COVID-19

15 January

Where’s the vaccine?

wsvma   |   COVID-19

As of Friday, Jan. 15, 2021, the WSVMA has received no further direction from the Dept. of Health (DOH) as to where the veterinary community fits into Washington State’s phased plan. We’ve heard many reports of veterinarians getting vaccinated but it’s dependent upon location, city, county, and other factors. Unlike Oregon and California, and despite Washington being a part of the Western State Pact, we are not included in Phase 1A, Tier 2. DOH staff are working very hard to roll...

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08 January

What you should know about the Covid-19 vaccine

wsvma   |   Continuing Education, COVID-19

Join us on Thursday, January 14, 2021, at 7 pm for an informational session on the Covid-19 vaccine. Dr. Carrie La Jeunesse will provide a synopsis of current information on the two mRNA COVID-19 vaccines currently being deployed under the Emergency Use Authorization in the United States. The information she’ll share include: Basic vaccine information Emergency use authorization vs. full licensing Susceptibility of different populations Tiered vaccine administration roll-out Side effects and precautions Vaccine resistance, at risk-populations, and health communications ...

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08 January

COVID relief and spending bill addresses veterinary priorities

wsvma   |   COVID-19

Congress has passed a fourth COVID-19 relief bill and a comprehensive spending package to fund the government for the remainder of fiscal year (FY) 2021. These packages include many of AVMA’s top advocacy priorities, including fixing the unfavorable IRS tax treatment of expenses paid with Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, streamlined PPP loan forgiveness for loans of up to $150,000, up to $20 million for animal health infrastructure’s role in the COVID-19 response, AVMA-led One Health report language, and funding...

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07 January

Vaccine Allocation for Veterinary Professionals

wsvma   |   COVID-19

Updated: 1/11/2020 Updated advisory on vaccine allocation for veterinarians In our efforts to get veterinary professionals vaccinated, we’ve been told by health officials that we’re not included in Phase 1A, Tier 2, but a later phase to be determined. We’ve already heard from several veterinarians who were approved through the eligibility screening survey, but when they called the location to schedule the vaccination, they were turned away and told veterinarians are not included with the other health care workers. We are advocating diligently to...

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17 December

COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan for veterinary professionals

wsvma   |   COVID-19, Wellness

As reported last month, the WSVMA has been advocating with Gov. Inslee’s office and with the Wash. Dept. of Health for veterinarians and their teams to be included in Phase 1B of the state’s vaccination distribution plan. In late October, we sent a letter and have followed up with them again to reiterate the important reasons why veterinary professionals qualify for early vaccinations. Veterinarians and veterinary teams contribute directly to supporting the food and agriculture industries, providing services that are...

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17 December

Survey to assess workflow issues

wsvma   |   Continuing Education, COVID-19, Practice Management

We understand that veterinary practices throughout the state have been impacted by Covid-19 and as such workflows and stress levels are near or over capacity. Because of our commitment to veterinarians and veterinary medical professionals throughout the state, we are hoping through this survey to collect information and data that can help share best practices as well as educate our members as we navigate these difficult times. The results from this survey will help guide us in providing programming and speakers that...

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04 December

Covid-19 updates from Washington State agencies

wsvma   |   COVID-19

The Department of Health (DOH) reported a total of 172,437 confirmed cases as of 11:59 pm on December 2. There have been 2,900 COVID-19 deaths in Washington. For the most recent tally of cases by county, demographics, and more, visit the Department of Health's dashboard and the state’s COVID-19 risk assessment dashboard. COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan update from the Department of Health. DOH is hopeful they will have a vaccine to begin administering by mid-December. The federal government is providing an estimate of 62,400 doses...

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04 December

WSVMA COVID-19 Webinar – Managing Stress and Anxiety During A Pandemic – Bring your team

wsvma   |   Continuing Education, COVID-19

Join us Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 12 pm for an important COVID-19 webinar Managing Stress and Anxiety During A Pandemic. Julie Squires, CCFS, CFC will be our guest speaker. Did you know our brains don’t know the difference between actual and perceived threats? 2020 has certainly given us some of both. Pandemic veterinary practice has alone created so much stress and anxiety not to mention the current state of the world around us. It’s a lot to handle. Learning how to...

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03 December

Updated advisory on Governor Proclamation 20-40.2

wsvma   |   COVID-19

Upon further review and discussion about Gov. Inslee’s Proclamation 20-24.2 “Reducing Restrictions on, and Safe Expansion of, Non-Urgent Medical and Dental Procedures.”, we are pleased to announce to veterinary practices in Washington that non-urgent medical procedures may continue and it is up to you to self-regulate capacity for care based upon parameters outlined in the proclamation. Curbside Practice is Essential It is most critical is that you should continue practicing curbside during this time. We continue to receive reports that some practices...

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30 November

Inslee announces statewide COVID-19 exposure notification tool

wsvma   |   COVID-19

Gov. Jay Inslee, along with the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), today announced the launch of WA Notify, a simple, anonymous exposure notification tool to help stop the spread of COVID-19. By adding WA Notify to their smartphones, Washington residents will be alerted if they spent time near another WA Notify user who later tests positive for COVID-19. WA Notify uses privacy-preserving technology jointly developed by Google and Apple and works without collecting or revealing any location or personal data. WA...

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