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Life's Simple 7 - Make Positive Lifestyle Changes this Spring

Tue, 08 Mar 2022 18:27:55 GMT

Hello AFM family,

This week I thought I would share some information I found about how to live a more healthy life. Spring is just around the corner, often a good time to make some positive changes in our lifestyles!

Life's Simple 7 is defined by the American Heart Association as the 7 risk factors that people can improve through lifestyle changes to help achieve ideal cardiovascular health.

Manage Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. When your blood pressure stays within healthy ranges, you reduce the strain on your heart, arteries, and kidneys which keeps you healthier longer.

Control Cholesterol

High cholesterol contributes to plaque, which can clog arteries and lead to heart disease and stroke. When you control your cholesterol, you are giving your arteries their best chance to remain clear of blockages.

Reduce Blood Sugar

Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose (or blood sugar) that our bodies use for energy. Over time, high levels of blood sugar can damage your heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves.

Get Active

Living an active life is one of the most rewarding gifts you can give yourself and those you love. Simply put, daily physical activity increases your length and quality of life.

Eat Better

A healthy diet is one of your best weapons for fighting cardiovascular disease. When you eat a heart-healthy diet, you improve your chances for feeling good and staying healthy – for life!

Lose Weight

When you shed extra fat and unnecessary pounds, you reduce the burden on your heart, lungs, blood vessels and skeleton. You give yourself the gift of active living, you lower your blood pressure and you help yourself feel better, too.

Stop Smoking

Cigarette smokers have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. If you smoke, quitting is the best thing you can do for your health.

These measures have one unique thing in common: any person can make these changes, the steps are not expensive to take and even modest improvements to your health will make a big difference. Start with one or two. This simple, seven step list has been developed to deliver on the hope we all have--to live a long, productive healthy life.

Enjoy some sunshine this week (and increase your vitamin D naturally!).

Dr. Powell

How Direct Primary Care is Changing Everything

Mon, 28 Feb 2022 23:39:31 GMT

Hello AFM family,

I am sharing this video with you as it explains Direct Primary Care in today's healthcare world. Take a look!

Dr. Powell

The latest on Covid prevention and treatment options

Tue, 08 Feb 2022 19:41:04 GMT

Hello AFM family,

There are many people sick with the Omicron variant in our community right now. Many will have mild symptoms, but some unfortunately will be more severe. Immunization is the best strategy to protect yourself and others in your home and community, along with masking and isolation if you have symptoms, but now there are some treatment options:

Paxlovid has been shown to reduce the chance of hospitalization and death by 89% in high-risk Covid OUTPATIENTS with mild to moderate symptoms who do not require oxygen or have an oxygen requirement above their baseline if already on oxygen.

Paxlovid must be prescribed in the first 5 days of symptoms.

Prescriptions can be picked up at Asante pharmacies in Grants Pass and Medford (patients call upon arrival and pharmacy techs will deliver the prescription to the patient in their vehicle).

Due to currently limited supply, paxlovid is only available to certain categories of individuals (such as the unvaccinated 65 or older or under 65 with concerning risk factors, or vaccinated 75 or older or 65 and older with risk factors). Immunocompromised patients are a higher priority than everyone else. This will change (become more available, perhaps become like the medication given for influenza) as more supply becomes available.

There are potential interactions with many commonly prescribed and over-the-counter drugs including opiates, some blood pressure medications and statins, bupropion, trazodone, colchicine, birth control pills, warfarin and St. John’s wort.

Sotrovimab is the only monoclonal antibody approved treatment for the Omicron variant which is mostly what we have in Southern Oregon right now. Patients who qualify have:

Positive Covid-19 test

Be within 10 days of symptom onset

Be at least 12 years old

Weigh at least 40kg

Not be hospitalized

Not require oxygen or more oxygen than baseline

Be at high risk for progressing to severe disease

FREE N95 MASKS! These are better than cloth or even the blue surgical masks.

1. N95 mask availability in the community

1. The same pharmacies that participate in the COVID-19 Retail Pharmacy Vaccine program should also have N95s available soon/already. For a list of these pharmacies visit: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/retail-pharmacy-program/participating-pharmacies.html

2. In addition, some HRSA funded sites will have them as well. Siskiyou Community Health is on this list, but they do not have the supplies on site at this time.

Let’s all take care of each other! Please contact me with any questions and remember I still have vaccine clinics Mondays and Wednesdays, free, open to the public, no waiting in line.

Dr. Powell

Navigating Isolation & Quarantine Recommendations

Tue, 25 Jan 2022 00:39:35 GMT

Hello Access Family Medicine family,

I know there has been a lot of changes to recommendations regarding vaccines, isolation, quarantine, etc. I heard one statement recently that expressed it's not that the scientists change things, it's that the virus changes. So we have to change the rules to keep up with it, that unfriendly little bug....!

Below are the current recommendations regarding isolation (if you have symptoms or have a positive Covid test) and quarantine (if you have been exposed).

One item to note is that if you have any symptoms (seems like a cold, or allergies, or even fatigue and GI symptoms), you should isolate. Even if it's not Covid, it would be polite not to give whatever you've come down with to someone else! If you are not seriously ill, as tests can be in short supply, testing might not be necessary.

Many who are eligible for boosters in Josephine County haven't received them yet. Latest studies show boosters are pretty effective against death and hospitalization with Omicron, so it's worth it.

Vaccine clinics at my office are Mondays 9-12 and 3-5 and Wednesdays 1-5, walk-ins welcome, free to everyone.

Take care of yourselves and each other!

Dr. Powell

Isolation & Quarantine Flowchart

Josephine County

Current Recommendations & Common Questions

Mon, 10 Jan 2022 01:23:25 GMT

Hello Access Family Medicine family,

Here are the current recommendations regarding immunizations, exposure, and if you test positive (note that boosters are now recommended at 5 not 6 months after your second vaccine dose). Please feel free to keep this on hand for if/when you get sick and share with others.

FYI KF94 masks are now recommended above cloth masks to protect yourself. As an example, if both people are wearing cloth masks, transmission for a sick (even asymptomatic) to well person occurs in probably 20 minutes. If both are wearing surgical (the paper looking) masks, that time is probably 40 minutes. KF94's are better than surgical masks.

******As Omicron COVID-19 cases increase, one of the ways we slow the spread is to stay home and away from other people for five days when we test positive, have symptoms, or have been exposed to COVID-19, and wear a well-fitting mask for an additional five days. If you are up to date on your vaccines you do not need to stay at home or miss work if you have been exposed, but you must wear a proper mask around others for 10 days.*****

Here are some definitions to keep in mind:

Up to date on vaccinations – You have received a booster or received your second dose of Pfizer or Moderna within the past five months or received the initial dose of Johnson & Johnson within the past two months.

Not up to date on vaccinations – It’s been more than five months since you completed your initial Pfizer or Moderna vaccine series or more than two months since you received the initial dose of Johnson & Johnson or you are not vaccinated.

Exposure – Being in close contact (within six feet for at least 15 minutes in a 24-hour period) with a person who has recently tested positive for COVID-19.

Symptoms – COVID-19 symptoms can include shortness of breath, cough, fever, loss of taste or smell, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, sore throat, runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea.

Common questions:

-- What if I test positive for COVID-19 or was exposed to COVID-19 and have symptoms?

Stay at home and away from others for five days regardless of vaccination status.

If you have no symptoms, or your symptoms are resolved after five days, you can leave your home. Continue to wear a well-fitting mask around others for an additional five days.

If you have a fever, continue to stay home until it goes away.

-- What if I am up to date on vaccinations and was exposed to someone with COVID-19 and do not have symptoms?

Wear a well-fitting mask for 10 days. Test on day five, if possible. If you develop COVID-19 symptoms, get a test and stay home.

