5/15/21 Edition Pfizer is approved for Teens This is 3-day-old news by now, but the Pfizer 2-shot course is approved for ages 12–15. Expect a long waitlist at the Pediatrician’s, as doctors’ offices are seeing a lot of demand and aren’t staffed for mass vaccination. There is availability at the…

More Progress! Also something about Kids, QBs, and the Cost of Care Measurable Progress Continues 19% of Oregon is fully vaccinated, and more than 31% have had at least one dose. I’m predicting that about 60% of Oregonians will want to get vaccinated, so we’re well on our way to…

COVID Convos #37 Vaccine-induced Antibodies I was given the Pfizer vaccine, and I really didn’t feel sick at all. Around the same time, my wife got dosed with Moderna and she also felt pretty decent. Why didn’t we feel ill? I wondered if we had missed out, or maybe something…

Journal Club Edition — Journal Club is to doctors what Book Club is to you normal people who lead interesting non-medical lives. Sure, journal club usually involves food and drink but instead of reading interesting fiction, we doctors “read” boring research papers. I put “read” in quotes because just like your book club, not…

This week: zeros, equity, a letter to Texas, and the last day of the pandemic But first: freedom of speech. My Neighbor is Wrong Everyone has the right to free speech, but I believe that rule should only apply to speech that is factually correct. While my neighbor does have the right to share their opinions, their purported facts are wrong. The correct statement is…

Springtime, Herds, Hunger Games, Canadian music What a topsy-turvy-churny world we live in these days! Spring is coming, but we still have a pandemic. It’s been a sunny and warm week, but vaccines are hard to find. It’s disorienting to consider where we’ve been, and confusing to imagine where we are going. But don’t worry, COVID…

Air Travel, Vaccines, Antibodies, and the End of Quarantine Disclaimer: the tone of these updates is candid and sometimes irreverent. COVID is a sensitive subject, so opt-in or out at your own discretion. This update does not constitute medical advice. COVID Convos, where as usual, I tell it to you…

Ignore math at your own peril. — Note from Andrew: I’m experimenting with publishing content from smart people I trust who don’t have another outlet for their intelligent writing. This is one of those essays, written by a wiser man than I. Bad statistics bother me everywhere I see them, but it makes me near homicidal when…

A Guest Essay From My Wife on Maintaining Sanity I’ve been avoiding Facebook these days. As an ER doctor with dwindling PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), my sanity depends on having some respite from anxiety, and Facebook seems to be the epicenter of anxiety lately. (Admittedly I am still on Instagram…