'Happy 2025!'

Every year on December 31st, people around the world celebrate New Year's Eve, the last day of the year. It’s a day to say “goodbye” to the old and “hello” to the new.

Also known as Old Year's Day or Saint Sylvester's Day, New Year’s Eve is one of the most exciting holidays of the year. Some countries, such as the Philippines and Latvia, celebrate New Year’s Eve as a public holiday. In Japan, it’s a government holiday. In other countries, many businesses let their employees off of work early so that they can partake in the many festivities.

Our office will be closed Tuesday, Wednesday,

December 31, & January 1st, for the Holidays.

We are always available for your healthcare needs.

If you have an emergency, please call 911, go to the nearest emergency room, or contact our office through our answering service, 480.614.5800.



We wish you a very joyous holiday season!

Telehealth Visits

Dr. Lakin is using ZOOM,

FACETIME and WHATSAPP to connect with you

for a 'Telehealth' visit if needed.

You can connect using your iPad, iPhone, Android phone, a laptop, or a PC with a camera.

December 29, 2024

FLU SEASON IS IN FULL SWING.   IF YOU HAVE HIGH FEVER, SEVERE ACHES AND PAINS, AND COUGH…IT IS MOST LIKELY FLU…BUT TEST FOR COVID.  WE HAVE FLU MEDICATION SO BE IN TOUCH. IT IS INCREASING AND IS AT NORMAL LEVELS.

COVID IS LESS THEN ½ OF WHAT IT WAS LAST YEAR. THIS IS GOOD NEWS. BUT IT IS STILL AROUND.

RSV IS VERY VERY LOW.

  THIS IS THE TIME TO GET YOUR FLU SHOT IF YOU ARE GOING TO DO SO THIS SEASON.  THIS IS TYPICAL TIMING. THE CURRENT FLU SHOT IS IN THE PHARMACIES AND IN OUR OFFICE.

*NEW COVID VACCINE IS IN PHARMACIES. IT IS STILL A SOLID MATCH FOR THE CURRENT COVID VIRUS

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WINTER 2024/2025 IMMUNIZATIONS:

DATA CONTINUES TO SUPPORT BENEFIT FROM COVID VACCINATION. BENEFITS OF THE SHOT INCREASE WITH AGE AND WITH CONDITIONS THAT PREDISPOSE TO COMPLICATIONS (EMPHYSEMA/COPD, HEART FAILURE, DIABETES, IMMUNE SUPPRESSION)

IF YOU ARE GETTING COVID VACCINE, YOU SHOULD GET IT AS SOON AS FEASIBLE.  YOU CAN GET IT ALONE OR WITH YOUR FLU SHOT (IT IS SAFE AND PROVEN TO HAVE NO EXTRA SIDE EFFECTS WHEN TAKEN TOGETHER)

IF YOU ARE GETTING THE FLU VACCINE FOR THIS SEASON…GET THAT NOW, IN EARLY NOVEMBER IDEALLY.

CURRENT COVID STATUS:

THE CURRENT COVID STRAINS ARE VERY CONTAGIOUS AND PRESENT THROUGHOUT ARIZONA… WE ARE SEEING SEVERAL EACH WEEK, MOST DUE TO TRAVEL OR LARGE EVENT ATTENDANCE.

IF YOU GET SICK AFTER TRAVEL OR ATTENDING A BIG GATHERING… DO A COVID TEST. ALL STANDARD COVID TESTS WORK TO IDENTIFY THE CURRENT STRAINS.

ALL DOING WELL.  BE PROACTIVE TO PREVENT NEED FOR HOSPITALIZATION. PROTECTION IS UP TO YOU AND NOW IS A PERSONAL DECISION. DO WHAT MAKES YOU COMFORTABLE.

DATA 100% SHOWS THAT GOOD MASKS MAKE A DIFFERENCE. THEY ARE NOT PERFECT, BUT THEY DO REDUCE RISK OF EXPOSURE AND INFECTION.

• I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH… IF YOU DON’T WANT COVID FROM TRAVEL… WEAR A MASK IN THE AIRPORT CROWDS AND ON THE AIRPLANE (UNTIL 10,000 FEET) … THIS IS NOT AS ESSENTIAL AS IT WAS WHEN COVID WAS MORE SEVERE… BUT IF YOU WANT TO AVOID INFECTIONS IN GENERAL DURING TRAVEL... IT’S A RECOMMENDATION.

• EVEN SELECTIVE MASK USE WORKS WELL… SUCH AS ONLY IN CROWDED SPACES IN THE AIRPORT, AND DURING TRAVEL ‘TO’ YOUR DESTINATION, SO THAT YOU ARE NOT ILL DURING YOU VACATION/TRAVEL TIME.  LESS IMPORTANT WHEN YOU RETURN FROM VACATION.

• GET BOOSTED IF YOU HAVE NOT DONE SO…PARTICULARLY OVER AGE 65 WITH HEALTH ISSUES OR OVER 75 WITHOUT HEALTH ISSUES.  EVERY 6 MONTHS IS THE RECOMMENDATION FOR THIS GROUP. 