-- What if I am not up to date on vaccinations and was exposed to someone with COVID-19 and do not have symptoms?

Stay home for five days. Continue to wear a well-fitting mask for an additional five days. If you are not able to stay at home, you must wear a well-fitting mask around other people for 10 days. Test on the fifth day after exposure. If you develop COVID-19 symptoms, get a test and stay home.

-- What can we do to protect everyone in the home when someone is exposed to, or infected with, COVID-19?

People in isolation should stay separate from the rest of the household as much as possible.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends all members of the household wear well-fitting masks during the stay-at-home period. If possible, one person should provide care to the person who is, or may be, infected to limit the exposure and best protect everyone in the home.

All types of vaccines are available at the office to anyone in the community, with little wait time and no standing around other potentially sick folks. Scheduling is through the call center, 541-916-7030 (ask to schedule with Access Family Medicine).

It's been a long haul, but let's get through this winter healthy!

Dr. Powell

CDC Shortens Isolation Period for People with Asymptomatic Cases of COVID-19

Tue, 04 Jan 2022 00:13:27 GMT

Hello Access Family Medicine family,

On Monday, Dec. 27, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its guidance regarding the isolation period for people who contract COVID-19 if they are asymptomatic. The CDC now recommends "people with COVID-19 isolate for 5 days if they do not show symptoms after a positive test result (or if their symptoms are resolving and they have been without fever for 24 hours). Individuals should follow this isolation period with 5 days of wearing a mask when around others to minimize the risk of infecting people they encounter.

The change is motivated by science demonstrating that the majority of SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs early in the course of illness, generally in the 1-2 days prior to onset of symptoms and the 2-3 days after.

Dr. Powell

Access Family Medicine Featured in Local Publication

Tue, 07 Dec 2021 23:47:15 GMT

Hello Access Family Medicine family,

Access Family Medicine was featured in Sneak Preview, a local publication, in March 2021. I'd like to share the article with you below. Sneak preview is a Southern Oregon free monthly newspaper that is a good source of local news and a profitable way to advertise your business.

Dr. Powell

DIRECT FAMILY CARE AT ACCESS FAMILY MEDICINE

MARCH 2021

When it comes to health care, Direct Primary Care just may be the wave of the future. Local physician Tamara Powell, M.D. , certainly thinks so, and just last November she opened Access Family Medicine DPC , with an office at 1201 NE 7th Street, Suite C.

“Direct Primary Care is a subscription model where the customer pays a monthly fee (like a gym membership), and all the primary care I can accomplish for them in the practice is covered by that fee,” Dr. Powell said. “If patients have insurance (at least a major medical or ‘catastrophic’ type plan is recommended), it can be used for needs outside of primary care (specialist visits, MRIs, hospitalizations).”

In addition, the plan offers significantly reduced rates on prescription medications dispensed at the office (with no waiting in line at the pharmacy) and lab tests that can be drawn in the office.

“Patients will always see me for a visit, and at 30-60 minutes long, visits are relaxed and comprehensive,” Dr. Powell said. “Patients receive a phone/text number and an email address that come directly to me. It is also my hope to serve those without insurance coverage, which is a significant need in our community. I can also help those who have a high deductible that is rarely met but they end up paying out of pocket for office visits that may be less than convenient, rushed, or with someone who doesn’t know them. Even patients with insurance, including Medicare, appreciate that they will always see me, usually the same or next day for urgent issues, and I will always answer their inquiries. I can often save them money on reduced prices for common medications that might be less than their copays at the pharmacy.”

Dr. Powell moved to Grants Pass in 1998 after doing her Residency in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
“I moved from the East Coast to join a Christian group practice in a small town where I could deliver babies as part of being a family doctor,” she said. “I did that for ten years and was also part owner of Mountainview Family Practice for 21 years. I was excited to learn about Direct Primary Care, so I joined another DPC physician for a short time and learned how to manage this new model of practicing medicine before launching my own practice in November 2020. I am so happy to be caring personally for what the patient needs, in the manner the patient and I decide is best for them.”

Dr. Powell’s husband is a mental health therapist, and they now practice in the same office. She is also heavily involved in the community, volunteering at her children’s schools, the Josephine Community Library, Girls Rock and on the board of the Kid Zone Community Foundation (which sponsors the Kid’s Dash, just not this year).

The monthly prices are $15 for ages 0-19 (with an adult member), $55 for ages 20-49, and $75 for ages 50 and above. They are also approved to dispense Covid-19 vaccines when they become available.

For more info, call 541-450-9359. You can also see her at grantspassfamilydoctor.com and on Facebook.

Sneak Preview Article: https://www.sneakpre.com/grants-pass-grapevine/item/direct-family-care-at-access-family-medicine

Boosters for 18+ Fast Facts

Tue, 30 Nov 2021 17:45:17 GMT

Hello Access Family Medicine family,

Oregon Health Authority has Fast Facts regarding the Covid-19 booster for adults 18+. Below is helpful information from OHA for you and your loved ones.

Dr. Powell

Pediatric Covid-19 Vaccines: Help Deciding

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 21:40:14 GMT

Hello Access Family Medicine family,

Pediatric Covid 19 vaccines have raised some controversy everywhere. Below is some scientific information that may help you decide if you have children ages 5-11 or please share with someone you know who needs to make the decision.

UNBIASED SCIENCE PODCAST:
Tragically, 645 children have died from COVID-19 in the U.S. putting it as one of the top 10 causes of death for children ages 5-11. But death isn’t the only possible outcome of the infection.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, more than 8,300 kids have been hospitalized with COVID-19, and even among those who only had a mild initial illness, many experience long-term symptoms such as unusual fatigue, shortness of breath, ‘brain fog’ causing memory loss or difficulty concentrating, sleep disorders, unexplained fevers, gastrointestinal symptoms, anxiety, and depression.

To avoid exposing your little ones to these long-term effects, we strongly suggest you get them vaccinated. The currently available vaccines are safe and highly effective. In the clinical trials, which included over 3,000 kids ages 5-11, there were no serious adverse events associated with the vaccine, including myocarditis or anaphylaxis. These trials found that the vaccine was 90.7% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 and concluded that the most common reactions were pain at the injection site, fatigue, and headache.
The benefits of the vaccines far outweigh the risks. Multiple analyses have been conducted to predict the outcomes of various scenarios. The overarching results show that the number of clinically significant COVID-related outcomes prevented by the vaccine clearly outweigh the number of vaccine-associated excess myocarditis cases.

Children contribute to the spread of COVID-19 and getting them vaccinated will slow the virus transmission. This will protect children as well as all other at-risk populations.

Finally, getting our kids vaccinated could mean the safe return to schooling with the gradual relaxation of other mitigation measures, such as masking.
Please do not minimize the impact of COVID-19 on children. We have a safe and highly effective preventive tool that makes ANY future child death completely unacceptable. Further, comparing child mortality due to COVI9 to mortality due to other causes is [not helpful]. If we had a safe and effective vaccine for all causes of child mortality, we would likely recommend that as well.

Blessings!

