Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #112

[Inthedetails]

IIRC, RFK, Jr was making threatening noises to doctors the other day if they did this. He seems to make up a lot of things to back up his threats, though.

RFK Jr. Warns Docs of Liability if They Stray From CDC on Vaccines

'Misleading,' expert says

www.medpagetoday.com

If only they were as passionate about universal health care access in the US as they are about vaccines.

So RFKJr is micromanaging doctors who are educated, trained, and experienced in medical care based on his own experience of being a spoiled kook who "did his own research" and found bunk information. Got it.

jmo

 

[Teche]

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5471327-autism-epidemic-kennedy-trump/

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Tuesday he’s on track to identify “interventions” that are “certainly causing autism” and possible ways of addressing them by September.

In April, Kennedy vowed to find the cause of growing rates of autism, calling it an “epidemic” that “dwarfs the COVID epidemic.”

President Trump asked Kennedy for a progress update during a Cabinet meeting Tuesday, saying, “The autism is such a tremendous horror show. What’s happening in our country and some other countries, but mostly our country. How are you doing?”

“We are doing very well,” Kennedy responded. “We will have announcements as promised in September, finding interventions, certain interventions, now that are clearly almost certainly causing autism. And we’re going to be able to address those in September.”...

I think we all know very well where this is going. Heaven, help us!

This should be interesting.

 

[Sundog]

My hunch is if you ask a doctor for the covid shot, s/he will provide one or give a prescription to take elsewhere. Doctors are allowed to go "off label." I'm thinking you won't have to come up with a reason as doctors are mosly pro-vaccine and can use their professional discretion to provide vaccines for those who want it.

I hope that is the case.

jmo

I wonder if health insurance providers will approve a physician prescribing the Covid shot by going off label. The physician has to provide the reason for going off label to the insurance provider, I assume.

 

[Gemmie]

More details behind CDC shake-up​

In other developments, more details are emerging in the wake of resignations of top CDC scientists. Dan Jernigan, MD, MPH, who resigned from his post as head of the CDC's National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, told the Washington Post that he decided to resign after he was forced to work with David Geier, a proponent of the long-discredited claim that vaccines cause autism who was disciplined in Maryland more than a decade ago for practicing medicine without a license.

HHS secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had hired Geier to do a new study on the link, with results expected in September. It's unclear if the report will be part of proceedings at the next CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). However, at a lengthy cabinet meeting this week, President Trump alluded to the study and said that something artificial like "a drug or something" could be the cause of autism. He said he looked forward to appearing at a press conference with Kennedy to release the findings.

RFK Jr deputy named CDC acting director as confusion surrounds COVID vaccine availability

www.cidrap.umn.edu

 

[Betty P]

This should be interesting.

The David Geier guy only has a Bachelor degree in science.

I hadn’t read about his work with his dad until now. Their work and claims are based on bad experiments done in their own home. Good grief.

Mark Geier - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[slowpoke]

COVID cases are high in Texas, California, Oregon, Nevada, New Mexico and other states in the West and South Central part of the country.​

If You Live In These Areas Of The U.S., You Need To Be Extra Careful With COVID Right Now

While everyone should take precautions to stay well, folks in certain states should be extra careful.

www.huffpost.com

—-
I went for a mammogram screening yesterday at a Kaiser Permanente Medical Office. While there, we noticed they were administering flu shots on a drop-in basis, so we decided we might as well get it, since we were there.

My husband thought to inquire about Covid vaccinations. She stated she believes Kaiser will start offering it around mid-September.

 

[Gemmie]

COVID cases are high in Texas, California, Oregon, Nevada, New Mexico and other states in the West and South Central part of the country.​

If You Live In These Areas Of The U.S., You Need To Be Extra Careful With COVID Right Now

While everyone should take precautions to stay well, folks in certain states should be extra careful.

www.huffpost.com

—-
I went for a mammogram screening yesterday at a Kaiser Permanente Medical Office. While there, we noticed they were administering flu shots on a drop-in basis, so we decided we might as well get it, since we were there.

My husband thought to inquire about Covid vaccinations. She stated she believes Kaiser will start offering it around mid-September.

Mid-September has always been when they were available where I live since the first one came out.