• IF YOU WERE BOOSTED IN MARCH/APRIL… MAXIMUM PROTECTION IS TO GET ANOTHER SHOT IN SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER WHEN THE NEWEST/UPDATED VERSION IS AVAILABLE.

• FLU SEASON IS BEGINNING… FLU SHOTS IN NOVEMBER-DECEMBER FOR THIS FLU SEASON

• VERY LITTLE RSV IN THE VALLEY. IF YOU HAVE HAD AN RSV VACCINE, CURRENT RECOMMENDATION IS THAT YOU DON’T NEED ANOTHER FOR TWO YEARS.

IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE A COLD OR RESPIRATORY INFECTION RIGHT NOW…. YOU MAY WELL HAVE COVID. PLEASE DO A COVID TEST TO CHECK AT HOME.  

ALMOST ALL DOING WELL, BUT WE ARE SEEING A FEW PEOPLE NEED THE HOSPITAL TO RECOVER. 

THE CURRENT COVID VACCINE IS AVAILABLE.

  IT IS KEEPING PEOPLE FROM HAVING A MORE DIFFICULT TIME WITH INFECTION AND KEEPING PEOPLE OUT OF THE HOSPITAL.

I RECOMMEND THE COVID BOOSTER GENERALLY FOR THOSE OVER 65. BUT……

• I HIGHLY RECOMMEND A BOOSTER FOR THOSE 80 & OLDER.

• I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE BOOSTER FOR THOSE OVER 65 WITH HEART FAILURE, SIGNIFICANT LUNG CONDITIONS, AND DIABETES.

CONSIDER BOOSTING WITH THE NEW COVID VACCINE TO REDUCE RISK OF COVID AND TO REDUCE COVID SYMPTOM SEVERITY. NEW COVID VACCINE IS AVAILABLE NOW.

TOP PODCAST DONE WEEKLY

BY DR. MICHAEL OSTERHOLM

(UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA)  

He is a world-renowned epidemiologist who was credited with first elucidating TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROME in the 1980’s.

He provides comprehensive and understandable/actionable ideas related to COVID.

Dr. Osterholm Update: COVID-19 Podcast

December 19, 2024

(Same as last week's... New podcast next week!)

'What Is Safe and Effective?'

In "What Is Safe and Effective?," Dr. Osterholm and Chris Dall cover the evolving situation with H5N1 influenza, discuss the mystery outbreak in the DRC, and review the latest trends in COVID-19, flu, and RSV. Dr. Osterholm also answers a listener question on the phrase "safe and effective" regarding vaccines. And finally, the annual reading of the Polar Express from Dr. Osterholm to his grandchildren.

According to Dr. Osterholm……

•  GET YOUR LATEST AVAILABLE BOOSTER IF YOU HAVE NOT HAD COVID OR IT’S BEEN LONGER THAN 4 MONTHS SINCE YOU HAD COVID YOURSELF

•  A GOOD MASK, N95 OF KN95, DOES HELP REDUCE TRANSMISSION…. USE IT AT HIGH-RISK LOCATIONS

• GOOD VENTILATION IN ROOMS/HOME/BUSINESSES IS A GREAT WAY TO PREVENT TRANSMISSION

• VACCINE, VACCINE, VACCINE…THIS IS OUR PROTECTION. ALL VACCINES ARE EFFECTIVE AND WITH TIME WE ARE SEEING THAT

• BOOST, BOOST, BOOST…THIS WILL BE NECESSARY TO PREVENT RECURRING SURGE AND TO RAISE ANTIBODY LEVELS IN THOSE ALREADY SET WITH THE PRIMARY COVID VACCINE SERIES.

• ANTIGEN TESTING IS USEFUL, BUT OF LIMITED VALUE. DON’T DEPEND ON IT…BUT USE IT.

Know that unvaccinated remain a source of potential infection. Avoiding unvaccinated persons will reduce your risk of COVID.

Bird Flu Samples Show Mutations That May Make it Easier to Spread to People, CDC Reports

H5N1 bird flu samples collected from a severely ill patient in Louisiana show signs of mutations that may make the virus more transmissible to humans, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday.

The unidentified patient, who was hospitalized with serious respiratory symptoms, is believed to have contracted bird flu from exposure to sick and dead birds in a backyard flock. The patient has not been identified but is reportedly over 65 with underlying health problems and is the second person in the United States who has been hospitalized with the virus. The Louisiana patient was infected with a strain of the virus different from the one affecting dairy cows and causing sporadic cases in farmworkers in the U.S.

Genetic analysis of two samples collected from the Louisiana patient suggest that the virus may have the ability to attach to cells in the human upper airway.



That’s worrisome, experts say, because bird flu viruses like H5N1 typically attach to cell receptors found in birds and other animals, but not commonly in humans. This is why bird flu typically doesn’t infect humans or spread person to person. One of the mutations was also seen in a sample from a British Columbia teenager who was hospitalized with bird flu, the CDC said. 

COVID-19 cases are back on the rise nationally, according to the latest trend data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

CDC data shows an increase in weekly test positivity and a higher percentage of tests in emergency departments nationwide coming back as positive. The numbers are lower than the last big spike in August, but this is the first increase in the data in approximately four months.