Dr. Powell

Sources:

https://www.statnews.com/2021/10/23/fda-scientists-say-benefits-of-pfizer-covid-19-vaccine-clearly-outweigh-the-risks-for-children-ages-5-to-11/?fbclid=IwAR0EEuIyvMfBV7Ar35ROUDTHqD75EXGmeHpYt8OQzqgMkP_yYADZAzcYCo0

https://www.fda.gov/media/153447/download?fbclid=IwAR2MgKPOYepwwjSmjAzcuecQlCd3Kk4VxO7FzCLHxSpNhK3IzuQy8KD2pz0

https://www.aappublications.org/news/2021/10/26/fda-pfizer-covid-vaccine-children-102621?fbclid=IwAR0MMiRXCUja6TPWgECj0DQdSbD-XrkX5daIhJo_AA9n3iOAuP0SbPdtgBM

https://www.chla.org/blog/covid-19/long-covid-kids-path-recovery?fbclid=IwAR2BTeiKpqRK6k49hKDgmLmfUSDGvSq2PKZ7PKDIKeKIP0Uz3sPIkLbApAA

https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/05/health/us-coronavirus-tuesday/index.html?fbclid=IwAR1VrJPzDqUu7UwBpJuSnv3TiBmJn05xcNYVI0-YHhUxi-PVrtD-TBoidos

https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/graphics/2021/10/08/covid-19-kids-cases-hospitalizations-deaths/8361479002/?fbclid=IwAR2GzPECP9aNp9Pe9FKUVYpj5S9LbL45gxSm5zE1xJSlLn_DNao6lkyjE4E

https://www.aappublications.org/news/2021/10/19/children-mental-health-national-emergency-101921?fbclid=IwAR0hENc6zY4EUNqkKkEFIMo1oV_Bsb7WGuTumyMxcPcAV3Upyvlcw6pbmjI

October Newsletter

Fri, 22 Oct 2021 18:35:17 GMT

Hello Access Family Medicine family!

Happy Autumn! Cool weather, pretty fall leaves and soon, lots of rain to put those fires out.

This is the time of year that many businesses and individuals are choosing their health care options for next year. If you know of anyone you think Access Family Medicine could help, please pass on my information. Referrals from trusted sources are the best!

Vaccine and Covid info:

If you get sick from Covid, I have monoclonal antibody treatment available in the office. You have to have a positive test and be in the beginning of the illness to qualify. This can save you from getting worse or being hospitalized. For members of AFM, the treatment will be free.

We're still waiting for approval for the Moderna boosters. I have the vaccines and am ready to go as soon as the state of Oregon gives permission. I anticipate that being next week. I will have weekday and Saturday morning appointments available to you and the public.

Please call 541-916-7030 (the Josephine County Call Center) to schedule.

I also have Pfizer and J&J for whatever folks need.

Flu and COVID-19 Vaccines can be given simultaneously. I have flu and tetanus shots for those who are interested, at less cost than you could get at the pharmacy.

Pfizer vaccine to children ages 5-11 could start as soon as the first week in November.

Through Sept. 27, there were more than 125,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in pregnant individuals including more than 22,000 hospitalized and 161 deaths. Twenty-two of the deaths occurred in August alone. Those who are pregnant and get COVID-19 have a two-fold risk of being admitted into intensive care; and a 70% increased risk of death. They are also at an increased risk of delivering their newborn prematurely, stillbirth, and of their child becoming infected with COVID-19, requiring admission into intensive care

Covid 19 cases and hospitalizations have decreased, but to put it in perspective, the level is now what it was at last winter's peak. So it's still out there.

Fully vaccinated people can still get breakthrough cases, but the incidence of dying if fully vaccinated is around 1%. The vaccines are working!

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have issued advisories indicating that ivermectin is not authorized or approved for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19. The National Institutes of Health, World Health Organization, and Merck (the manufacturer of the drug) all state there is insufficient evidence to support the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19. The Infectious Diseases Society of America Guidelines on the Treatment and Management of Patients with COVID-19 also recommend against the use of ivermectin outside of a clinical trial.

HERE ARE SOME OTHER MEDICAL TOPICS OF INTEREST:

Patients with type 2 diabetes who took oral vitamin D3 supplements for six months experienced a reduction in A1C level, compared with those who didn't take the supplements.

Walk With Ease (WWE) is an exercise program that can reduce pain and improve overall health. If you can be on your feet for 10 minutes without increased pain, you can have success with Walk With Ease! Get moving! Search for an in-person or virtual class:

https://www.compasshp.org/workshops/ Availability will depend on county risk levels and all classes will adhere to OHA guidelines. Please also consider joining the self-directed program to help you stay active at home.

Stay active at home

Take this simple walking program at your own pace! You can register online for a self-directed program. https://info.pace.oregonstate.edu/walk

In Oregon, the ScreenWise Program works with a network of providers that offer breast, cervical and hereditary cancer screening services for uninsured and underinsured patients. Covered services are offered at no cost to the patient. ScreenWise was created to help reduce cancer burden and health inequities across the state. Follow the link to read more about mammograms and breast cancer screenings. https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/HEALTHYPEOPLEFAMILIES/WOMEN/HEALTHSCREENING/Pages/index.aspx

While it is rare, men can also have breast cancer. To learn more visit the CDC here: https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/men/index.htm

And lastly:

A New Oregon Coast Restaurant Is A Harry Potter Themed Delight.

The newly-opened restaurant The Cheeky Cauldron is a Hagrid-sized reason you need to check out Lincoln City Oregon. This is one of the best possible ways to kick off the spooky season in Oregon!

Blessings!

Dr. Powell

Vaccine side effects, should I be concerned?

Mon, 20 Sep 2021 23:20:51 GMT

Hello AFM family,

You may be hearing the buzz about vaccine side effects . There are mild side effects such as fever, headache, fatigue, and dizziness which may be quite common. When you vaccinate literally millions and millions of people, there will be a few thousand very bad adverse effects which are rare but will happen with that large a number of recipients. The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) collects these reports from healthcare providers, vaccine manufacturers, and the general public. It is not research, it is a screening system. The program is designed to monitor vaccine safety and determine if further investigation is warranted. It does not determine if the vaccine caused the adverse effect, only if it should be investigated. There were early concerns about blood clots with Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and about myocarditis with Pfizer vaccine, and while these events are serious, the investigations did not result in the vaccines being taken off the market because the risks were either very, very rare or self-limited (meaning full recovery is expected).

Here is an article about the myocarditis issue in adolescents, which is still being followed up and considered.

Adolescent Myocarditis After COVID-19 Vaccination Is Rare

The American Academy of Pediatrics noted that the risk of myocarditis from COVID-19 infection was higher than the risk from the vaccine.

Study: Myocarditis risk 37 times higher for children with COVID-19 than uninfected peers

Any vaccine may have a side effect. Most are minor and go away quickly. For the overall population, the risks of illness outweigh the risk of side effects.

Take Care,

Dr. Powell

Southern Oregon is Facing Increasing Challenges from Covid-19

Tue, 24 Aug 2021 21:27:53 GMT

Hi AFM family,

Southern Oregon is facing increasing challenges from Covid-19 . Emergency departments and hospitals are full, so busy that routine care (scheduled surgeries like a knee replacement) and emergency care (such as an appendectomy) are being cancelled or delayed. I spoke to the Josephine County Commissioners at their weekly meeting (see article below) to encourage them to become educated on the pandemic and be leaders for the health and well-being of our community.

Read The Oregonian Article Here

Take Care,

Dr. Powell

COVID-19: Science is Always Learning New Things

Tue, 10 Aug 2021 23:49:47 GMT

Hello AFM family,

Science is always learning new things. I know this may lead to frustration with different recommendations throughout this pandemic, but the alternative is that we don’t learn and we can never overcome and get back to normal!

As SARS-CoV-2 evolves, the symptoms it causes in humans have changed too. Loss of smell (anosmia), for instance, was once one of the telltale indicators of COVID-19, but is now only the 9th most commonly reported symptom in those who have an infection (and are unvaccinated).

There are differences too in how people who have yet to receive one or two doses of vaccines experience the disease , according to research by the ZOE COVID-19 symptom study (https://covid.joinzoe.com/us-2) in the UK. Though there are similarities in the symptoms between those who have had doses of vaccines and those who haven't, there are significant differences, which may help you determine if you need to get tested.

SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19 IN PEOPLE WHO ARE UNVACCINATED

1) Headache

2) Sore Throat

3) Runny Nose

4) Fever

5) Persistent cough

SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19 IN PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD ONE DOSE OF VACCINE

1) Headache

2) Runny Nose

3) Sore Throat

4) Sneezing

5) Persistent cough

SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19 IN PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD TWO DOSES OF VACCINE

1) Headache

2) Runny nose

3) Sneezing

4) Sore throat

5) Loss of smell

For those who caught COVID-19 after receiving both doses of their vaccine, symptoms were reported to last a shorter period of time, which suggested that they were falling less seriously ill with the virus.

Though the symptoms have changed slightly in those who are vaccinated, the advice remains the same.

"If you’ve been vaccinated and start sneezing a lot without an explanation, you should get a COVID test, especially if you are living or working around people who are at greater risk from the disease.

Take Care,

Dr. Powell

GOOD NEWS! Oregon to Fully Reopen

Tue, 29 Jun 2021 23:50:01 GMT

GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!

Oregon to Fully Reopen No Later than June 30

Governor Brown announced today, June 25, plans to reopen the state no later than June 30, even if the 70% vaccination goal isn't met. When the state reopens, decisions about masks and social distancing restrictions will be made at the county level. Counties will also be responsible for case investigations and contact tracing. Masks will still be required in medical settings. The Oregon Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will release additional guidance soon.

While this means life will be returning to closer to normal, the pandemic is not finished. Nothing in life is 100%, including the Covid vaccine (although only 0.8% of people who died from Covid in May 2021 were unvaccinated). Please consider wearing masks in crowded situations where you don’t know everyone’s vaccination status. Be kind to yourself and others!

Also, stay cool! Look out for community members at risk for heat-related illnesses, share information with your neighbors and loved ones, and help prevent fires by observing the current burn bans and learning about the most common causes of wildfire.

If you need access to a cooling center call 211 .

You can sign up to receive emergency alerts and learn about how to prevent and cope with the impacts of extreme heat and wildfire, make an emergency plan, gather supplies, stay informed, prepare pets and livestock and understand evacuation levels at PublicAlerts.org .

Take care,

Dr. Powell

Dr. Tamara Powell Featured in Local Paper for Vaccination Efforts

Wed, 16 Jun 2021 17:49:12 GMT

Hello AFM family,

I am sharing the article I was featured in for the Daily Courier, our local newspaper.

Daily Courier Article June 2021

Local doctor's efforts inspire more to get vaccinated

SHAUN HALL/Daily Courier

Pablo Barrientos (right) checks out a bandage placed over one of his tattoos where he got his second shot of COVID-19 vaccine Monday from Dr. Tamara Powell (left) outside Casa Amiga Mexican Restaurant in Grants Pass. Barrientos, who works at the restaurant, said he had no side effects.

By Shaun Hall of the Daily Courier

Well after 5 p.m. Monday, Dr. Tamara Powell was still at the office — or what has been her office at that time of day most Mondays since April 26 — outside the front entrance to Casa Amiga Mexican restaurant in Grants Pass.

Powell was there for about an hour as part of her effort to reach out to the sometimes-hard-to-reach local Hispanic community, offering COVID-19 vaccinations, with the help of restaurant owner Jose Palomino and his family.

"It's about getting healthy," Palomino said as his employee, Pablo Barrientos, 22, lifted up a shirt sleeve to expose a tattooed arm to get his second dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

"No reactions," Barrientos said afterward, explaining he experienced no side effects from the vaccine.

Members of the Hispanic community have been relatively hesitant to get vaccinated, according to Powell and the Oregon Health Authority.

Barrientos, one of three people to get their shots Monday, all second doses, spoke limited English. When needed, Palomino interpreted.

As the needle went in, he gave a thumbs up.

Powell knows only a little Spanish, but that hasn't stopped her from reaching out to Hispanics in a setting that is maybe more comfortable than a doctor's office. Her best day at the restaurant was 12 patients, on Memorial Day. On May 3, she gave 10 shots.

"I think it's going to save lives," Powell said, describing outreach efforts. "Not everybody's going to come to a conventional doctor's office to get a vaccine."

The vaccine is free, with no ID required. Pharmacies and several medical providers offer it.

Palomino said he believes many Hispanics are distrustful of the vaccination process, but that he will continue to encourage them to get vaccinated, as he has done himself.

"The Hispanic community is stubborn," he said, estimating that 80% of people he speaks with aren't vaccinated. "They're hard to deal with. It's so difficult and so hard."

Many Hispanic migrant workers come to the area to help with harvests, including the local cannabis harvest. They come from surrounding states and, according to Palomino, they often come unaware about what to expect about COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the

coronavirus.

"They had not been informed," he said.

Powell said she wants to go where it's convenient for people, and when it's convenient for them, including weekends. She's been to a factory, a church and the Boatnik festival to reach out.

"I was a little nervous, but it was perfectly fine," she said of the festival.

In trying to reach out to Hispanics, Powell hoped — rightly so — that Palomino would act as a liaison with the Hispanic community. If he recommended it, she surmised, maybe others would follow, and they have. She even made fliers to distribute. Word of mouth helps, Palomino said.

Powell has known the family for years. It includes Palomino's wife, Lilia, and their daughter, Maria.

"They make the best chicken fajitas," Powell said.

The challenge ahead with Hispanics includes a cultural barrier, a language barrier and a distrust of government, according to Palomino.

"I can feel the fear," he said. "They don't want to answer questions."

So, what does he tell others?

"Get it done," he said. "So we can all move along."

And Powell is helping to do just that.

"She cares for the community," he said. "Combined, we can get it done."

However, there have been frustrations, like the time she had to throw away several doses of vaccine when it expired, for lack of patients. That came at a time when the world was crying for vaccine, as often remains the case.

"It was devastating," Palomino said. "Tears. That really hit us hard."

He said he had no solution for the problem of people not getting vaccinated.

"Keep trying," Powell said.

She's willing to take suggestions on where people might recommend she go to reach others.

As for what's being accomplished by Powell, Palomino said each person who is vaccinated is a victory, and potentially a life saved.

"She makes a difference," he said. "That's her contribution."

As Powell tended to vaccinations at a small table outside the restaurant's entrance, Palomino spoke loud enough for her to hear.

"Dr. Powell was kind and smart and brave," he said, looking her way. "You're doing a great job."

Powell is working in cooperation with Josephine County Public Health, whose health officer, Dr. David Candelaria, said relatively fewer Hispanics, minorities and migrant workers get vaccinated. The fact that Powell returns to the restaurant is a sound approach, he said.

"I was struck by how clever it was," he said of her strategy. "Pick a place where people go. That regularity does a lot toward our effort and says a lot about her."

Like Powell and Palomino, Candelaria urged people to get vaccinated, saying that the sooner they do, the sooner government restrictions will be lifted, and the safer people will be, including young people. He recently worked a weekend shift at Asante Ashland Community Hospital, where seven COVID-19 patients were staying, including three people under age 40.

"These people who are making their private health decisions probably didn't think they would be in the hospital for 20 days, missing work, making a significant impact on their families, their employer and their co-workers," he said.

Powell said she probably won't be at the restaurant next Monday, but expects to be there the following two Mondays. The restaurant, which is closed Mondays when vaccines are given out front, is at 200 McDonald Lane, in the Redwood area.

The Latest COVID-19 Updates

Tue, 08 Jun 2021 18:57:22 GMT

Hello AFM family,

I am sharing some more Covid info (I’ve been quiet for a few weeks!) because I think there is important information for you to know and perhaps to share with others.

Today in national news, the CDC urges vaccination of teens citing increased rates of hospitalization of teenagers with COVID-19 in April and May, and 1/3 of teens hospitalized requiring intensive care, and 5% required intubation. Please vaccinate your teenagers and continue to use masks if you are not yet vaccinated.

