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October 1, 2023
THE NEW COVID VACCINE IS AVAILABLE!!!!!!
IT IS A VERY GOOD MATCH FOR THE CURRENT VARIANTS IN CIRCULATION.
CONSIDER BOOSTING WITH THE NEW COVID VACCINE.
COVID LEVELS ARE VERY HIGH IN ARIZONA AND NATIONALLY. THIS IS DUE TO NEW VARIANTS + WANING IMMUNITY.
XBB1 IS THE COMMON SUB-TYPE AND EG.5, IS THE MAJOR VARIANT. NUMBERS REMAIN UNCLEAR DUE TO LACK OF STANDARDIZED REPORTING, BUT BASED ON GENERAL OBSERVATIONS AND OUR PATIENTS’ REPORTS, WE ARE AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL. WORRY FACTOR IS LOW FOR TWO REASONS…THE VIRUS IS ATTENUATED (MILDER) & THERE IS BROAD IMMUNITY IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE CONTINUE TO SEE COVID PRIMARILY IN TRAVELERS, IN PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT HAVE COVID YET, AND IN PEOPLE WHO ARE SPENDING TIME IN CLOSE QUARTERS WITH LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE.
TIMING OF VACCINATIONS THIS FALL AND WINTER:
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FLU SHOT
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COVID SHOT
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RSV SHOT
DO NOT GET ALL SHOTS AT THE SAME TIME.
IF YOU WISH, YOU CAN GET FLU AND COVID AT THE SAME TIME. THAT IS PROVEN SAFE AND EFFECTIVE.
IF YOU ARE GETTING MULTIPLE SHOTS, PLEASE GIVE 2 WEEKS BETWEEN SHOTS
FLU SHOT:
WHO SHOULD GET IT: RECOMMEND IT FOR EVERYONE OVER 65 AND FOR ANYONE OF ANY AGE WHO DOES NOT WANT TO GET THE FLU.
TIMING: GET YOUR FLU SHOT NOW THROUGH MID NOVEMBER.
FLU SEASON WAS EARLY LAST YEAR, BUT TYPICALLY BEGINS IN EARNEST AROUND THANKSGIVING IN ARIZONA. IT TAKES 2-3 WEEKS FOR THE FLU SHOT TO BE FULLY EFFECTIVE.
COVID SHOT:
NEW COVID IS AVAILABLE NOW…GET IT NOW!
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 THE 2023 CALENDAR YEAR 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.
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:
GET IT ANYTIME…STARTING NOW…THROUGH THE FEBRUARY.
WEST NILE SEASON IS STILL HERE. USE PROTECTION. IF WE HEAR OF NEW CASES…WILL REPORT TO YOU. NOT CURRENTLY HIGH LEVEL IN TOWN, BUT NOW IS THE TIME. BY THE TIME WE SEE THE INCREASE WE WILL BE RUNNING BEHIND…. SO, BEGIN NOW.
PLEASE USE MOSQUITO REPELLENT DAILY OR AT LEAST WHEN IN HIGH EXPOSURE SITUATIONS.
ARIZONA IS THE PRIME USA LOCATION FOR WEST NILE DUE TO HIGH WEST NILE VIRUS LEVELS IN RAPTOR BIRDS WHO ARE IMMUNE TO WEST NILE ILLNESS, BUT NOT IMMUNE TO CARRYING THE VIRUS.
THIS CAN RESULT IN ARIZONA MOSQUITOS WITH PARTICULARLY HIGH VIRUS LEVELS WHEN THEY BITE.
COVID:
THE 5TH 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.
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