New Covid vaccination recommendations for Spring 2023

 Here is the communique from the Maryland Department of Health.

Following the FDA April 18, 2023 announcement, CDC has taken steps to simplify COVID-19 vaccine recommendations and allow more flexibility for people at higher risk who want the option to receive an additional COVID-19 vaccine dose.

These changes include:

• CDC’s new recommendations allow an additional updated (bivalent) vaccine dose for adults ages 65 years and older and additional doses for people who are immunocompromised. This allows more flexibility for healthcare providers to administer additional doses to immunocompromised patients as needed.  
• Monovalent (original) COVID-19 mRNA COVID-19 vaccines will no longer be recommended for use in the United States. 
• CDC recommends that everyone ages 6 years and older receive an updated (bivalent) mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, regardless of whether they previously completed their (monovalent) primary series.  
• Individuals ages 6 years and older who have already received an updated mRNA vaccine do not need to take any action unless they are 65 years or older or immunocompromised. 
• For young children, multiple doses continue to be recommended and will vary by age, vaccine, and which vaccines were previously received.  

Alternatives to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines remain available for people who cannot or will not receive an mRNA vaccine. CDC’s recommendations for use of (monovalent) Novavax or Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccines were not affected by the changes made today. 

Covid 2022. How does Omicron vary from Delta?

 COVID 2022: 

 So now its 2022 and as its name suggests Covid-19 is going into its 3^rd year of existence.

Let’s summarize what we have learned and how this information can be helpful going forward.

I would also like to address some of the numerous myths out there.

 

COVID-19 VACCINES:

First off: The biggest deal is the vaccines, we have learned a lot. They are safe and very effective. 90% of people dying from Covid now are unvaccinated, what more do you need to know?

My hesitation regarding mRNA vaccines is now gone. I think one should always have a healthy skepticism but once science proves the point we should move on. After millions of vaccinations the jury is in. They are safe and effective.

Some people still need to be careful about which one they get but every one should get something.

I was a little hesitant regarding younger people because of the unknowns with the mechanism of action of the mRNA vaccines but now I am comfortable with children being vaccinated.  I don’t know why Moderna has not been authorized below 17 yet, it could be they are still trying to figure out the dose, since Moderna’s dose is larger in the basic shot.

Women who has been vaccinated pass protective antibodies to their babies in breast milk.

 

FACT: The recommendation for a Booster has now been changed to 5 months from the last vaccination.

Patients who have already received the initial series and a booster may be eligible for an additional booster if their immunocompromised status warrants it.

 

FACT: Getting a COVID-19 vaccination is a safer and more dependable way to build immunity to COVID-19 than getting sick with COVID-19.

Getting a COVID-19 vaccine gives most people a high level of protection against COVID-19 and can provide added protection for people who have already had COVID-19. One study showed that, for people who already had COVID-19, those who do not get vaccinated after their recovery are more than 2 times as likely to get COVID-19 again than those who get fully vaccinated after their recovery.

Getting vaccinated yourself may also protect people around you, particularly people at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19. Getting sick with COVID-19 can cause severe illness or death, and we can’t reliably predict who will have mild or severe illness. If you get sick, you can spread COVID-19 to others. You can also continue to have long-term health issues after COVID-19 infection.

FACT: COVID-19 vaccines do not change or interact with your DNA in any way. So they cannot alter your DNA.

FACT: Covid vaccinations have no effect on male or female fertility and do not change a woman’s menstruation. In addition they are recommended for pregnant women.

MYTH: Getting a COVID-19 vaccine will cause you to test positive on a viral test.

FACT: None of the authorized and recommended COVID-19 vaccines can cause you to test positive on viral tests, which are used to see if you have a current infection. You may test positive on some antibody (blood) tests which are used to see if you have developed immunity from previous infection or vaccination.

 

At this point we know that the vaccines are safer than the antiviral medicines that have been given EUA, don’t put yourself in the position of needing one.

 

If you are asymptomatic and think you were exposed to Covid  but got a negative home test you can get a PCR test after 5 days.

If you are symptomatic just follow the guidelines for quarantine.

 

At this point it seems that almost everyone knows someone who is positive for Covid unlike this time last year.

Here are some of the differences I have noticed between the Delta and Omicron variants:

Last year the Delta was much more severe, possibly because fewer people were vaccinated. It was more likely to infect and damage the lungs and cause pneumonia. People were sicker for longer.

Omicron on the other hand often starts with a sore throat and pressure around the eyes like a sinus infection headache. It may feel like a bad flu for a couple of days but it doesn’t seem to cause the high fever, loss of taste and smell and severe respiratory symptoms that Delta does. Vaccinated people do very well with it. 90% of people who end up admitted to hospital have not been vaccinated.

 

The biggest problem with Omicron is that it spreads like wild fire, it is even more contagious than the flu!

 

In other news, FYI:

Concierge Program:

The annual discount ends January 31^st.

 

The Laurel office will be open Saturday February 5^th.

Concierge can be seen any day by special appointment.

We are still giving Booster and initial vaccination shots.

You will need to bring proof of vaccination when you come to the office. 

Happy New Year!

 

 

OMG its Omicron! What to do.