New CDC guidance says that fully vaccinated people do not need to be tested or quarantine if they are exposed to COVID-19, however they should be tested if they develop symptoms of COVID-19 infection such as fever, cough, and fatigue. Read more here:

Medscape Article, CDC: Fully Vaccinated people Can Skip Routine CoVID-19 Testing

There is a lot of information out there about science, medicine and vaccines. I copied the below info from The Unbiased Science Podcast , because I believe they are just that, unbiased, and sharing about science, attempting to help everyone understand some very complex issues. The gist of the topic is that there are people out there with claims that might sound correct, and they can use the right vocabulary, but often what they say is not quite the truth, and they might have ulterior motives. Please educate yourself, and ask me questions if you want-that’s one of the reasons I am your doctor!

Helpful Information from The Unbiased Science Podcast:
We get hundreds of messages from people sending videos of some physician or scientist who broke from the pack and shared scary (and, spoiler alert, falsified) risks of COVID-19 vaccines.

We understand why that is very confusing—aren’t these people experts? Why shouldn’t we listen to them? It’s important to remember that scientists and physicians are human. If you do any digging, you’ll see that most of these people are motivated by financial incentives or fame. Please, don’t be fooled—the anti-vaccine movement is a multibillion-dollar industry. People get very rich from spreading disinformation.

A name circulating as of late is Byram Bridle. He’s a Canadian immunologist who has made baseless & unsubstantiated claims about COVID-19 vaccines including that they cause spike proteins to accumulate in our organs and cause damage (false), children are developing bleeding disorders (false), blood donations will transfer spike protein (false) and vaccines sterilize people (false). He is lauded as a brave whistleblower who is speaking out and exposing truths being hidden by the pharmaceutical companies. What people fail to realize is that he is developing a COVID-19 vaccine of his own. Is it really all that surprising that he is trying to discredit the current vaccines?

He and a handful of other physicians & scientists (some of the more notorious are listed in our infographic) make millions of dollars by selling supplements, “cures,” & medical devices. Their intentions are far from noble or pure. They have very obvious conflicts of interest. The unfortunate result is that they sow doubt in the minds of people who look up to them as “experts” based on their credentials. They are the worst kind of charlatans—scamming people and using an appeal to authority to swindle people into believing them.

This is why it is crucial that you trust scientific consensus. Consensus reduces bias and increases confidence in scientific claims, and is a crucial indicator of when scientific knowledge is likely to be trustworthy. It is far more likely that one (or a few) supposed authorities have ulterior motives than the vast majority of the science field is corrupted.

Sources:

https://www.counterhate.com/disinformationdozen

https://www.counterhate.com/playbook

https://www.counterhate.com/anti-vaxx-industry

https://252f2edd-1c8b-49f5-9bb2-cb57bb47e4ba.filesusr.com...

https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/andrew-wakefields.../

https://www.bmj.com/content/342/bmj.c5347

https://ovc.uoguelph.ca/.../covid-19-vaccine-research-u-g...

https://omny.fm/.../new-peer-reviewed-study-on-covid-19...

https://www.mcgill.ca/.../doctor-carl-sagan-warned-us...

https://www.newsweek.com/why-health-advice-oprah-could...

https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/christiane-northrup-md.../

https://www.pressherald.com/.../meet-christiane-northrup.../

https://libguides.uwgb.edu/bias

https://researchguides.njit.edu/evaluate/bias

https://www.politifact.com/.../no-proof-researcher-claim.../

Interim Guidance for Fully Vaccinated Individuals

Tue, 25 May 2021 21:18:37 GMT

Dear AFM Family,

There has been a lot of confusion about the recommendations surrounding who needs to wear facemasks in what situations . I found this graphic from the Oregon Health Authority that I think explains it succinctly (please see the graphic below).

I have seen signs saying that businesses can't ask you about your immunization status due to HIPAA. That's actually not factual, as HIPAA (patient privacy) applies to health care organizations not businesses such as stores and restaurants. But businesses are trying to do the best they can -hopefully everyone will respect and support them.

Happy Memorial Day!

Dr. Powell

The Difference in FDA Approval versus EUA

Wed, 12 May 2021 16:20:44 GMT

Dear AFM Family,

I'm sure many of you have been wondering what the difference is in FDA and EUA approval. Here is helpful information I found. I hope you find it useful.

The FDA approves medications, including vaccines, for our country. In an emergency, the organization can issue an Emergency Use Authorization. Here is the difference in FDA approval versus EUA:

EUA- allows speeding up manufacturing & eliminating administrative delays, which DOES NOT alter requirements for evaluating safety & efficacy of the medical intervention.

BOTH require all 3 phases of clinical trials to be completed.

EUAs can run phase 2/3 clinical trials concurrently, as opposed to sequentially. EUAs DO NOT SKIP any steps of clinical trials while monitoring safety and efficacy of the medication or vaccine. Some steps simply occur at the same time to gather data more quickly.

Manufacturing of the product for EUA occurs DURING clinical trials, as opposed to AFTER clinical trial testing (the case during pursuit of FDA approval). This allows the product to be ready to ship immediately, should the EUA be granted.

FDA approval requires at least 6 months of data after phase 3. Because we have collected 6 months of data for the mRNA vaccines, full FDA approval is expected to occur in the near future.

From Unbiased Science Podcast .

Take care and please contact me with any questions!

Dr. Powell

Johnson & Johnson Availability

Tue, 27 Apr 2021 16:58:04 GMT

Dear AFM Family,

The CDC, FDA and the Oregon Health Authority have ceased the pause on use of the Johnson and Johnson single dose vaccine. Doses can begin immediately with the following precautions: https://www.fda.gov/media/146305/download .

I will have J and J vaccine this week and next (May 4 from 4-6 PM). I have doses available Tuesday morning from 8-10 AM to start. If you are interested click here enroll for the Covid-19 vaccine. It will take you to the scheduling program and Tuesday April 27 in the morning is the single dose J and J vaccine. I will have more available later on.

Only about 19% of Josephine County has been immunized. Of course that includes children, so it's not 19% of everyone eligible, but the sooner we all get protected, the sooner we can go back to eating in restaurants, attending sporting events and gathering together for community celebrations like Back to the Fifties.

Some pieces of interesting information from recent studies:

1) having Covid infection, based on a study of 11,000+ people in Israel, seems to convey the same immune system protection as getting the vaccine. Of course the illness carries more risks!

2) the risk of getting the particular blood clot that was of concern with the J and J vaccine is about 20 times higher if you get the infection versus if you get the vaccine.

3) most dangerous side effects from any vaccine (measles, polio, chicken pox) are seen within the first 2-4 weeks. People have been receiving the Covid 19 vaccines starting with trials for about 10 months now. There have been few (not zero) serious side effects reported. That safety is similar to other vaccines we ourselves receive or have administered to our children.

As always, any questions please let me know! I'm here for you, your personal contact with medical advice.

Dr. Powell

Vaccines are Open to Everyone 16 and Older

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 23:29:40 GMT

Dear AFM Family,

This week the vaccines open up to EVERYONE 16 and older. I have vaccines at the office. I’m finding that a lot of people are going to the bigger clinics because they don’t know about me. Please tell your friends and family about us! No waiting in line, stay in your car, a more relaxed environment than a mass vaccination event are ways I can make the experience better.

We are seeing lots of vaccine hesitancy. Here is some information that might answer questions.

Visuals grab attention more than a lot of words, but if you want to read more, this info is from two scientists trying to help the world understand Covid-19

Unbiased Science Podcast is sharing a COVID-19 Update

There are many myths circulating about the COVID-19 vaccines.

