In this document

How Vaccine Distribution is planned in Texas

The information below is provided by the Texas Department of Health

“All providers that have received COVID-19 vaccine must immediately vaccinate healthcare workers, Texans over the age of 65, and people with medical conditions that put them at a greater risk of severe disease or death from COVID-19. No vaccine should be kept in reserve.”

DSHS Commissioner John Hellerstedt, M.D.

Category 1A

If you are a Front-line healthcare worker or resident of a long-term care facility, since 14 December 2020, you are eligible to receive the vaccine. If you are a healthcare worker, contact your employer. If you are a long-term care resident, contact your caretaker.

Many of the people included in this category have already received their first doses of vaccine.

Category 1B includes

• People 65 years of age and older
• People 16 years of age and older with at least one chronic medical condition that puts them at increased risk for severe illness from the virus that causes COVID-19, such as but not limited to:
• Cancer
• Chronic kidney disease
• COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
• Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
• Solid-organ transplantation
• Obesity and severe obesity (body mass index of 30 kg/m2 or higher)
• Pregnancy
• Sickle cell disease
• Type 2 diabetes mellitus

What do the numbers look like for Texas?

How many people are in the queue ahead of you? We used the Vaccine Allocation Planner for COVID-19 to check on the data held for Texas. You can use the tool too, it’s an open resource to model vaccine distribution in US populations.

According to the tool, and it’s worthwhile pointing out (screenshot below) that they do not include older people in Cat 1B unless they reside in care homes, there are 4,510,487 ahead of you. The problem now is that there is no vaccine available.

H-E-B Pharmacies had been focusing solely on delivering vaccinations to healthcare workers (28000 to date) and intends to shift its focus to the public next. They have the capacity to vaccinate 100 000 Texans a week, The problem, though is that they don’t have any vaccines to vaccinate with.

Texas has allocated approximately 1.2 million doses to providers across the country so far, an iffy figure based on numerous revisions and the problem doesn’t stop there. Part of the issue lies with the tracking system ImmTrac2, built to keep record of how many people have been vaccinated.

The reporting tool reported only 262 000 people as being vaccinated last week, falling terribly short of actual vaccinations. Health officials are trying to fix data entry errors in the system, which likely resulted in a major overestimation of available doses. According to an article from the Texas Tribune;

“More vaccine had been administered than was being revealed by the registry system,” Howard told The Texas Tribune. “I think [the decision to allow the 1B group to get vaccinated] was done before we had all the information we probably should’ve had, because there wasn’t the capacity to meet that new edict.”

Williams, of the Texas Hospital Association, said members of her association reported similar problems.

“With regard to state data on administered doses, we have no certainty it is accurate at this point in time,” she said. “The number of doses administered is higher than what’s indicated.”

Technical errors are just one facet of Texas’ vaccine struggles. Shipments from the federal government, which distributes doses of the vaccine to providers, have arrived damaged or late, Howard said. In some cases, expected distributions never arrived.

Vaccine Provider Location Map

Please visit the Texas COVID-19 Vaccine Provider Locations map (shown below) to see vaccine providers near you. Do not show up at a hospital or clinic looking for the vaccine as you know now they aren’t there yet., instead please check their website for information about vaccine availability. Call the DSHS if their website doesn’t answer your questions. Dial 2‑1‑1, then choose Option 6.Hours: 24/7

Local Vaccination resources in Texas

We’re still busy collecting this data

Information for Vaccine Providers in Texas

On the list and not sure what happens next or when you’ll be receiving your stocks of the vaccine? Check the information page for providers by the Texas Department of Health. There is also a link for an excel spreadsheet that shows the actual daily distribution of vaccines in Texas and clicking this link will download the spreadsheet

CDC Covid Vaccine Information

• COVID-19 Vaccines and Allergic Reactions
• What to Expect after Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine
• Ensuring the Safety of COVID-19 Vaccines in the United States
• Reporting an Adverse Effect to a Covid-19 or other Vaccine
• General Vaccine Safety Main page

FDA Covid Vaccine Information

• COVID-19 Vaccines (general overview and links)
• Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine
• Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine
• Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

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In this document

How Vaccine Distribution is planned in Illinois

The information below is provided by the Illinois Department of Public Health

According to their website, the IDPH is working with local health departments and providers across the state to provide COVID-19 vaccinations that resemble larger versions of yearly flu clinics, rather than the mass vaccination activities of the past.

If you aren’t a healthcare worker or resident in a care home (see Cat 1A below), you’re going to have to wait for the vaccine. Based on our estimates it will take weeks still to reach the public. There is no clear indication on the IDPH website about how they intend to categorize and prioritize the distribution of the vaccine into the general populace or even when it will start.

