COVID-19

12 March

Washington moves into new vaccine phase

wsvma   |   COVID-19

Gov. Inslee announced that starting Wednesday, March 17, everyone in Phase 1B, Tier 2 will be eligible for their COVID vaccine. This includes workers in agriculture, food processing, grocery stores, public transit, firefighters, and law enforcement, among others. Phase 1B, Tier 2 also includes people over the age of 16 who are pregnant or have a disability that puts them at high-risk. The WSVMA continues to advocate for veterinary professionals to be vaccinated as soon as possible and is currently awaiting...

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12 March

Why Ivermectin should not be used to treat or prevent COVID-19 in humans

wsvma   |   COVID-19

There seems to be a growing interest in a drug called ivermectin to treat humans with COVID-19. Ivermectin is often used in the U.S. to treat or prevent parasites in animals.  The FDA has received multiple reports of patients who have required medical support and been hospitalized after self-medicating with ivermectin intended for horses. About people taking Ivermectin FDA has not approved ivermectin for use in treating or preventing COVID-19 in humans. Ivermectin tablets are approved at very specific doses for...

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05 March

SARS-CoV-2 updates and testing guidance for veterinarians

wsvma   |   COVID-19

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is thought to spread mainly through close contact from person to person, including between people who are physically near each other (within about 6 feet). When people with COVID-19 cough, sneeze, sing, talk, or breathe they produce respiratory droplets. These droplets can range in size from larger droplets to smaller droplets, and small droplets can also form particles when they dry very quickly in the airstream. With passing time, the amount of infectious virus...

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11 February

COVID-19 vaccine distribution update from the WA State Dept. of Health

wsvma   |   COVID-19

The WA State Dept. of Health (DOH) reports that they continue to make progress with COVID-19 vaccine distribution and administration efforts. As of Feb. 6, more than 940,000 doses of vaccine have been given across the state, which is nearly 80% of the 1,195,207 doses that have been delivered to providers and long-term care programs. Washington is currently averaging 26,857 vaccine doses given each day. This information can be found on the DOH data dashboard under the vaccines tab, which is...

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11 February

New data offer deeper insight into COVID-19 impact on practices

wsvma   |   COVID-19

New data provide greater detail on how veterinary practices have been affected by and responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. Anyone in the veterinary community can explore this data in the AVMA’s interactive dashboard, as well as download an in-depth report with analysis and insights from AVMA economists. Compiled from two large surveys of veterinary practices, the dashboard now aggregates more than 3,500 responses to questions covering operational changes, client numbers, use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other supplies, financial impact, and other...

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29 January

COVID-19 vaccine update

wsvma   |   COVID-19

The news hasn’t changed for Washington veterinary professionals waiting to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Veterinarians and their teams are still not in the queue within any of the phases of vaccine administration. The WSVMA has been in touch again with the Department of Health and we’re still being advised that they don’t know when a determination will be made. AVMA reported earlier this week that through their federal advocacy efforts, “the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued...

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29 January

Veterinarians as vaccine administrators?

wsvma   |   COVID-19

As states grapple with how to roll out the vaccine to millions, they’re looking to recruit qualified professionals to assist in the effort. A few states have approved temporary emergency authorization for veterinarians, along with many other health professionals, to administer the COVID-19 vaccine. In Washington, the Department of Health has not approached us about such an effort. Interestingly, the director of the Washington State Hospital Association made comments recently about how veterinarians and veterinary technicians are well qualified to assist. We’ve...

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22 January

COVID-19 Vaccine Information and Resources

wsvma   |   COVID-19

On January 14, 2021, Dr. Carrie La Jeunesse, La Jeune Consulting, presented a webinar for WSVMA about the COVID-19 vaccine. The following is information that Dr. La Jeunesse shared. Keep in mind that information changes frequently and is accurate as of the date of publication. Why should I get the COVID-19 vaccine? Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have very good efficacy (i.e., how well it works to prevent illness from COVID-19) with acceptable safety profiles. How do I trust the vaccines and...

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22 January

Veterinary Board of Governors extends CE policy through 2021

wsvma   |   Continuing Education, COVID-19

At the outset of the pandemic, the Governor’s proclamations restricted large gatherings, effectively canceling large professional development events and conferences that included continuing education opportunities. As a result, veterinarians and veterinary technicians lost the ability and the means to meet their CE obligations for renewal of their licenses. In response, the Veterinary Board of Governors approved a policy that veterinarians and veterinary technicians could make use of preprogrammed materials, e.g., recorded, non-live webinars, to meet all of their CE requirements in...

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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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