Doctor Vaughan's COVID-19 Updates
by Mark Vaughan
Dr. Mark Vaughan reviews COVID-19 (Coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2) pandemic news updates. Updates are based on daily news and scientific reports and are usually shorter than 5 minutes. Most of the information is gleaned from the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security daily updates among other sources of health and medical news stories.Dr. Vaughan is the Medical Director of the Auburn Medical Group. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Sutter Independent Physicians. Learn about the Auburn Medical Group at auburnmedicalgroup.com.Other podcasts : https://vaughanmd.com
Episodes
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Pan Coronavirus Vaccine
The decision was made this week to create a pan coronavirus vaccine which would greatly decrease the need for vaccine boosters.
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Pediatric Vaccines
The CDC has made a recommendation for use of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for children down to age 6 months.
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Paxlovid Available
Paxlovid is for available to treat COVID in patients with certain conditions. https://auburnmedicalgroup.com/covid-conditions
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4th Shot for Over 50
The FDA has approved a second booster for people age 50 and older.
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The Vulnerable
People over age 65 and those with immune compromising conditions or medications absolutely need to have their full vaccination series and boosters. The rest of us need to be sensitive to their condition and be OK with wearing masks when we are around them in public.
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Who Gets a 4th Shot?
A fourth shot or second booster is recommended for certain groups at higher risk for COVID-19.
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BA.2
The BA.2 strain of Omicron is currently 3.8% of cases in the US and doubling weekly.
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Omicron Burnout
Omicron New cases in Placer County have been decreasing for three weeks. The number of cases in general hospital beds and the ICU in Placer County have also been decreasing over the last week.
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Free Home COVID Tests
Free home COVID-19 test kits are now available through Covidtests.gov.
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After Omicron
We are rapidly approaching the peak of Omicron and the resolution of the pandemic. Welcome to the endemic.
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Omicron Treatment
The approved treatments for Omicron are extremely limited in availability. We are recommending vaccination as the primary means of avoiding detrimental effects of the Omicron Variant.
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COVID Pill
Paxlovid is an antiviral pill by Pfizer which was approved for emergency authorization by the FDA.
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Omicron is Here
Omicron is responsible for 2/3 of COVID cases both in California and the US.
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Oral Antivirals
Oral antiviral medications against COVID include Mulnupiravir (already with FDA EUA) and Paxlovid. They decrease risk of death and hospitalization from COVID, but not as well as vaccination.
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Evusheld
Evusheld is approved as a preventive treatment against COVID for patients with specific risks for COVID.
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Omicron is Here
Omicron has arrived in nearly half of the United States. What action should we take?
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Is Omicron Good?
There have been no reported deaths from Omicron… YET. There is reason for hope given the reports of notably mild infections so far in South Africa.
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Omicron Begins
A new variant of concern in South Africa has been named.
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Boosters for All Adults
Everyone over age 18 is now eligible for a booster 6 months after receiving their second mRNA vaccine dose.
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Pfizer Vs. Moderna
A number of European countries are not giving the Moderna mRNA vaccine to people under age 30, yet they prefer it over Pfizer for people over age 30.
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Pfizer Now for Kids
It's official. You can now vaccinate children, age 5-11, with the Pfizer Covid vaccine. Check vaccines.gov for a local pharmacy if your children are not already getting vaccinated through school.
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Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis with Johnson & Johnson Vaccine
The Johnson and Johnson COVID vaccine has an association with a blood clot in the veins around the brain. It is rare, and it is 30 times more rare in the group most likely to experience it than severe effects of COVID 19 if they don't get the vaccine. This is not a problem with the mRNA vaccines…
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Can't Vaccinate Children Yet
Approval of the Pfizer vaccine in children, age 5 - 11, is likely to occur after going through review at the FDA, the ACIP, and then the CDC. Send in a voice message to tell me what you think of the video format.
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Final Booster Recommendations
Final COVID-19 vaccine booster recommendations have been announced by the CDC. Click to see if you count as immunosuppressed.
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ACIP Vaccine Booster Recommendation
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the CDC recommends that booster shots be given to specific populations six months after receiving their second dose of mRNA vaccine and that anyone who received the Johnson and Johnson vaccine receive a second shot two months after they received...
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We Have Same-Day PCR Testing
We now have 30 minute PCR testing at the other medical group for Auburn Medical Group patients who have been exposed to Covid or have possible Covid symptoms.
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Is J&J Actually a Two Shot Vaccine?
The FDA VRBPAC recommends a booster for Johnson & Johnson vaccines for everyone who received the first dose. This will be considered by the FDA.
