AntibioticDoc's Information Page

09/07/2025

Honestly if in years past you told me that in 2025 we’d be getting measles exposures notifications on the regular I’d not have believed you. U of A notification.

08/24/2025

1.
In case you are in Alberta and missed the details, COVID fall vaccination eligibility in Alberta is restricted vs other provinces. One key difference is not covering based on age >65. Congregate care, medical and immunologic eligibility criteria. Medical:
1/6
2. Access with be more complex- not in pharmacies. Pre sign up period ends before they are available I think?
(If in doubt about coverage conditions and affotdability I’d sign up anyway. )
https://bookvaccine.alberta.ca/vaccine/s/preorder

Immunologic conditions for eligibility include:
2/6
3. COVID can be severe directly AND, like influenza, is associated with higher rates of major cardiovascular events (heart attack, stroke) in younger people too. Vaccines make a big difference in reducing risk of illness, death and community impact.
https://share.google/pvqLKjfyljMvNBVRy
3/6
4. Millions of lives saved by vaccines…but a time of great societal stress also amplified outrageous disinformation from grifters and conspiracists, in spite of excellent safety data (there is no doubt vaccine is better than COVID infection.) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9359307/
4/6
5. All to say people should remember vaccination updates and prioritize their health this fall.
Life is busy and stressful enough without getting sick, caring for sick family members, rampant illness and abseentism at work/school, and wayyy overfull hospitals.
5/6
(Sigh. To those who believe I am evil for promoting vaccination - I’m sorry you’ve been sucked into that unfortunate worldview, but I am sharing a personal + professional, science based interpretation and am being civil about it.
Abuse and threats say more about you than me.
6/6

07/20/2025

I imagine many know this already but holy heck, what a massive Microsoft SharePoint security breach - with no patch yet.
Just in case- an FYI.
Check w/ your IT folk if it affects you.

06/20/2025

06/19/2025

06/19/2025

06/19/2025

Yeah, raw milk remains bad for you. Clear risk and no proven benefit. (Imaging licking a cows udder- and all of the manure win the environment. Those are the bacteria you are getting exposed to.)
https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/illness-and-disease-z/foodborne-illness/outbreaks/2025-shiga-toxin-producing-e-coli-stec-infection-outbreak-linked-raw-milk-consumption #:~:text=coli%20(STEC)%20Infection%20Outbreak%20Linked%20to%20Raw%20Milk%20Consumption,-Last%20Updated:%20May&text=Between%20May%202nd%20and%20May,cooperating%20with%20the%20illness%20investigation.&text=The%20Washington%20State%20Department%20of,and/or%20causes%20illness%20outbreaks.

06/14/2025

Whoa now.

Alberta COVID vaccine planning news release (https://shorturl.at/U15nE) has some major shockers.

First- it IS $$$ and it IS newly provincial dollars (like all other vaccines). NACI provided guidance (https://shorturl.at/r0fWf) in Jan as provinces bought supply ~March.

One note re :"wastage": AB had 10% lower vaccine uptake than BC but I'm not sure how many people were aware it was recommended. The campaign didn't use the word "COVID".

This gov't vaccine campaigns have been found lacking: https://shorturl.at/H0Dwa, https://shorturl.at/BrULe

Now, most >65y olds in community will pay ?>100$ for COVID vaccine
>65:
1/2 of the hosp, 2/3 of the ICU adm, and 3/4 of the deaths in the pandemic
2024-2025 Alberta data: >60years: hosp 2432, ICU 108, deaths 249
COVID vaccine recommended by NACI
Median income 36K in Canada

AB COVID vaccine-
People on AISH, homeless, immunocompromised will have to PREBOOK ONLINE for their covered shot- logistical nightmare, reduces access

Health care workers- not mentioned??
-This is an occupational risk and immunizing HCW is recommended to protect patients

And-Public health clinics only?

?Covid and influenza shots in one trip won't be possible
Whole system was pharmacy based- 25X more >65y got vaccine in pharmacy than clinic
Will they boost public health capacity -resources for this???
The vaccines has- and still saves lives.

06/02/2025

Dangerous habits- HCW edition! In healthcare, instant messaging in electronic medical records is not considered timely/adequate communication. It’s like texting and hoping someone sees it versus phoning and having them pick up. if it’s urgent, or if you haven’t heard back, call!

05/28/2025

Shoutout to the Canadian Medical Association for this injection of common sense.
Health professionals should strive to provide the best current evidence-based care possible without having to break a law.
For any diagnosis.
Full Stop.
https://rb.gy/y75bef

05/23/2025

Going great…
Basically, southern Alberta = measles exposure risk. Are they still trying to contact trace?
Info here: https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/news/Page19022.aspx
Make sure you/ yours are up to date on vaccines: 10-20% of cases hospitalized usually. At best It’s nasty.

05/09/2025

Measles: forgetting history and being doomed to repeat it?

Measles is a highly contagious, whole-body viral infection.
Before immunization (1970s) it killed at least 2.6 million/yr, and left many kids with lifelong disabilities (deafness, developmental delay)
But... it's just a kid rash illness ?!?
Yes - and no.
About 996/1000 healthy kids fully recover after illness, with 1-3 dying, 1 with encephalitis, AND 100-200 would have complications of bacterial pneumonia or ear infection. There are still >100,000 measles deaths annually.
In the 1800s-early 1900s, schools and institutions were opened for "Deaf, Dumb, and Blind" (then termed) kids. Measles was a big cause of acquired hearing loss- post encephalitis or ear infection.
Bacterial meningitis was another big cause (also vaccine preventable).

So the "good old days" were pretty hard on kids. In the 1800s about 1 in 3 children died before age 5, mostly from infections, many vaccine preventable.
Here is an example of a families' keepsake memory.
Postmortem daguerrotypes of kids were NOT rare.
Vaccines prevent this.