The table below is from the IDPH working document and seems to indicate a clear delineation which is then disputed by statements on the IDPH website,

Medika would recommend bringing pressure to bear on your elected officials. Your state has had months to prepare and still have not decided who should be prioritized. It is unacceptable and places the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions at risk from the virus.

Speak out using the websites we’ve linked to in the right-hand column (or below if you’re on your phone) and make them pay attention.

Category 1A

Illinois has been very specific in categorizing the first recipients of the covid vaccines. The category 1A has been broken down into four groups and those who are eligible within these groups. If you are in one of these groups, you will already have received, or will shortly receive, your first covid vaccine.

Hospitals

Nurses and Nursing Assistants
Physicians / MD, NP, PA
Respiratory Technicians
Pharmacists
Environmental Services Staff
Reception Staff
Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
Fire Department Staff acting as EMS
Air Medical Transport (Rotor & Fixed Wing)
X-Ray Technician
Phlebotomist
Infectious Waste Workers
COVID Sample Lab
Organ Harvester
Students on Clinical Rotations
Dietary staff
Clergy/pastoral/chaplains
Interpreters
Crisis intervention staff
Laundry or security staff

Non-hospital Health Care

Nurses and Nursing Assistants
Physicians / MD, NP, PA
Respiratory Technicians
Dentists and Hygienists
Pharmacists
Plasma and Blood Donation Staff
Morticians
Public Health Nurses
Home Health
School Nurses
Optometrist
COVID Testing Staff
Dermatologist
Dialysis staff
Urgent care workers
Corrections nurses/aides
Medical/flight transport
Physical/occupational/speech therapists
Vaccine clinic workers

Long-term Care Facilities

Nurses and Nursing Assistants
Physicians / MD, NP, PA
Respiratory Technicians
Dentists and Hygienists
Long-Term Care Facility Staff
Pharmacists
Mental health clinicians
Environmental Services Staff
Reception Staff
Residents
Medical Facility Surveyor
Dietary staff
Interpreters
Laundry or security staff

Other Congregate Care

• Nurses and Nursing Assistants
• Physicians / MD, NP, PA
• Respiratory Technicians
• Group Home/Residential Staff
• Pharmacists
• Environmental Services Staff
• Reception Staff
• Home Aide/Caregiver
• Corrections nurses/assistants
• Congregate Care Surveyor
• Hospice/palliative care staff
• Community health workers when acting as health aid or health translator

Category 1B

• Persons aged 75 years and older
• Frontline essential workers, defined as those workers who are essential for the functioning of society and including the following:
  • First responders: Firefighters (including volunteers) & Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs). (EMS personnel are considered under Phase 1a)
  • Corrections Officers
  • Food and Agriculture Workers
  • Postal Service Workers
  • Manufacturing Workers
  • Grocery Store Workers
  • Public Transit Workers
  • Education sector, including teachers and Support Staff
  • Daycare Workers

Phase 1c

(further updates to be released for Phase 1c for the context of Illinois)

• Persons aged 16 to 59 years old with medical conditions that increase the risk for severe COVID-19. Conditions include obesity, diabetes, pulmonary disease, heart condition including hypertension, kidney disease, cancer, immunocompromised, sickle cell, and pregnancy.
  (Note: As of the date of this plan, only Pfizer has been authorized for those under 18, from the age’s 16 & up, whereas Moderna is 18 & up)
• Persons aged 65 to 74 years old

Sorry folks, no information is available yet on the IDPH website about the dates and finality of groups 1B and 1C, despite months of time to plan for the vaccinations. We will check back on a daily basis and update you as to when groups and dates for public vaccinations are announced.

Category 2

Still under review by the ACIP

Where will you be able to get vaccinated when the time arrives? According to IDPH,

Initially, hospitals will provide COVID-19 vaccine to health care personnel. As more vaccine is distributed by the federal government, several thousand vaccination providers will be available, including but not limited to doctors’ offices, retail pharmacies, hospitals, and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), across the state.

Want to know who’s holding things up? According to the IDPH site, a body called the ACIP decides who gets vaccinated and when. Shockingly, they still haven’t decided, after months of preparing for exactly this moment. Here’s what the website states about 1B, in contradiction to the above list, gleaned from their working document.

ACIP is a group of medical and public health experts that develop recommendations on how to use vaccines to control diseases in the U.S. ACIP decides on vaccine prioritization recommendations by reviewing the FDA information, clinical trial data, and other information.