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Third Moderna Shot Recommended
The FDA’s VRBPAC has recommended certain individuals to receive a third dose if the Moderna COVID vaccine.
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Placer County COVID Numbers Update
Overall, new cases, hospitalizations, and I see you occupation for Covid are improving in Placer County.
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National Guard Called to Four California Hospitals
The national guard was called to Mercy Medical Center in Redding, California, and three other hospitals in Bakersfield, California to help with the Covid surge.
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A Second Johnson & Johnson Dose
Johnson and Johnson is applying for approval for a second dose of its COVID vaccine.
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Over the Peak
Overall new COVID cases, deaths, and hospitalizations are on a decline.
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Pfizer Booster Update
The final CDC approval for boosters includes people with occupational exposure despite its removal from the FDA EUA by the CDC’s ACIP. It also retains recommendations for proponents with certain health risks both age 50 to 64 and age 18 to 49.
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Pfizer Booster Approved
The FDA approved administration of a booster to certain groups for the Pfizer Covid vaccine. It is an emergency use authorization for individuals 65 years old and older, people at risk occupationally or due to institutionalization and people with certain high risk conditions. It is given at least…
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FDA VRBPAC Third Shot Clarification
The FDA Vaccines and Related Biologic Products Advisory Committee voted against recommending a third dose to individual 16 years of age to 64 years of age. They did approve a recommendation for giving a third shot to individuals 65 years of age and older. This has not been approved by the FDA…
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No Boosters for Now
FDA vaccine advisors rejected a recommendation to add boosters for everyone at this time.
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Miscarriages and COVID Vaccines
There are three new publications supporting the safety of COVID-19 vaccinations during pregnancy.
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Third Shot
There is some controversy regarding the CDC’s announcement of plans to make third doses of mRNA vaccines available.
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Natural Immunity
A pre-print study from Israel suggests that natural immunity is superior to V vaccine immunity for COVID-19.
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LA Summer COVID Vaccine Study
This week’s MMWR reports on a study done over the summer in Los Angeles which found that people who are unvaccinated are five times more likely to get COVID-19. It also found that unvaccinated people are 29 times more likely to get hospitalized compared to vaccinated people if they do get…
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Comirnaty Approved
The Pfizer/BioNTech COVID vaccine, Comirnaty has full FDA approval for age 16 and older.
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What will Booster Shots Be?
A listener left a message asking about adverse effects and dosing of Covid vaccine boosters.
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Who Exactly Counts as Immunosuppressed?
The CDC has clarified who is considered immunocompromised enough to receive the third dose of mRNA vaccines. The ACIP of the CDC and the FDA have agreed on appending the Emergency Use Authorization for the mRNA vaccines in individuals who are moderately to severely immunocompromised to receive a...
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Immunosuppressed to Get Third Shot
The CDC’s Advisory Council on Immunization Practices unanimously voted to recommend third mRNA vaccine doses for the immunosuppressed.
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Dr Stock
Edward Nirenberg wrote an excellent blog post addressing Dr. Stock’s presentation to an Indiana school board. https://www.deplatformdisease.com/blog/addressing-dr-daniel-stock-claims
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Post-Exposure Prophylaxis
REGEN-COV Has been found to be effective in treating vulnerable unvaccinated patients exposed to COVID-19 before they start to have symptoms.
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What happened In Massachusetts?
A recent CDC MMWR reported on a Delta Variant Outbreak where more vaccinated people were infected than unvaccinated people. This was an exception to national statistics.
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Our Delta Variant Patients
We are seeing a high number of positive Covid test for our office. We have seen Covid tests positive and people have been vaccinated. We have also had to send a teenager to be admitted to the hospital for COVID-19 causing unstable vital signs.
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mRNA Vaccines in Children and in Anaphylactics
Studies are being done to see if the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are safe for use in children and in people who had immediate reactions to their first dose of an mRNA vaccine.
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Delta Herd Immunity
The Delta variant increases the percentage of people needing to be immune to Covid to achieve herd immunity through increasing the reproduction rate and decreasing vaccine efficacy.
About this show
Dr. Mark Vaughan reviews COVID-19 (Coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2) pandemic news updates. Updates are based on daily news and scientific reports and are usually shorter than 5 minutes. Most of the information is gleaned from the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security daily updates among other sources of health and medical news stories.Dr. Vaughan is the Medical Director of the Auburn Medical Group. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Sutter Independent Physicians. Learn about the Auburn Medical Group at auburnmedicalgroup.com.Other podcasts : https://vaughanmd.com
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Mark Vaughan