Vaccine Fatigue – the elephant in the room

the elephant in the room

Some of you may have noticed that I’ve been missing in action, at least on this blog site (don’t worry, I’m still showing up for work). There were months during the pandemic where I was posting every week, working to keep you updated and to talk you through the multitude of faulty claims made about … Read more

Hepatitis B vaccines for adults – preventing a deadly disease

hepatitis b vaccine, the missing piece of the puzzle

We’ve been successfully vaccinating children against Hepatitis B since the early 1990s. And, in the past, only “at risk” adults (those with exposure to blood and body fluids through work or lifestyle) were recommended to receive the Hep B vaccine series. But this summer, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) updated guidelines to … Read more

Now Polio? What’s next?

Electron microscopy of poliovirus

in 2019, when I originally ran this blogpost, I was referencing cases of Polio that were diagnosed in the Philippines. And now we’re dealing with a case of Polio in the U.S. The case occurred over the summer in New York, in an unvaccinated adult who has now developed paralysis as a result of his … Read more

Breaking News – COVID vaccines for kids 6 months to 5 years are finally here!

Breaking News

Breaking News – COVID vaccines for kids 6 months to 5 years are finally here! We now have two vaccines (Moderna and Pfizer) authorized for emergency use by the FDA and CDC to protect our youngest children from COVID. This is an exciting time for parents who have put life on hold to protect their … Read more

“Test to Treat” – the who, when, where, and what of it all.

COVID tests

Did you know that there are treatments for COVID that can significantly decrease the chance of serious, deadly outcomes of this disease? Did you know that these are available in the outpatient setting? This all sounds wonderful, and these therapies are indeed excellent tools in our COVID-fighting toolbox. But these treatments have been difficult to … Read more

Mask requirements are changing, and I’m conflicted

Mask requirements are changing

Mask requirements are changing, and I’m conflicted. I, along with all others on the planet who have been faithfully masking to protect self and others, am looking forward to being rid of these hot, itchy, uncomfortable things and to seeing everyone’s lovely faces again. But even though I don’t so much worry for my own … Read more

Why Do We Vaccinate?

Why do we vaccinate?

Why do we vaccinate? This is a super important question and one I don’t think enough people have fully thought through. The reasons aren’t as black and white as we might think. But we’ll get to that in a minute. First, I want to take a moment to ponder where we are and how things … Read more

COVID vaccines for kids: what parents are asking

Kids getting COVID vaccines

Today we’re going to do a good old fashioned Q&A session. As a family doctor who cares for people of all ages, I am hearing questions about COVID vaccines for kids multiple times a day from parents and grandparents. There is a lot of excitement about finally being able to protect our younger children. But, … Read more

COVID-19 vaccine boosters, shots for kids, and more!

It’s been a busy couple of weeks in the world of COVID-19 vaccines – there are lots of changes afoot. And lots of changes bring lots of questions. So today we are talking COVID-19 vaccine boosters, shots for kids, and more! Setting the stage As much as I wish it wasn’t so, we are STILL … Read more

Flu Vaccine 101: Pandemic Edition

It’s that time of year again. As fall approaches, influenza is knocking on the door… but this flu season, AGAIN, promises to be far from typical. We are smack dab in the middle of a pandemic – still! COVID19 has devastated lives and livelihoods. The Delta variant is a monster and, even though we now … Read more