Greetings! I hope that your summer has gone well. The office has been busier with the addition of Dr Summer Lam in January, and her practice is relatively full. For those of you who are wondering, my health appears to be very good now at 66, with no sign of recurrent prostate cancer, and I have no plans to retire soon.
It's been a while since I've sent a newsletter, and I am using this opportunity to update you and provide some information about vaccines. As your physician, you all know that I'm aligned with science, rigorous scientific method, and I look to legitimate sources that can be trusted for medical recommendations. Unfortunately, the trust in many government agencies such as the CDC, FDA, and the Advisory Council for Immunization Practices has been significantly degraded over the past six months by moves made by our current HHS secretary.
Others are rushing to fill the void. One example is my own professional organization, the American College of Physicians, which has provided its own immunization advice and is joining at least 7 other major professional health care organizations (American Academies of Family Practice, Pediatrics and others) to create evidence-based recommendations. Another is the recently announced alliance of California, Oregon, and Washington states, to provide legitimate medical advice in this moment of uncertainty. Below is a description of the project. More information will be coming soon.
https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/09/03/california-oregon-and-washington-to-launch-new-west-coast-health-alliance-to-uphold-scientific-integrity-in-public-health-as-trump-destroys-cdcs-credibility/
Here are just a few comments on vaccines in Oregon. This is changing by the week so it’s tough to keep up. If you are over 65 you should NOT need a prescription for a Covid booster, and we have called several pharmacies locally who confirmed this. Nevertheless, individual pharmacies and pharmacists are asking patients to come with a prescription. If you are under 65 there is a list of conditions that “qualifies you” for a vaccine- this list is long and even based on the general health of our population up to 50% of the adults under 65 would qualify. If you would like to get a booster and have been told you need a prescription, please let our office know- we've set up a process with a generic electronic Covid booster Rx that we can send to your pharmacy. At the moment we are not being asked for specific medical conditions to be included.
Covid has had a resurgence this summer so consider getting the vaccine early, especially if you will be traveling or are exposed to a lot of folks, and certainly if you have a condition that might put you at higher risk.
This fall of course a new flu shot is out (high dose and regular dose) which we have in the office, or you can get at your pharmacy.
A few words on measles. Measles is a viral disease mainly of childhood (in the past) that can be quite miserable as a child or adult, and occasionally is fatal. As you know there have always been small outbreaks in the country in poorly vaccinated areas, but this past year we’ve had more measles, in more places, than in many years. If you were born before 1960 you almost certainly had or were exposed to measles, which would confer lifelong immunity. Between 1963 and 1968 a version of the vaccine using killed virus was not as effective, and if you are uncertain you got a live (much more effective) vaccine you may either get an MMR booster at the pharmacy, or have us check a measles TITER, which assesses blood levels of protective antibodies. We will try to raise this issue at annual exams as well. For the moment the CDC site on this topic has not changed, and it is here
https://www.cdc.gov/measles/vaccines/index.html
One unrelated note- the hospital has unfortunately stopped providing valet services to those of you who can drive but also have mobility issues. The spots previously reserved for valet will be available to anyone with mobility challenges. I am dissapointed to see this, and it is obviously part of broader cost-cutting measures that shows a health care system that is stressed and less profitable than in the past. Please leave yourself extra time. Our lease is over in the summer of 2027, and it is likely we will locate afterwords off campus where the parking is better!
Keep well- I plan to be in touch again soon.
Jim Biemer