Season’s Greetings! You have probably noticed that I was giving you a break with the emails but the new panic button has caused me to write again. It’s called the Omicron variant of SARS-2-CoV-2 virus. “What shall we do?” people ask as they wring their hands. The short answer is nothing different, the same thing that you should have been doing all along but had started to slack off on. The masks, the social distancing, the avoiding crowds, the hand sanitizer and hand washing. Combine that with immunizations and hope. Hope that the rest of the country will eventually get the message and the pandemic will be over. As I mentioned well over a year ago, corona viruses are famous for mutating and we should expect variants fairly regularly. That is why you need to get a flu shot annually because the dominant variants this year may not necessarily be the dominant strain next year. With the Covid-19 pandemic the current cause of over 90% of the hospitalizations is the delta variant. Remember the panic when we heard about Delta? We can envision a time when the Omicron variant or some other variant will be the predominant strain. Whenever there is a new variant announced you can pretty much assume it is already here in the US. There is no need to wait and watch the state by state “breaking news”. This simply causes unnecessary anxiety. The idea is not to panic. Variants are guaranteed to happen but you must stay the course and follow scientific guidance and common sense. A patient wisely told me last week that he had just decided not to go to his family in South Carolina for Thanksgiving because his relatives all refuse to get vaccinated, smart move. Then he said “The last straw was when my aunt died of Covid…..” We are still offering Covid boosters in the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Please note: I will alter my modus a little with these emails. I don’t want to add to the stuffing of my patients’ inboxes unless it is very important. So I will continue to write blogs and also make videos on important topics and discuss experiences that patients have had that others can learn from. So this will be the last one for this year, hopefully nothing  major will happen this month. Soon you will be contacted for a phone satisfaction survey, I would love you to participate in those calls but they are by no means mandatory. All feedback is welcome and encouraged. Last but not least, all AALI products are on sale buy 2 (of the same product) get one free through Xmas day. These are great for stocking stuffers and the body wash is much less drying in winter than soap. (Especially since you are washing your hands all the time:). WEIGHT LOSS: All HCG programs will be 10%  off if paid for this year even if you don’t start the actual weight loss program until next year. Refer a friend for the program and get another 10% off. You can also pay in advance for B12 shots.   Call early for refills or other services that need to take place before the end of the year. Stock up on vitamins if you have extra HSA or cafeteria funds. Plan on looking extra good for the holidays? Call soon. I wish you all a safe and happy holiday season.

Remember to take vitamin C, D and zinc and call early if you get a positive Covid test so we can work on keeping you OUT of the hospital. Here are other suggestions, if you have forgotten: https://anti-agingdoctor.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-infodemic-from-pandemic-covid-19.html

Johnson and Johnson as well as Moderna Covid vaccines available in the office now

 

Moderna and Johnson and Johnson Covid vaccines available now. All vaccines are free of charge for patients as well as non patients. Appointments required.

Please note: I will be out of the office from June 17th to 25th ‌

One year of Covid blogs and other information

 Today’s email is a hodge podge of things.

For one thing it is hard for me to believe I have been writing these emails now for a whole year. Right on time for this anniversary, I received a very sweet card today from one of my patients telling me that my emails have been very helpful in getting her through this pandemic while feeling informed and reassured. I was literally touched to tears by her card. That gives me the fuel to keep writing them, so thank you so very much. I want you to know that it means a lot.

I have been lucky not to lose any patients so far but we cannot quit while we are ahead. At the same time none of us are untouched by this catastrophe.

5 and a quarter million people dead, a number so big it is hard to mentally grapple with it. So big, there is nowhere for us to lay our unspeakable sorrow. 

On Friday a patient came in (at my urging) for a blood pressure check. I hadn’t seen her for a while. On checking her blood pressure it was totally out of control and I asked her why. I thought she was going to tell me that she ran out of her medicine “I buried my son 2 days ago from Covid” was the answer.

I tell this story so people don’t get spring fever and get crazy. It will be déjà vu all over again. The threat is still with us. The only good news is that now we have a vaccine that can help us get on top of the pandemic but the pandemic is going to be with us for a long time. We can’t let up now.

Amidst all the Covid drama do not forget how fragile life is and was, even without the pandemic.

I had two patients diagnosed with cancer last week, confirming the need to continue getting your full physical and routine health check up, even if you feel fine. 

One patient is in the hospital right now battling a very rare form of cancer. Because she came in December for her routine complete physical, I was able to reassure the oncologist how aggressive this new condition is and show that it only started after that time. I provided them with baseline numbers showing there was no sign of it in December. Please take note: you don’t just get a physical to “find something wrong” you also get it to establish what your current state of health is, so you have a baseline for the future.

I also want to continue giving you information that you can use and FYI‘s that are related to what’s going on now. So here are a few tidbits.

FYI:

A study from the UK shows that you should delay any surgery by at least 7 weeks after a COVID-19 diagnosis.

WARNING: People have tested positive after one and 2 shots of the Covid vaccine.

If two is good are three better? No, An elderly man in Hamilton, Ohio, went into shock after accidentally receiving two coronavirus vaccinations for the second dose on the same day at a nursing home.

New pills to treat patients with COVID-19 are currently in mid stage clinical trials and, if successful, could be ready by the end of the year. These medicines would do for Covid what Tamiflu (Ostemavir) does for the flu.

And now to go completely off topic! 2 things I thought some of my patients might find interesting.

According to Medscape: “There is a growing body of evidence that smartphone addiction has a deleterious impact on sleep,” wrote the researchers. This study was published online March 2 in Frontiers of Psychiatry: Smartphone “addiction” may explain poor sleep quality in a significant proportion of young adults, new research suggests.

Investigators found that almost 40% of adults aged 18-30 years who self-reported excessive smartphone use also reported poor sleep.

And last of all:

The University of Virginia in Charlottesville put out a study that shows that the right colon appears to age faster in Black people than in White people, perhaps explaining the higher prevalence of right-side colon cancer among Black Americans, according to results from a biopsy study. Stay tuned…