 

[Warwick1991]

My hunch is if you ask a doctor for the covid shot, s/he will provide one or give a prescription to take elsewhere. Doctors are allowed to go "off label." I'm thinking you won't have to come up with a reason as doctors are mosly pro-vaccine and can use their professional discretion to provide vaccines for those who want it.

I hope that is the case.

jmo

One of the problems

The David Geier guy only has a Bachelor degree in science.

I hadn’t read about his work with his dad until now. Their work and claims are based on bad experiments done in their own home. Good grief.

Mark Geier - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Promoting Geier reminds me of a period in the history of the USSR - Lysenkoism. Trofim Lysenko, a quack scientist who rejected genetics, was endorsed by Stalin in the early 1930s, setting back the study of genetics, affecting both research in medicine and in agriculture. Lysenko faked the results of his experiments, and was a fraud. Science in the USSR was set back for decades. Will we ruin medicine and research here for decades? We might.

 

[Betty P]

One of the problems
Promoting Geier reminds me of a period in the history of the USSR - Lysenkoism. Trofim Lysenko, a quack scientist who rejected genetics, was endorsed by Stalin in the early 1930s, setting back the study of genetics, affecting both research in medicine and in agriculture. Lysenko faked the results of his experiments, and was a fraud. Science in the USSR was set back for decades. Will we ruin medicine and research here for decades? We might.

Thanks for telling us that bit of history. It’s hard to explain just how much scientific/medical progress we’re losing as these research programs are being terminated. Every research project in progress is destroyed. If sanity is restored in the future and these research programs are funded again, most have to be started from scratch. It can take years to complete. Decades to rebuild is not an exaggeration.

 

[gremlin444]

New update from late in the day today on CVS/WG and the 16 states where they weren't able to offer the covid shot:

CVS and Walgreens limit access to COVID vaccines as required by some state guidelines

CVS said the pharmacy chain cannot vaccinate those even with a prescription in Massachusetts, Nevada and New Mexico due to state laws and regulations.

www.cbsnews.com

3 states they can't give covid shots at all even with Rx: Massachusetts, Nevada and New Mexico

16 states where pharmacists require a prescription from doctor: (it looks like the NYT article has been updated and lists them, but I don't have a subscription)

35 where you just have to self testify as to being at high risk, no Rx needed:

Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming

 

[Warwick1991]

My hunch is if you ask a doctor for the covid shot, s/he will provide one or give a prescription to take elsewhere. Doctors are allowed to go "off label." I'm thinking you won't have to come up with a reason as doctors are mosly pro-vaccine and can use their professional discretion to provide vaccines for those who want it.

I hope that is the case.

jmo

Years ago, most vaccines were administered in a physician's office, and over time, the process shifted to pharmacies and public clinics of various types. The challenges today for returning to a physician's office for vaccines might include liability insurance issues, purchasing refrigerators, and billing. Liability insurance might be a problem if the vaccines are not CDC-approved. Perhaps patients can sign a release. Insurance may stop paying for vaccines because without CDC approval, they can probably drop coverage. In some respects, office vaccine administration might be profitable, because the physician wouldn't be limited to minimal reimbursement levels.

I hope my physicians will arrange to provide the vaccine if HHS doubles down on following this disastrous path.

 

[Gemmie]

Wow at this realization. A few of us have talked about mNEXSPIKE in this thread coming available later this month. I just talked to a CVS pharmacist because I'm trying to understand if my state requires a prescription or not as an article I read was vague. He mentioned that for those over 65, and younger with pre-existing conditions, in my state of Oregon... that no prescription is needed. He then went on to say that the new formula is different for those in the 2 categories I mentioned above. It's (A) a lower dose (10 mcg vs 50 mcg), and (B) an alternative vaccine with a more targeted immune response vs Spikevax.

Just wow. From Moderna's CEO:

With the benefit of years of real-world data and a deeper understanding of the virus, we explored if alternative vaccine design strategies could be more effective. mNEXSPIKE was born from this continued push for excellence. Its streamlined vaccine design aims to target key parts of the spike protein rather than the entire spike protein, and at a lower dose.

