What does it mean to be immunocompromised?

Discussions about COVID-19 and vaccines often mention immunocompromised individuals’ risk for serious infection and whether those individuals will need vaccine boosters. But what does it mean to be immunocompromised? Last month’s blog post explored the basics of immunity, so you might want to check that out if you need a reminder of B-cells, antibodies, macrophages, …

B-cells, T-cells, and macrophages, oh my!: Understanding immunity

Now that a large number of people are at least partially vaccinated in the U.S. and COVID is on a downswing, the question has turned from whether vaccines work to how long they work and how well they will continue to work against variants. There are also questions about natural immunity and how long it …

No, HIPAA Doesn’t Cover That: HIPAA, Vaccination Proof, and Vaccination Mandates

Since the COVID-19 vaccines became a reality in late 2020, the media have been discussing vaccine cards and vaccine passports. Now that obtaining the vaccine is theoretically possible for nearly every American adult who wants it (I say theoretically because there are structural barriers in place for many Americans that make it difficult for them …

Vaccines and Variants

February brought us exciting news about vaccines as well as troubling news about COVID-19 variants. There has been confusion about how these variants may impact vaccine effectiveness. Hopefully this blog post helps clear up some of that confusion. New Variants In the last couple of months, new variants (strains or mutations) of COVID have been …

Common COVID-19 Vaccine Questions

COVID-19 vaccine distribution has begun, and the vaccines hitting the market at the time of this posting are mRNA vaccines. Consumers have many questions about this new vaccine technology. Below are some of the common questions and answers. Any concerns specific to your health and your individual decisions should be discussed with your physician. What …