In this post, we are debunking (again) some of the peskiest myths that continue to circulate.

To summarize, the COVID-19 vaccines:

1. Were rigorously tested through all necessary steps of vaccine development (not a single step was skipped), animal trials were conducted, and every phase of clinical trials were completed. We were able to accelerate the process by running many steps concurrently (at the same time), at a financial risk for the companies undertaking this development.

2. Cannot give you COVID-19 since there is absolutely no live SARS-CoV-2 virus present in any of the authorized and approved vaccines being used globally. These vaccines also do not “shed” pieces that could affect people around you; that is a biological implausibility.

3. Cannot alter your DNA, as the mRNA in the vaccine never even enters the nucleus of the cell which is where our DNA is located.

4. Do not affect women’s fertility or pregnancy outcomes. It is biologically implausible based on our knowledge of how the body works. The claim that the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 is similar to the placental protein Syncytin-1 is just false: they share less than 1% similarity. We also now have real world data from thousands of women who were safely vaccinated before and during pregnancy.

5. Were developed with technologies that have been studied for decades. mRNA vaccine technology has been used in other vaccine trials including as therapeutics for cancer treatments.

6. Do not contain harmful substances. Every ingredient has a very specific purpose and has been thoroughly tested for safety. A list of every ingredient is publicly available.

The continual safety and efficacy data of all available COVID-19 vaccines continue to support that the risk of being infected with COVID-19 far outweighs the risk of getting vaccinated.

We’ve also discussed many of these at length in our 4-part podcast episode “Is This The Real Life Or Is This Just Fallacy: Vaccine Myths”, so we encourage you to tune in!

Sources:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2798-3/figures/1

https://www.cdc.gov/corona.../2019-ncov/vaccines/faq.html...

https://www.cdc.gov/.../covi.../hcp/mrna-vaccine-basics.html

https://www.deplatformdisease.com/.../are-covid-19...

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK9927/

https://www.fda.gov/.../fda-takes-key-action-fight...

https://www.reuters.com/.../fact-check-johnson-johnsons...

https://www.fda.gov/media/146305/download

https://www.fda.gov/media/144638/download

https://www.fda.gov/media/144414/download

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41401-020-0485-4

https://www.reuters.com/.../fact-check-available-mrna...

https://www.acog.org/.../vaccinating-pregnant-and...

#covid19 #covidvaccine #covid19vaccine #scicomm #womeinSTEM #unbiasedscipod

Take Care!

Dr. Powell

The Johnson & Johnson Vaccine

Tue, 13 Apr 2021 22:11:42 GMT

Hello,

I thought I would share this with you from the Unbiased Science Project:

An Important Update on the Johnson & Johnson Vaccine

More than 6.8 million doses of the Johnson and Johnson (Janssen) vaccine have been administered in the US. Six cases of a type of blood clot, cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) have been reported. As a result, the CDC and FDA are temporarily pausing the administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine across the country in order to review data tomorrow, April 14th.
It’s important to note that so far, this risk of developing a blood clot after receiving the J&J vaccine is 0.000088%.
Each of these instances were observed in women between the ages 18 and 48, and symptoms developed between 6 and 13 days after vaccination. We do not yet know about additional confounding factors such as other medical conditions, medication history, etc. That is what the review will dissect.
But, how does this risk compare to other incidences of blood clotting?
In the general public, the risk of developing blood clots (including DVT, VTE, and others) is about 0.1%, with 300,000-500,000 blood clotting events reported annually in the US (population 351 million).
The risk of developing clots as a result of COVID-19 ITSELF is quite high: it can be up to 30% particularly for those who are hospitalized in the ICU, but can also be up to 8% for those who have moderate cases of COVID-19 requiring hospitalization.
Even amongst people who take hormonal birth control, the risk of developing blood clots ranges between 0.3% to 1%.
What does this tell us?
The risk of CVST as a result of the J&J vaccine is EXTREMELY small. It is an exceedingly rare occurrence, and as of now, there is no definitive causal relationship. These clots are rarer than the general incidence of clots amongst the general population, and are orders of magnitude less rare than the clotting complications of COVID-19.
If you have received your J&J vaccine, there is no reason to worry. Regulatory review is there for a reason, and we will continue to update as things evolve.
Note: this rare occurrence of CVST has NOT occurred in response to the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines. This has been reported for the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is still being administered globally after review determined the benefits outweighed the extremely small risk.

Sources:
(1) https://www.fda.gov/.../joint-cdc-and-fda-statement. .. (2) https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf. .. (3) https://www.ema.europa.eu/.../covid-19-vaccine. .. (4) https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/.../cerebral-venous-sinus. .. (5) https://health.clevelandclinic.org/yes-your-birth.../ (6) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16966543/

(7) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2020806/

The Covid-19 Vaccine Will Transform Our Future

Mon, 12 Apr 2021 16:00:38 GMT

Hello,

I thought this week I would share a one man's experience with Covid-19. Let me know if you have any questions, and know I am always here for you!

The Covid-19 Vaccine Will Save Lives and Get This Country Back on Track

by Curtis Hayden

I had my first Covid-19 vaccination on Friday, March 12, but first some disclosures: One, I have read what this virus can do, and it’s not pretty. If you’re one of the unlucky ones whose immune system gets overtaken, it can turn your life into a living hell. That’s something I really want to avoid. And two, my younger brother Danny died of Covid two weeks ago, so this whole thing has become very personal for me.

What baffles me is why anyone would not want to get vaccinated and have 95% protection against this insidious virus. And for that matter, why would someone not want to wear a mask when around other people if it’s supposed to provide up to 90% protection? It doesn’t make sense, and I’m not sure how this thing turned into something political. Why are we rolling over and letting a foreign invader take over our country? I’m thankful our grandparents didn’t do that on December 7, 1941, but people were a little more patriotic back in those days.

As an example of what our lives could have looked like if we’d had our eyes on the ball back in March 2020, let’s look at the country of Taiwan. It contains 34 million people and is a mere 81 miles from China across the Formosa Strait. Before reading further, I want you to close your eyes and take a guess at how many people in Taiwan have died from Covid-19 in the last 14 months. Okay, are you ready for the answer? There have been a grand total of ten deaths since this whole thing started. Ten! All of that is thanks to a government that imposed mandatory mask wearing, testing, contact tracing, and isolation of infected people.

On the day I’m writing this, there were 549,411 deaths in the United States. As one of the more celebrated Monday Morning Quarterbacks in this country (three-time MVP winner), my heart goes out to Danny and all the others who were casualties of this government’s botched response to the virus.

Since a certain percentage of ill-informed people are not wearing masks and are mingling at super spreader events, our last line of defense is going to have to be vaccinations. Please, for your sake and your family’s sake, do not turn it into something political.

And so, armed with my masters in neurobiology in 1984 from the University of Colorado-Denver, I am writing this Cliff Notes version of exactly what is going to happen in your body when you get your vaccination, and why you have nothing to be afraid of.

First, suspend all of your notions about space and time, because when you get to the cellular level, it’s a whole different ball game. There are approximately 30 to 40 trillion cells in the human body, and that’s not counting the 100 trillion friendly bacteria that live in your gut, and the trillions of viruses that feed off those bacteria.

You’re reading this article not even aware of what is going on in your brain. To make reading possible, there are 85 billion brain cells that are communicating in exquisite electrical synchronicity by using tiny channels in their cell membranes in which they exchange sodium and potassium ions. It’s an electrical system built on minerals we receive from our diet, so don’t forget to eat your bananas.

But back to those 100 trillion cells in the body. They are so small that time becomes something entirely different. When you are one-billionth the size of the period at the end of this sentence, you can do extraordinary things in human time. There are some proteins that can produce one million reactions every second. Obviously, human time is a different ballgame, time-wise, at the cellular level.