Introducing mNEXSPIKE: Moderna’s New COVID-19 Vaccine

Introducing mNEXSPIKE: Moderna’s New COVID-19 Vaccine

www.modernatx.com

 

[Gemmie]

I hope y'all are having an easier time getting an appt for a Covid vaccine than I am. My local CVS (one opening right down the street and another in the next city over) aren't available, and I was looking over 3 weeks out! The one 1 city over wasn't even listed as an option to select another date. the only 2 cities are both 30+ miles one way. I ain't drivin' that far! And I'm not looking for tomorrow, either. I was clear out on 9/23 as my preferred date.

Then my local Fred Meyer (Kroger) let me get all the way to the end of scheduling online, just to throw up this block in my face:

What the heck??? And they are supposed to have the new 2025/2026 version. Or at least the CVS site stated that.

Why does everything I do in life right now have to be so darn difficult? *sigh*

 

[charminglane]

I picked up a prescription last week at CVS. They asked if I would like to make my flu shot appointment. I inquired as to the date of the Covid vaccine release, that I would book them together. The employee said mid-September.
I even received an actual phone call from them to book my flu shot appointment on Saturday when I was working.
Reading your post, @Gemmie, I'm going to take a peek at the website and report back.

 

[charminglane]

Reporting back.
I have an appointment for next Monday for Flu, Covid, and Shingles #2.

 

[Gemmie]

Reporting back.
I have an appointment for next Monday for Flu, Covid, and Shingles #2.

I'm happy for you! I wonder why my 2 local CVS' aren't showing as options. I really don't want to drive 60 miles on the highway. They aren't even showing as booked for the date I selected (9/23) and asking me to pick a different date. They just don't show as options at all.

And I'm not looking for tomorrow, either. I was clear out on 9/23 as my preferred date. Totally unsure what's going on with Fred Meyer. I'm calling a local pharmacy tomorrow, not a national chain. They schedule by phone so at least I can chat with someone in the know about things covid vaccine related. If I can get them to pick up the phone. lol

 

[charminglane]

I'm happy for you! I wonder why my 2 local CVS' aren't showing as options. I really don't want to drive 60 miles on the highway. They aren't even showing as booked for the date I selected (9/23) and asking me to pick a different date. They just don't show as options at all.

And I'm not looking for tomorrow, either. I was clear out on 9/23 as my preferred date. Totally unsure what's going on with Fred Meyer. I'm calling a local pharmacy tomorrow, not a national chain. They schedule by phone so at least I can chat with someone in the know about things covid vaccine related. If I can get them to pick up the phone. lol

Thank you for being my protector reminder!

 

[Auntie Cipation]

Reporting back.
I have an appointment for next Monday for Flu, Covid, and Shingles #2.

Brave! Shingles has a reputation of hefty side effects for a day or two. Combined with others, well, at least you'll have them all out of the way!

I'll be looking to get a COVID vax in the next couple of weeks, if either of my local pharmacies has them.

Flu I will get when our County Public Health Dept does their annual drive-thru clinic, usually mid October.

 

[IceIce9]

“When CDC Director Susan Monarez refused to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives and fire dedicated health experts, she chose protecting the public over serving a political agenda. For that, she has been targeted,” said her lawyers, Mark Zaid and Abbe Lowell.

Kennedy, a longtime anti-vaccine activist, has been a controversial figure to lead the country’s health agencies. He has cut $500 million in contracts focused on developing mRNA vaccines, drawing sharp criticism from the scientific community and former government officials, and under his guidance, HHS has made a number of vaccine policy decisions that limit access to vaccines or call vaccine safety into question in recent weeks.

CDC director Susan Monarez fired by Trump administration after refusing to resign

Monarez’s lawyers said she “refused to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives.” The White House responded that she was “not aligned with the President’s agenda.”

www.nbcnews.com

I discuss vaccinations with my physician.

 

[IceIce9]

This is worth reading

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s leadership is “unlike anything our country has ever experienced,” nine former directors and acting directors of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wrote in a scathing guest essay Monday for The New York Times.

The piece — which appeared online under the headline “We Ran the C.D.C.: Kennedy Is Endangering Every American’s Health” — came days after President Donald Trump fired CDC director Susan Monarez. Through her lawyers, Monarez has maintained she refused to sign off on reckless and unscientific orders.

Former CDC directors cast RFK Jr. as 'dangerous' in New York Times guest essay

The essay, signed by nine former directors and acting directors, comes amid a crisis surrounding President Donald Trump's firing last week of director Susan Monarez.

www.nbcnews.com