The highly questionable strategy of holding back vaccines or “hoarding” to allow for second shots, also reduces the immediate coverage, cutting it in half effectively. States like Texas are following Federal and CDC guidelines and using all allocated vaccines immediately on delivery, thereby doubling the coverage people in Illinois currently enjoy.

We call bulldust and so should you. Get in touch with your local health departments and elected officials using Resistbot and 5 Calls. Delays now cost lives later, particularly in the at-risk sectors of your communities. Let your state’s governance know you are holding them accountable.

Local Vaccination resources in Illinois

We’re still busy collecting this data as none have yet been made public.

Information for Vaccine Providers in Illinois

There is very little information available at this point. You may however find this page useful. SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 Mass Vaccination Planning Guide as it includes details on the propesed rollout. In terms of Providers being able to order vaccinesm the following is provided.

“The IDPH Immunization Section will use established I-CARE protocols to coordinate ordering and tracking use of the pandemic vaccines from the CDC, or from the designated vendors. Providers will log into I-CARE to order the vaccine. IDPH staff will approve orders in I-CARE and transmit requests into CDC’s Vaccine Tracking System (VTrckS). LHDs will be the first to order while vaccine is scarce. IDPH will work with LHDs to determine which providers should be prioritized in their jurisdiction. Once the supply of vaccine increases and later phases are entered, orders can be processed directly with all providers.”

CDC Covid Vaccine Information

• COVID-19 Vaccines and Allergic Reactions
• What to Expect after Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine
• Ensuring the Safety of COVID-19 Vaccines in the United States
• Reporting an Adverse Effect to a Covid-19 or other Vaccine
• General Vaccine Safety Main page

FDA Covid Vaccine Information

• COVID-19 Vaccines (general overview and links)
• Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine
• Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine
• Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

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Forget election results and petty political divisions. The time has come to focus on our humanity and to heed the call to arms. We are all one family under the shared flag of our humanity and we have forgotten this or chosen to ignore it. If you want to help to end the pandemic and return our lives to normality, we ALL need to take action.

We’ve stumbled and fumbled our way through a difficult year and the calendars we use to mark our progression on this beautiful rock we call home have called time. 

It’s time for the yearly do-over. Fresh goals and aspirations and with it, new hope. Hope, that science and the magical engineers that unlock the secrets of hidden worlds, have afforded us. 

Covid was never going to wipe out the human race. It just wasn’t deadly enough, but it’s wrought destruction on families across the globe and tested the resolve and resources of our medical frontline workers. It’s also far from done and Americans, more than any other country, are realizing this painful truth. 

2020 has been a trial by fire. A global wake up call of our fragility and our inability to properly protect our communities and those we love. 

Covid has also highlighted the importance of science and who mankind’s real enemies are. It is not weapons of mass destruction and each other we need to be wary of, but rather invisible agents, carried on the wind. Viral particles, too small for the human eye to perceive, but potentially deadly in their intent. 

It is these viral agents that represent the real threat to humanity and against which conventional weapons of war are powerless. The coronavirus has provided the call to arms and we will ignore it at our own peril. 

We have an opportunity now, as we face the rest of this decade, to come together cohesively, for the first time in our collective history. 

To join forces in creating a new army, focused on defeating this unseen enemy. A global force that eschews traditional weapons and elects instead to turn to science for its tools. It is in science that our salvation lies. Our salvation and the generations to follow, our children, and theirs. 

We’ve started to gain a better understanding of the real nature of this new enemy and as vaccines make their way into our communities, we are afforded hope of a return to normality. 

The eventual resumption of whatever our lives will look like post-pandemic is inevitable. What matters now is how we mark this passage of time. Science can only provide us with weapons. Victory with minimal loss of life is our goal and that’s up to the footsoldiers. To you and I, citizens of the world. Science can only do so much, then the responsibility falls to you and I to act. 

Forget election results and petty political divisions. The time has come to focus on our humanity and to heed the call to arms. We are all one family under the shared flag of our humanity and we have forgotten this or chosen to ignore it. If you want to help to end the pandemic and return our lives to normality, we ALL need to take action. 

Vaccination is a critical part of this process. The longer it takes, the more lives we lose, the longer our businesses remain shuttered and our lives kept on hold. 

You are by no means powerless. You have the internet at your disposal and you can bring huge pressure to bear on failing government institutions that don’t ensure rapid delivery of vaccines, governors who don’t provide an adequate distribution network within your communities, and unreliable public resources that fail to assist in deploying vaccines. 

Speak up now. Particularly if you are in at-risk groups. Your lives could depend on the vaccine and soldiers cannot be expected to fight the good fight if they aren’t supplied with weapons. If your government and governors are leaving you defenseless, hold them accountable on social media, and please do, when you find systems that work efficiently, sing their praises. 