Most of our cells are factories for producing proteins. The pancreas is the most famous example, as its task is to produce the protein insulin, which facilitates the movement of glucose throughout the body. If your pancreas goes bad, you get diabetes.

How exactly do these proteins get made? First of all, except for red blood cells and platelets, every human cell contains a nucleus, where our 46 chromosomes comfortably reside inside their own protective membrane. Chromosomes are essentially strands of something called DNA that wind in a double helical fashion (think of a winding staircase). Twenty-three of those chromosomes came from your mother (via an egg from one of her ovaries), and the other 23 came from Dada via a sperm cell.

In your pancreatic cells, the gene for insulin just happens to lie on the Number 11 chromosome. Responding to messages from the body that insulin is needed (like after you’ve consumed three boxes of ding dongs), there are very specialized proteins called enzymes that unzip the number 11 chromosome, exposing the strands of DNA.

Think of the DNA molecule as a ladder with both sides connected by rungs in the middle. When the enzyme cuts that rung, the two sides are exposed. In the pancreas, both the Mommy and Daddy #11 chromosomes work overtime to produce insulin, and the first step is unzipping that ladder.

The next step involves a molecule called RNA (very similar to DNA but don’t worry about knowing the difference), which slips in between the ladder and makes a complementary copy of the gene for insulin. The specific name for that molecule is messenger RNA, or mRNA, which you’ve probably heard about in relation to the Covid-19 vaccine.

After making a copy of the gene for insulin, mRNA then sneaks out of the nucleus and lands on another type of RNA in the body of the cell dubbed ribosomal RNA (rRNA), where it prepares the cell to start churning out insulin with a vengeance.

Since 2003, researchers have been perfecting a technique using mRNA to treat cancer and to develop vaccines. So when they were tasked with developing a vaccine for Covid-19, they were years ahead of the curve. They knew they didn’t have to inject a live virus to stimulate the immune system. All they had to do was use Covid’s single-stranded RNA and make a copy of the protein used to make spikes on its outer membrane.

Remember, mRNA is the vehicle used to make proteins. The next step was to get that mRNA segment into the body’s immune cells, where the mRNA would make those spike proteins. And that’s where the vaccine comes in. In order to stop the body from attacking the mRNA, it’s wrapped in a fatty layer. Once it enters your upper arm, it travels mere inches to the lymph glands, which are repositories of immune cells (helper cells, T-cells and scary-sounding dudes named killer cells).

Those cells will produce Covid-19 spikes on their outer membranes and will jump start the entire immune system to recognize them as foreign agents. The nice thing is that the spikes will not make you sick because, well, they’re just spikes attached to our own immune cells. They’re not there to make you sick or kill you.

So when some idiot with Covid coughs in your face during a U2 concert and tons of Covid viruses enter your body, the immune system is ready and takes them out of commission almost immediately.

So please get your Covid-19 vaccinations. You can still complain about this country’s over-reliance on vaccinations, but in this case, I think you need to make an exception and take one for the team. Either that or move to Taiwan where you’ll be safe.

Take care,

Tamara Powell

Access Family Medicine Vaccine Clinic

Mon, 22 Mar 2021 22:42:54 GMT

Vaccine Openings are Here

Hello everyone!

I wanted to share some pictures of the vaccine clinic at Access Family Medicine on March 20. It went great and people have been so appreciative.

The next Saturday clinic is April 3 so if you are still wanting your vaccine we have openings (there are also some weekday spots open before April 3).

If you know of anyone that qualifies on March 29 please have them go to the website www.grantspassfamilydoctor.com to sign up or call 541-450-9512 to speak to the scheduler.

March 29 eligibility:

45 and older with one or more underlying conditions
Migrant and seasonal farm workers
Seafood and agricultural workers
Food processing workers
People in low-income senior housing, senior congregate and independent living
Individuals who are houseless
People displaced by wildfires
Wildland firefighters
Pregnant people 16 and older.

Take care!

Dr. Powell

Vaccine Dispersion: The Good and Bad News

Mon, 15 Mar 2021 22:07:14 GMT

Currently, adults 65 and older in Oregon are eligible to be vaccinated. We hope to start soon with 45 years and older who have at least one underlying condition. AFM members, I will be in touch as soon as it’s confirmed.

Oregon has now administered a cumulative total of 1,322,013 first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

The Oregon Health Authority released its latest COVID-19 forecast , which estimated that transmission of the virus increased in December but declined in recent weeks

As access to vaccines gradually expands throughout the state, the projections on spread of the virus emphasize the importance of continuing to practice preventive measures that can slow the spread of the disease. It is important that all Oregonians continue to:

Maintain physical distance
Wear a face covering or mask
Avoid gatherings with non-household members
Practice good hand hygiene

GOOD NEWS:

OHA reported 1,729 new daily cases of COVID-19 during the week of Monday, March 1 through Sunday, March 7 — a 35% decrease from the previous week.

New COVID-19 related hospitalizations also dropped from 164 to 139, which is a 15% decline from last week and the lowest weekly total in five months.

BAD NEWS:

Reported COVID-19 related deaths increased to 86, up from 57 last week. Be careful, the illness has not gone away

People 70 years of age and older have accounted for 41% of COVID-19 related hospitalizations and 77% of COVID-19 related deaths.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced today, March 12, updates to its guidance for child care programs during the pandemic, emphasizing the importance of mask-wearing for everyone 2 years of age and older, as well as air ventilation and other strategies.

View the full guidance .

On a slightly different note:

Since the American Red Cross launched modern blood banking in the 1940s, blood donors have supported our lifesaving services through incredible contributions of blood, platelets, and plasma. Generations of blood donors have known that help can’t wait, because patients are depending on this lifesaving gift.

Right now there is a critical need for blood. Your donation is essential to help avoid a severe shortage during a time when bad weather and illness cause cancellations and keep donors at home.

Will you continue to support this legacy of care by making a donation this month?

Make a donation.

Upcoming opportunities to give blood:

Grants Pass Community

1360 NE 9th St.

Various days and times available.

Sponsor Code

All donations are tested for Covid-19 antibodies, which is, you know, kinda cool!

Be well,

Dr. Powell

(Info from the Doctors for America COVID Response Committee Leadership)

Q: Are RNA vaccines safe? We’ve never had one before!

Answer: Great question! Please see this quick video above.

RNA are like post-it notes (or, for the younger crowd, Snapchat messages that expire!). At any moment, a human cell has 5000+ different RNA messages. They are read by the cells and then destroyed within minutes to hours.

Because they are temporary, they do NOT become a permanent part of your body. In fact, they do not enter the nucleus of the cell and they never interact with a person’s DNA.

These temporary RNA messages instruct the cells of the body to make proteins. In the case of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, they message for one single coronavirus protein: the spike protein. This is the protein that the virus needs to enter the cells. So by developing antibodies to block it, you prevent COVID!

Now: remember — it takes 25 different proteins to make a coronavirus. So your body is NOT making a coronavirus with the RNA vaccine!

It is also important to remember that tens of thousands of people have already received this vaccine and have been watched for several months now. TThese patients, as well as public health officials from other countries who have approved these vaccines, have reviewed all the data using independent safety boards. Safety review boards are NOT controlled by the company that makes the vaccine. The end result is a lot of safety data. In all of these reviews, no serious concerns have been found. Rather, the vaccines have shown incredible efficacy.

Q: It’s really unbelievable that we will have a vaccine against a new virus so soon, right?

