Slowly good news, TVD Friends,
No, we don’t have COVID vaccine at The Village Doctor. Nor do any of the other local small private practices, BUT…! We are starting to see some movement and better organization in the vaccine distribution world. Today from Sutter Health (PAMF), “We anticipate opening vaccination to patients who are age 65 and older later this week, in addition to those over age 75 and healthcare workers”. As we announced last week, a bit before it was made public, Stanford also opened for the same. In addition, CVS Pharmacy just announced it will begin vaccinating at several hundred locations nationwide. This includes three in the Bay Area, Sunnyvale, Sonoma and San Francisco. Beginning February 9, 2021, those over the age of 65 can register online at https://www.cvs.com/immunizations/covid-19-vaccine or call 800-746-7287.
Perhaps the biggest news relates to those who live in Santa Clara county. Just on Thursday, the County announced a “no wrong door” system (presumably with the buy in of Stanford, Kaiser, and Sutter (PAMF), wherein any patient over the age of 65 living (or working) in Santa Clara county can schedule and receive a vaccine at any health care system. “Anyone who is 65 and up — doesn’t matter where you get your medical care — you can register and get care,” Health Officer Dr.Sara Cody said. “A Kaiser patient can come to the county. A Stanford patient can go to Kaiser. A county patient can go to Stanford. It doesn’t matter — if you’re 65 and up, we want you to get vaccinated.” Read more about this breaking news here.
Again, we are working hard on keeping How Do I Get My Covid Vaccine up to date, so please visit, or share with your friends and family, as needed. Another very frequently updated FAQ is How Can I Get Tested For COVID-19, which includes an update from friends at Evera about their home COVID testing program. Also, our FAQ page itself has been slightly reformatted, have a look. Remember that SEARCH on our FAQ page is a powerful tool for finding answers to your questions.
As I write all these words about vaccine, I realize I have been remiss in mentioning another group which is getting immunized, namely Team TVD! As you may know, both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine require a two dose series, 3 to 4 weeks apart. Current data suggest that it takes an additional 2 to 4 weeks after completing the series to develop sufficient immunity to allow doctors, staff, and our patients, to safely meet in our offices. Note that despite being immunized, we still do not know if immunized folks are still a risk to their families or loved ones. As such, we do continue to be selective about in person office visits, choosing to see patients over Zoom or a phone call whenever possible. We all very much look forward to the time when we can completely safely see each other again!
Eric Weiss, MD, February 4, 2021
NOTE: CV🦠News is a labor of love. If you enjoy reading this, please share widely! Was this forwarded to you by a friend? Please subscribe here.
This has been updated as of February 3, 2021.
Please note The Village Doctor has NOT received our allotment of vaccines from San Mateo County, so we encourage our patients to not delay and receive their dose from one of the following sources.
Great news this week!
CVS Pharmacy announced it will begin vaccinating at several hundred locations nationwide. This includes three in the Bay Area, Sunnyvale, Sonoma and San Francisco. Beginning February 9, 2021, those over the age of 65 can register online at https://www.cvs.com/immunizations/covid-19-vaccine or call 800-746-7287
California is vaccinating those in Tier 1b (1). If you are eligible to receive a coronavirus vaccine, please see below for guidance on how to sign up for your vaccine.
Vaccine distribution in the Bay Area will increase in the next two weeks with the addition of CVS… Read more
Prerana Sangani, MD, February 3, 2021
This is a tricky question, as the large phase III trials of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines excluded pregnant women. We simply do not have high-quality human clinical data to guide our decision-making.
The CDC, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) all recommend “shared decision-making” between each pregnant patient and their healthcare provider to make a decision on whether to receive the COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy… Read more
Jennifer Abrams, MD, February 2, 2021
Even if you have already had COVID-19 (whether you had symptoms or not), you should still get vaccinated for COVID for several reasons.
- We don’t know how long immunity will last. Although rare, there are a some reports of people getting reinfected with COVID, indicating that natural immunity wanes with time. Getting vaccinated will boost your immunity further.
- The mRNA COVID vaccines are about 95% effective in preventing COVID disease, and even if you do catch it again, you are much less likely to have severe symptoms or need to be admitted to the hospital.
- Despite several new virus variants circulating, most early studies show that the vaccine still provides protection. It may also reduce the severity of disease in the case of reinfection with one of these variants.
Sky Pittson, MD, February 3, 2021
In many ways, the procedure for getting your first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine won’t feel all that different from the flu shots that you (hopefully) get every year. Here’s a step-by-step guide for what to expect.
- Check-in
When you first check in for your appointment, you will fill out a questionnaire to make sure there’s no health reason that would preclude you from receiving your first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The vast majority of people are completely safe to take the vaccine, but if you feel unsure about whether you have a health condition that might impact this, read our earlier FAQ about this… Read more
Eric Weiss, MD, February 3, 2021
HOPE AND GRACE
If you have made it this far, time for a reward, something to lighten your day, and acknowledge the human spirit. Find some escape, or perhaps even inspiration, in this ever-growing collection of works and perspectives gathered from around the world. Please contact me directly if you have come across something that has lifted your heart today. Dr. Eric Weiss
The generous COVID Bandit
The “COVID Bandit”, a customer at a Colorado restaurant, left a $1,400 tip with instructions to give each of the seven employees $200.
The customer, who had only been to the Notchtop Bakery & Café once before, came for breakfast and asked the waitress how many people were working that day.
Owner Nailya Khametvalieva said: “That brought truly tears to all the servers [and] cooks — you know, nobody ever thinks of cooks — the cooks were just so surprised and shocked. We were all shocked. We did thank him, but I felt like we didn’t do it enough.”
Snowy Owl sighting in Central Park
For the first time in 130 years, a snowy owl made a surprise visit to New York’s Central Park and perhaps the first-ever documented record of this species in this iconic location.
David Barrett, who runs a popular Twitter page, Manhattan Bird Alert, was the first to report the sighting. He said: “Yesterday’s snow and cold to our north likely encouraged this SNOWY OWL to fly south in search of better hunting conditions.”
It’s amazing to note that with more people taking walks outside during the lockdowns, more birds than ever are being reported on wildlife apps and on social media.
Well-loved cleaning lady gifted massive apartment
An emotional video showcasing the moment a hard-working cleaner in New York City who endured hard times during the pandemic was gifted an apartment thanks to all the people who lived in the building where she works.
Again, CV🦠News is a labor of love. If you enjoy reading this, please share widely! Was this forwarded to you by a friend? Please subscribe here.
*****
Yours, in health and resilience,
Eric and the TVD MD team…