Everyone wants to know they are appreciated. Let them know. Use Social Media and if possible, send personal messages of thanks. Honest praise can be much-needed sustenance for the soul in hard times and your words can make all the difference.

Medika will engage with all of you to assist in this process in whichever way we can. If you want to share useful vaccination resources and projects from within your states that are effective, send them to us and we’ll publish them. If something is failing, tell us we will help to highlight it and find solutions. You can find contact us through the website, on social media, or simply email us at vaccinateus@medika.life

Let’s start 2021 by all really starting to look out for each other. Every human life we save matters. It starts with each one of us, wear a mask in public, set an example. It says ‘I care about you’ and it shows your humanity. It’s that simple. 

This year, and how we move forward, really is in our hands. Let’s do it together and allow science the space it needs to hone our weapons. 

Finally a word of thanks from all of us to our front-liners who have worked tirelessly and selflessly to keep our loved ones alive. You’re our first line of defense and you haven’t wavered. We are immensely proud of you and deeply grateful. 

Our deepest sympathies go out to those who’ve lost people they love. To all those of you who enter the new year without the companionship of loved ones you’ve lost to Covid, or for that matter, any disease, let’s honor their memories by committing to the fight. At the very least, it will help spare others the anguish you have had to endure. 

The fight is far from over, but we have a light now and between all of us, we can ensure it glows brightly. We wish you happiness and health for the coming year. 

Jan 01, 2021

Robert Turner, EIC and Founder of Medika Life

Dr Jeff Livingston, Founder of Medika Life and EIC, BeingWell

The post A New Year’s Message of Hope from Medika Life appeared first on Medika Life.

Her actions have led to changes in the law in the United Kingdom, quacks being struck off their medical boards, and various charlatans, health guru’s and pseudo-scientific con artists being de-platformed on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms.

We look forward to being able to amplify her voice even further as we engage in a proactive campaign that seeks changes to legislation in the USA to further protect the public from medical misinformation and empowers government bodies (FDA, DOJ) to act aggressively and with authority against these purveyors of death. Social media is firmly in our sights as their timid and unresponsive attitude to a growing threat to our health is unacceptable. Facebook, in particular, enables quackery, dangerous and illegal treatments and by association, endorses child abuse by users on its platform.

You can read Fiona’s blog by following this link and do make a point of following and supporting her on social media via her Twitter account. Be warned that she doesn’t pull any punches and much of the content she posts relating to the health abuse of autistic children is both graphic and upsetting. If you are a sensitive reader, do proceed with caution.

You can learn more about Medika’s Quack Scale and Rotten Retailers list by following the respective links.

The post Medika Welcomes Fiona O’Leary to Our Editorial Team appeared first on Medika Life.

Parents desperate to try and find help and improve the quality of life of their children are being mercilessly lied to and misled by people ranging from qualified medical quacks (most, thankfully, have had their licenses to practice revoked) to uneducated con-artists looking to profit off the backs of these vulnerable individuals. These quacks are selling false hope in poisonous bottles, treatments which can only result in one end.

Autistic children are being fed Chlorine Dioxide (a form of bleach) and exposed to a whole range of non-medically approved products sold to the parents by these charlatans. In some instances, children die. Others are lucky to escape with their lives. If you’ve been in this situation, we would like to ask you to help us by contributing your story.

We want to use the power of your voices and experience as an additional tool to help educate others and ensure the safety of these vulnerable families. We know how traumatic these events can be and we will ensure, for those who wish to remain anonymous, that your privacy is protected. You have our word. Our goal here isn’t to judge, it is all about preventing others from experiencing the same misery these despicable quacks have put your family through.

Your story will be published in Medika Life alongside others as a resource and warning to others and we will advertise these pieces broadly across our social media networks.

For brave families that have the strength to relive their trauma, please do reach out to us at the following email address. Again, all communication will be restricted to our editors and treated in the strictest of confidence.

The email address is mobilize@medika.life or you can email our editor Robert Turner at robertturner@medika.life and help us shine a light on the dark holes these monsters hide in.

The post Do You Have an Autistic Child? appeared first on Medika Life.

Press and PR

For information on company structure, founders, and partners or to request interviews or appearances please direct your email to pr@medika.life

Reproducing material for commercial/derivative

To reproduce material found on the Medika Life website that is not covered by our Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs CC BY-NC-ND license please contact our editorial department at editorial@medika.life

Joint Ventures/Partnerships

We love expanding our network and we are always receptive to new ideas and partnerships. To get your request in front of the right eyes, direct your email to partners@medika.life

Press Kit

To request a press kit for Medika Life or MOBILIZE™ Health please send us an email to press@medika.life. Alternatively, you can find out more about Medika here and here and you can download our marks and brand logos here

Our registered address in the USA is shown below.

