources:Finding a CollegeBigFuture CollegeBoardCollegeXpressCollege GreenlightScholarshipsCollege Scholarships.orgNicheScholarships.comFastwebAdditional ResourcesMake an appointment with a GRAD advisorYMCA HoustonGRADcafe

Here are the major themes that were discussed in the Zoom conversation:How can you tell if your child is suffering from cyberbullying? We have to talk to them about being good digital citizens from the get-go, she said. You can tell a young child the basics and then that message can grow and evolve as they get older. Parents need to sit down and think about what their child’s brand is online. Parents need to be cognizant of the fact that the internet is a really dark place and pornography is everywhere, Mankarious said.

What are the mental health impacts of those decisions? Meet our panelistRecapHere’s a look at some of the topics that were discussed during the Ask 2 Live event. “We need to be more concerned about mental health,” Whittaker said. Protecting mental healthStipeche said there are a lot of organizations that are working with school leaders and other officials to help handle any mental health situations that might arise. Be engagedThe challenges are real, but the bottom line of the conversation is that parents should be engaged in their child’s virtual learning and mental health.

HOUSTON – Are you a parent, family member or loved one worried about your student with special needs and how this school year will impact them? On Thursday evening, our education team members, Keith Garvin and Christine Noël moderated a discussion with health experts and education leaders. Hill: Most services for special needs students can be implemented online. Question: With children, especially young and special needs kids, what is the district doing to keep masks on in school? Question: What are effective practices for Zoom education for special needs kids?

Join us now for the Zoom conversation with Baylor College of Medicine. Answer: How do we help support kids with different learning disabilities? There are some great books that help step-by-step to help kids. There’s also a program called Coping with Covid to help parents with kids that are anxious. Question: How do you help kids who will be online for multiple hours?

HOUSTON – Alief Independent School District community members got a chance to ask Superintendent HD Chambers questions in an exclusive Zoom conversation Wednesday night, ahead of the first day of school Thursday. Some high school students take classes where they have labs and need to have access to school facilities. But the number of hours teachers are expected to teach in virtual learning is based on the content they are teaching. There’s nothing that a school district can put in place that will resolve that issue 100% until students come back to school. Question: How will college counselors help high school students virtually?

KPRC 2 hosted our latest Ask 2 Live Zoom event with H-E-B Houston Executive Vice President Armando Perez as the featured guest. Ask 2 Live: Business Edition with H-E-B was moderated by KPRC 2 News at 5, 6 and 10 anchor Kris Gutierrez. WATCH: Ask 2 Live chat brings KPRC 2 anchors and fans togetherSkip to the video timecode shown below to view these highlights. 11:20 – How has Covid-19 impacted how H-E-B does business? 14:20 – How does H-E-B select the music that plays in their stores?

HOUSTON – Here’s your chance to interact with a grocery store executive to gain insight on how H-E-B runs their business and the innovations they’ve made in light of the coronavirus pandemic. H-E-B Houston Executive Vice President Armando Perez will be joining KPRC 2’s evening anchor Kris Gutierrez for this intimate discussion via Zoom on Wednesday, June 17 with a limited number of KPRC 2 viewers selected to participate. Share your observations and ideas and get inspired as you learn something new about this Texas institution! WATCH: Ask 2 Live chat brings KPRC 2 anchors and fans togetherTo apply for consideration to participate in this Ask 2 LIVE Zoom event, please enter below. Anyone selected to participate will be notified by email or phone on June 16.