Answer: Yes! It’s an incredible scientific achievement that we were able to develop these vaccines! But realize — scientists have been studying coronaviruses since the early 2000s when SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) broke out. Some scientists have been working on a vaccine since then. Research on the technology behind the new COVID-19 vaccine has been underway for the past 30 years. During this pandemic, scientists across the world have been working on a single virus with significant resources. In the US, we had Operation Warp Speed, a federal partnership between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Department of Defense (DOD), and private companies to develop, manufacture, and distribute 300 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. It was incredibly fortunate that they picked the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 to focus on, as it turned out this was the right protein to target!

These vaccines have been tested in clinical trials enrolling tens of thousands of people, just like other vaccines. The timeline was accelerated, but steps were not skipped. You can see the FDA briefing materials that provide a comprehensive overview of the safety and efficacy data.

Q: I have heard that people with allergies cannot get the vaccines?

Answer: So far, 3 severe allergic reactions have been reported with the Pfizer vaccine out of tens of thousands of people worldwide who have been vaccinated. These are being evaluated to determine exactly what reactions have occurred and what (if any) allergies these people have had.

The CDC is currently recommending a 15-minute waiting period after the vaccine; but if you have had a serious of severe anaphylaxis, they are recommending you wait for 30 minutes after your vaccine.

Additional recommendations will be forthcoming or change, so check back here!

Q: Are there any underlying health conditions where it is recommended that people shouldn’t get the COVID vaccine?

Answer: No! Currently there are no underlying medical conditions that preclude you from getting the vaccine. That is because getting COVID is so much worse, especially for people with underlying chronic conditions.

If you do have a significant allergy history, or believe you are allergic to any of the ingredients in the vaccine, you should let your provider know. You may be monitored more closely following the vaccine.

Q: Is there anyone who should NOT get the vaccine due to safety concerns?

Answer: Great question! The only people who should NOT get the vaccine are those with a history of severe reactions to the vaccine ingredients. Those ingredients are listed here: https://www.fda.gov/media/144414/download

Q: Is this a live vaccine? I’m worried about getting the vaccine and passing COVID to someone else.

Answer: None of the vaccines are live vaccines. If you obtain these vaccines, you will not be able to pass COVID to someone else.

Q: I have heard that you get really sick when you get this vaccine?

Answer: It appears that people who get the COVID vaccines are more likely to get some mild flu-like symptoms: sore arm, muscle aches, fatigue, GI discomfort, etc. This appears to happen a bit more with this vaccine than with (for example) the flu vaccine; and it appears to be more common after the second dose of the vaccine, and can last up to 24–36 hours.

But please remember: this is a GOOD thing! It means your body is responding to the vaccine and building up the defense you need to protect you from COVID! (Think of it like working out — you have to get a little sore to build up that muscle!)

It is absolutely fine to take Tylenol or ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) to treat these symptoms if they occur; but it is currently NOT recommended to take those medications to prevent these symptoms before they start because it is unclear at this time if they will interfere with the antibody response and vaccine effectiveness.

And don’t worry if you don’t have these symptoms — some people do, some people do not!

Q: I am immunosuppressed and/or have a high-risk medical problem: is it safe for me to get the COVID vaccine?

Answer: YES! The CDC is ABSOLUTELY recommending that people who are immunosuppressed or have high-risk medical problems get vaccinated. Please remember: this is NOT a live vaccine; and it does not enter the nucleus of the cell. As a result, for these patients, the vaccine poses a far less risk than getting infected with COVID19!

Q: I have heard that if I’ve had COVID and get the vaccine, it could lead to too many antibodies which could predispose you to autoimmune disorders. Is there any concern or truth to that?

Answer: This is not true. It is recommended that even if you have had COVID in the past you get vaccinated. We have not seen an increased number of autoimmune flares with either the vaccine or with COVID.

Q: I have an autoimmune disorder; will I have a flare when I get the vaccine?

Answer: People with autoimmune diseases are not expected to have “flares” after receiving the vaccine — this was not seen in any of the data reviewed from the Pfizer vaccine; and also is not seen in active COVID-19 infections

Q: Is it true that vaccines including COVID vaccines contain metals?

Answer: Yes vaccines can contain metals; and so do blueberries, eggs and bananas! Metals are part of nature. Your body needs certain types of metals for appropriate function; and your body can handle these micro doses of metals and excrete them appropriately — including those in the foods you eat AND in vaccines.

Be Aware: How to Spot a Vaccine Scam

Tue, 09 Mar 2021 00:48:14 GMT

Hello everyone!

As more people are now getting the vaccine (yay!), you may have heard of someone having side effects from the shot.

Yes, it's possible. No, not everyone does. Interestingly, the younger you are, the more likely you are to have the temporary side effects (mild fever, muscle aches, fatigue, nausea).

Here is a link to a video by ZDoggMD, who gives straight scientific

Be Aware: How to Spot a Vaccine Scam

Unfortunately, older adults and others who are awaiting vaccine appointments can fall prey to scammers. Though there have not been reports of this sort of scam happening in Oregon, Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum released information to help people avoid being the target of fraud regarding COVID-19 vaccines.

Here are six tips on how to spot a vaccine scam:

-You cannot pay to get early access to the vaccine. If someone calls to offer an appointment for a payment, it is a scam.

-Do not pay to sign up for the COVID-19 vaccine. Anyone who wants money to put you on a list, make an appointment for you, or reserve a spot in line is a scammer.

-Worried about cost? Insurance or not, you do not have to pay to get the vaccine. That is a scam.

-Ignore sales ads for the vaccine. The vaccine is only available through federal or state partners. You cannot buy it anywhere.

-Nobody legitimate will call, text or email about the vaccine and ask for your Social Security number, bank account information or credit card number.

-You are not required to provide a Social Security number when registering for a vaccine appointment.

Please share these tips with your friends and family, and if you know a senior who is not tech-savvy, offer to help them get an appointment for their vaccine — and then, help them find a way to get to the appointment.

If you have information, or think you may have fallen victim, to a fraud or scam contact the Oregon Department of Justice online at  www.oregonconsumer.gov , or call the Attorney General’s Consumer Complaint Hotline at 877-877-9392.

What are we allowed to do after being fully vaccinated?

Here is info released today from the CDC (from the Unbiased Science Podcast, look for them on Facebook):

Today, the CDC released much-anticipated recommendations for fully vaccinated people. People are considered fully vaccinated for COVID-19 ≥2 weeks after they have received the second dose in a 2-dose series (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna), or ≥2 weeks after they have received a single-dose vaccine (J&J).

Questions have been raised by the general public as to the purpose of vaccinations if we can’t relax mitigation strategies; these recommendations demonstrate the power of vaccinations as the safe path to “normalcy.”

The CDC advises that fully vaccinated people (in non-healthcare settings) can:
1) Visit with other fully vaccinated people indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing.

2) Visit with unvaccinated people from a single household who are all at low risk for severe COVID-19 disease indoors without wearing masks or physical distancing.

3) Refrain from quarantine and testing following a known exposure if they remain asymptomatic. If symptomatic, vaccinated persons should isolate themselves, consult their healthcare provider, and consider getting tested.
It is important to note that fully vaccinated people should continue to take precautions such as mask-wearing and physical distancing in these instances:
· When in public.
· When visiting with unvaccinated people who are at increased risk for severe disease or who have an unvaccinated household member who is at increased risk.
· When visiting with unvaccinated people from multiple households.

It is advised that everyone, regardless of vaccination status, avoid medium- and large-sized gatherings, get tested if symptomatic, follow guidance issued by employers, and follow CDC and health department travel requirements.
Though the risk of disease may be minimal to the vaccinated person, there is still a risk of transmitting the virus to others if they become infected. While this is all very promising, this does not mean that we are through this pandemic—not by a longshot.

Premature relaxing of mask policies and preventive measures will set us back. Disease prevalence is being continuously monitored with close attention to variants that may impact vaccine efficacy, and we will continue to provide updates.
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/.../fully-vaccinated-guidance.html