1212 Corporate Drive,
Suite 100,
Irving,
Texas,
75039

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For assistance, questions and enquiries relating to the above or to request additional materials, please email brand@medika.life

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You, as a potential customer or patient seeking reliable advice and OTC products to assist with health conditions, can save yourself, your health, and your loved ones by studiously avoiding any of the retailers we have listed below. Whilst not all the products sold may pose a risk, the fact these retailers sell dangerous and harmful products under the guise of health should be warning enough of their actual intentions.

Do not buy into the marketing bullshit and “personal stories” of how they saved their child from autism by feeding them bleach, or how fantastic they all are now they use their own products. They wouldn’t be stupid enough to drink the rubbish they sell, so why should you. Educate yourself and rely on solid science, registered medical experts or your doctors advice. If you don’t, at best you become one of the suckers funding these charlatans, at worst, these products can cost you your health or your life.

To make us aware of a retailer, create a free account and comment below or email us on rottenretailers@medika.life

The Rotten Retailers List

If the shop link shown below is not active it means that the retailer no longer uses this website to peddle their wares. Make a note of the owner and business name and compare these to any new websites you may encounter under the listed names.

This list will be updated on a daily basis, bookmark the page and check back from time to time.

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We do this by amplifying their voices, drawing attention to their businesses, campaigns, crusades, and, occasionally, their plights. We focus on two essential determinant – people and planet. Patient outcomes and planetary sustainability. This is what drives ethical public health and the individuals who place the importance of people’s health at the forefront of their endeavors can count on us for support.

This forward-looking, patient-centered approach fuels much of the new medical and technical innovation occurring right now in healthcare across the globe. Applying the power of social media and the internet to networked groups of individuals across various sectors of healthcare is changing the face of medicine. We are proud to be involved in a pivotal moment in health evolution and privileged to be able to showcase what we consider to be, the best side of humanity.

Motivated individuals, functioning cohesively with one singular goal. The provision of accessible and equitable healthcare as a fundamental global right and an environment that contributes to our well-being. It is ambitious and overdue and we have no doubt that the voices echoing now through health have the focus, desire, and innovative mindsets to deliver. Change is coming, shout it from the hilltops. We do.

MOBILIZE™ Health

MOBILIZE™ Health is the non-profit component of Medika Life. It addresses topical and pressing health-related issues within the industry and considers the social effects on the societies it impacts as a key determinant in the projects it creates. On occasion, we will step outside of these bounds to deliver help to communities, simply for the fact that we can. You can see an example of a recent aid project in the Philippines here.

We believe in the importance of small positive community-driven actions and how these can filter down to the affected societies. Everyone’s voice matters and where we can, we strive to improve our world, for the sake of the patients we serve and for a better future.

Our Founders

Medika Life was founded in early 2020 by two friends, Jeff Livingston, MD, and Robert Turner. They share many of the same values and are driven to providing clear, informative, ethical and accurate medical and health-related information to the public. A part of this is countering fake news and misinformation, and Medika Life dedicates resources to outing quacks and health charlatans that pose a risk to public health.

This digital publication is dedicated to an eclectic mix of general health and disease information, ecohealth and environmental priorities, industry news and opinion, influencers and industry-related press releases. The majority of the scientific articles are prepared by qualified medical professionals, most experts in their chosen fields. Whether you’re interested in or affected by health, Medika offers something for everyone, patient and professional alike, industry and government leaders, advocates and innovators and provides a forum for open transparent debate on key issues affecting health and environment.

Jeff lives and works out Irving, Texas in the US as an OBGYN and is CEO of the medical group, Macarthur Medical Center. Jeff is EIC of BeingWell, Medika’s Medium publication. You can connect with him on LinkedIn and Twitter or via email at jefflivingmd@medika.life.

Robert lives between London and the Philippines. He is the Medika Life founding editor, a published author with deep routes in the medical community and founder of Cre8tive Digital Media. You can connect with him on LinkedIn and Twitter or via email at robertturner@mediaka.life.

Jeff and Robert were joined by Gil Bashe in 2020, who started as an author on the platform, evolved into our editor for ecohealth and environment, and then stepped in as editor-in-chief. Together with Jeff and Robert, he has worked to advance the efforts of this leading digital publication to invite diverse ideas that can lead to improving the human condition.

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