|
March 10, 2024
LOTS OF COVID REMAINS THIS WINTER…
ALL DOING WELL. WITH MORE TOURISTS THERE WILL BE MORE COVID. BE PROACTIVE TO PREVENT NEED FOR HOSPITALIZATION.
- COVID REMAINS HIGH. DO NOT GO OUT WITH GROUPS OF PEOPLE IF YOU ARE SICK AND HAVE NOT TESTED FOR COVID…. YOU MAY HAVE COVID AND BE SPREADING IT!
- WEAR A MASK DURING TRAVEL IN THE AIRPORT AND ON THE AIRPLANE (UNTIL 10,000 FEET) …. AT THIS TIME DUE TO HIGH LEVELS OF COVID INFECTION. ONCE THE SURGE HAS DROPPED OFF, THIS IS NOT AS ESSENTIAL.
- GET BOOSTED IF YOU HAVE NOT DONE SO…PARTICULARLY OVER AGE 65.
- IF YOU WERE BOOSTED IN SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER AND OVER AGE 65, ANOTHER BOOST IS WORTHWHILE THIS SPRING. THAT SAID...IF YOU HAVE HAD COVID IN THE PAST 6 MONTHS YOU CAN HOLD ON BOOSTING.
- FLU IS WANING…BUT IS STILL AROUND. THE TIME FOR FLU SHOTS HAS PASSED. NO MORE FLU SHOTS THIS SEASON
- VERY LITTLE RSV IN THE VALLEY.
IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE A COLD OR RESPIRATORY INFECTION RIGHT NOW…. YOU MAY WELL HAVE COVID OR THE FLU. 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.
FLU TESTING CAN BE DONE IF YOU ARE FEELING PARTICULARLY SICK WITH YOUR UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTION. FLU IS STILL AROUND.
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
VACCINATIONS THIS WINTER AND SPRING:
DO NOT GET ALL SHOTS AT THE SAME TIME. RSV SHOULD BE TAKEN ALONE.
COVID SHOT:
CURRENT COVID IS AVAILABLE NOW…. GET IT NOW!
(It is at the pharmacies…our office does not carry this vaccine.)
WHO SHOULD GET IT:
IF YOU HAVE NOT HAD COVID YET AND ARE OVER 65, I RECOMMEND YOU STAY CURRENT WITH THE LATEST VERSION OF THE VACCINE. GET THE LATEST VACCINE WHEN AVAILABLE.
IF YOU HAVE HAD COVID, YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL PROTECTION AGAINST FUTURE INFECTION, BUT IS NOT A GUARANTEE.
I WOULD MAKE SURE YOU HAVE HAD A COVID SHOT DURING SPRING 2024 FOR THOSE OVER 65 WHO HAVE ADDITIONAL RISK DUE TO HEALTH ISSUES SUCH AS: ACTIVELY TREATED HEART FAILURE, LUNG DISEASE, OR DIABETES.
WHEN TO GET THE COVID VACCINE:
GET IT RIGHT NOW
RSV VACCINE:
THIS IS A NEW VACCINE THAT IS AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS YEAR.
(It is at the pharmacies… our office does not carry this vaccine.)
WHO SHOULD GET IT:
I DO NOT RECOMMEND IT FOR EVERYONE DURING THIS FIRST CALENDAR YEAR OF AVAILABILITY.
I DO THINK PEOPLE AT HIGHER RISK SHOULD CONSIDER GETTING THE RSV VACCINE THIS YEAR IF THEY ARE INCLINED…BUT DON’T FEEL OBLIGATED.
FOR THOSE OVER 65 WHO HAVE ADDITIONAL RISK FOR SERIOUS ILLNESS AS A RESULT OF HEALTH ISSUES SUCH AS: ACTIVELY TREATED HEART FAILURE, CANCER, LUNG DISEASE, OR DIABETES.
THERE ARE TWO VERSIONS, BOTH SIMILAR, AND THERE IS NO SPECIFIC REASON TO CHOOSE ONE OVER THE OTHER (ONE IS GSK..MAKERS OF SHINGRIX, THE OTHER IF PFIZER…MAKERS OF THE COVID VACCINE)
GETTING THE VACCINE THIS YEAR IS ELECTIVE. I AM NOT BROADLY RECOMMENDING IT. SEE BELOW FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS.
WHEN TO GET RSV VACCINE:
WAIT UNTIL NEXT SEASON AT THIS POINT…IT IS LATE IN SEASON AND RSV IS MODERATE TO LOW.
COVID:
THE 6TH COVID BOOSTER IS AVAILABLE FOR THOSE OVER 65 OR THOSE WHO ARE YOUNGER AND HAVE COMPROMISED IMMUNE SYSTEMS.
CONSIDER GETTING AN ADDITIONAL BOOSTER NOW IF:
YOU ARE OVER 65 AND HAVE NOT HAD COVID
YOU ARE AT HIGHER RISK DUE TO ILLNESS/MEDICATION (ANY AGE) AND HAVE NOT HAD COVID.
IF YOU HAVE HAD COVID OVER 4 MONTHS AGO AND WISH TO BOOST YOUR IMMUNITY.
YOU ARE TRAVELING EXTENSIVELY IN THE NEXT 6 MONTHS OR ARE GOING TO LARGE FAMILY EVENTS.
IF YOU HAVE NOT HAD COVID AND NOT HAD 5 SHOTS…AND ARE OVER 65…THE DATA IS COMPELLING THAT ADDITIONAL SHOTS WILL KEEP YOU OUT OF THE HOSPITAL. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS.
IF GOOD VENTILATION, OPEN SPACES….NO NEED TO MASK AS A GENERAL RULE.
CONSIDER WEARING A GOOD MASK (KN95 OR N95) SELECTIVELY AT BUSY INDOOR LOCATIONS TO STAY HEALTHY …ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE NOT HAD COVID.
LIVE YOUR LIFE AND GO OUT AND ABOUT AS YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE…… AND YOU SHOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE DOING SO.
HOW TO MANAGE AT THIS TIME FOR GATHERINGS:
PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE COMFORTABLE GETTING TOGETHER AND THEY SHOULD GET TOGETHER.
TO REDUCE RISK....HERE ARE SOME IDEAS TO CONSIDER:
GET YOUR COVID BOOSTER
DO NOT ATTEND GATHERINGS IF YOU ARE NOT FEELING WELL. ASK OTHERS NOT TO ATTEND IF THEY ARE NOT FEELING WELL.
KEEP AIR MOVING IN GATHERING AREAS. VENTILATION...BY NATURAL MEANS OUTDOORS OR WITH FANS, CAN BE HELPFUL.
WEARING A HIGH-QUALITY MASK AT GATHERINGS IS GOOD IF YOU ARE TRAVELING AND WISH TO AVOID INFECTION FOR TRAVEL. IT IS IMPERATIVE FOR THOSE WITH TRULY REDUCED IMMUNITY...THOSE RECEIVING CHEMOTHERAPY, THOSE WITH SEVERE LUNG DISEASE, AND THOSE RECOVERING FROM RECENT HOSPITALIZATION.
| 