Nationally, wastewater viral activity for COVID is at a high level, the fourth out of five possible levels.

Health officials have raised concerns about the possibility of a "silent" surge of COVID-19 this winter after unusually low COVID activity in the fall.

"As a result, people may not know their risk of infection is increasing and not test if they have only mild symptoms, which can cause the virus to spread at holiday gatherings, during travel and more," TODAY reports.



What are the COVID symptoms?

Historically, COVID symptoms have included fever or chills, cough, shortness or breath, cough, congestion or runny nose, sore throat, loss of taste or smell, fatigue, body aches, headache, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea, according to the CDC.

 COVID-19 testing can help you know if you have COVID-19 so you can decide what to do next, like getting treatment to reduce your risk of severe illness and taking steps to lower your chances of spreading the virus to others.

Your order of COVID tests is completely free – you won’t even pay for shipping.



Want to know when your tests are coming? Sign up to receive email alerts when you order!

The tests available for order:

• Are rapid antigen at-home tests, not PCR
• Can be taken at home or other locations. Give results within 30 minutes (no lab drop-off required)
• Can be used for testing even if you do not have COVID-19 symptoms
• Can be used for testing whether you are up to date on your COVID-19 vaccines or not
• Are also referred to as self-tests or over the counter (OTC) tests

Some COVID tests arriving with past-due expiration date

First come the horseshoe crabs. Hoisting their round, tank-like shells, they trundle out of the Delaware Bay under the first full moon in May to mate and lay their eggs.

The birds soon follow. Hundreds of thousands of squawking, migrating shorebirds descend on these beaches to gorge themselves on the protein- and fat-rich eggs. Over the course of a week, some of the birds will double their weight as they prepare to resume their journeys between South America and their summer breeding grounds in the Artic. Up to 25 different species of birds stop here each spring.

It’s an ecological wonder not seen anywhere else in the world, and a bonanza for scientists who are looking to stop the next pandemic.

This year, their work has taken on new urgency as a dangerous flu virus, H5N1, tears through dairy cattle and poultry flocks in the United States. The world is watching to see if the threat will escalate.



The work at this beach could help make that clear.

After you received your COVID or any other vaccination outside our office, please let us know!

We would like to document this information into your chart.



What we need:

1. Your name
2. Name & date of vaccination received
3. Brand name
4. Lot number if available
5. Which dose you have received

Whooping cough cases in the U.S. have reached the highest annual total in a decade, with as many cases tallied in the last 12 weeks as in the entire rest of the year.

As of mid-September, about 14,500 cases had been recorded nationwide since the beginning of the year. That number climbed to more than 32,000 as of Dec. 14, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

That's a six-fold increase from the same time in 2023, when more than 5,100 cases had been recorded. The total for 2022 was even lower, at roughly 3,000 cases.

We Are Here to Take Care of Your Healthcare Needs.

We Are Here to Serve!

Our office is using techniques to reduce exposure to a minimum during your visit. These include: 

• Multiple Super-HEPA filters to filter out potential virus and

particles in the office.

• High Level UV light air cleansing in the office to eliminate

bacteria and viruses in the air.

OUR OFFICE SCHEDULE  

DOORS OPEN     

7AM - 4PM Monday through Thursday

7AM - 11AM Friday

IN OFFICE

APPOINTMENTS: MONDAY – THURSDAY

7AM – 11:15AM & 1PM – 3:30PM

APPOINTMENTS: FRIDAY

7AM – 10:30 AM

DR. LAKIN WILL CONTINUE ‘TELEHEALTH’ VISITS WITH FaceTime, WhatsApp or ZOOM WHEN NEEDED.

Dr. Lakin's Info For COVID-19 Kit &

Recommended Treatments

SUMMARY OF A COVID KIT & CHECK LIST:

This is what you should have at home to prepare for possible COVID, to monitor yourself if you were to get infected:

DIGITAL ORAL THERMOMETER: MANY BRANDS ARE FINE…HERE IS ONE EXAMPLE:

PULSE OXIMETER:  TO CHECK OXYGEN LEVELS. MANY BRANDS ARE FINE...HERE IS ONE EXAMPLE:

OTHER ITEMS FROM THE HOME MEDICAL KIT:

• TYLENOL, ADVIL, OR ALEVE
• Sudafed 30mg tablets
• Chlorpheniramine 4mg tablets
• Robitussin DM syrup
• Imodium AD

'New Year's Eve'

"New Year's Eve" celebrates love, hope, forgiveness, second chances and fresh starts, in the intertwining stories of couples and singles, told amidst the pulse and promise of New York City on the most dazzling night of the year.

The film stars Jessica Biel, Jon Bon Jovi, Academy Award® nominee Abigail Breslin, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, two-time Academy Award® winner Robert De Niro, Josh Duhamel, Zac Efron, Hector Elizondo, Katherine Heigl, Ashton Kutcher, Seth Meyers, Lea Michele, Sarah Jessica Parker, Academy Award® nominee Michelle Pfeiffer, Til Schweiger, Ryan Seacrest, two-time Academy Award® winner Hilary Swank and Sofia Vergara.

Stay Safe!