COVID-19 Vaccine Updates

760-291-6700

COVID-19 VACCINE UPDATES

**Effective 01/18/21, healthcare workers, others in Phase 1A (all Tiers), and those aged 75 and older may visit County vaccination sites, including the Petco Park Super Station. For those 65 and older, the County intends to begin vaccinations for this population before the end of the month, pending vaccine supply. Doctors, pharmacists, and other healthcare providers may administer vaccinations to those 65 and older, if they have doses available.** Source: www.vaccinationsuperstationsd.com

Read the latest updates regarding COVID-19 vaccine availability and distribution.

 

PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCY UPDATES

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

California Department of Public Health

San Diego County Department of Public Health

Riverside County Public Health

GRAYBILL UPDATES (last updated 1/15/21)

Graybill has received numerous calls asking when the COVID-19 Vaccine will become available at Graybill Medical Group. Please be advised that, at this time, Graybill is currently not administering COVID-19 vaccines, nor are we developing a waiting list.
While you cannot get the vaccine from Graybill, we have provided below a link to current information regarding 1) who is eligible to receive the vaccine, and 2) where and how to schedule an appointment. We plan to update this information frequently and encourage you to visit www.graybill.org/COVID-19 for the latest developments.
Eligibility. On Wednesday January 13, 2021, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that individuals ages 65 and above are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. This age group joins the groups already eligible for the vaccine: front-line healthcare workers, emergency responders, residents of long-term care facilities and, more recently, people age 75 and older with chronic health conditions.
Availability. Only limited supplies of the vaccine are available, and distribution plans may vary by community. Although you or your family members may be eligible, it still may be several weeks or months before the vaccine becomes available to you. As of this writing, the County of San Diego is not providing COVID-19 vaccinations for individuals age 65 and above.
Vaccine locations. (Graybill is NOT a COVID-19 vaccine location)
  • San Diego County: Vaccines are being administered at sites throughout San Diego County, including a drive-thru “Vaccination Super Station” at Petco Park. For a list of locations and appointment availability, please refer to the County web page, COVID-19 Vax Events.
  • Riverside County:COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics are located throughout the county. For a location and registration information, please visit https://www.ruhealth.org/covid-19-vaccine.
Phone calls. Please help us to focus on providing quality service by reserving our phone lines for medical needs. If you have a question regarding the COVID-19 vaccine not answered in this email, please refer to our web site at www.graybill.org/COVID-19.
Expanded Services
We want to reassure all of our patients that it is safe to receive your care at Graybill Medical Group facilities. If you have delayed seeking any of the following types of care due to coronavirus concerns, we encourage you to make an appointment with your Graybill Physician or Advanced Practitioner as soon as possible.
  • Well-child visits and vaccinations. To schedule an appointment please call our Pediatrics department at (760) 291-6790
  • Adult clinical preventive services. To schedule an appointment for any of the following services, call (760) 291-6700.
    • Annual preventive services may now be scheduled for all age groups.
    • If you are enrolled in Original (Fee-for-Service) Medicare, you can now schedule your free Annual Wellness Visit (AWV). The AWV can be conducted via telehealth, or your are welcome to make an appointment
  • Management of chronic conditions. If you have a chronic health condition, such as diabetes, heart disease or high blood pressure, it’s important that you see your Primary Care Provider on an ongoing basis in order to maintain good health. Call (760) 291-6700 to schedule an appointment.
  • General check-ups. If you are typically seen three or more times a year, we encourage you to make an appointment with your doctor to maintain their health status. Call (760) 291-6700 to schedule an appointment.
  • Outpatient services related to elective and non-urgent surgeries. If you need to schedule an appointment with a Graybill Specialist concerning services related to an elective or non-urgent procedure, please call the Specialist’s office directly.

Enhanced safety precautions

We have taken several measures to enhance your safety during your office visit. To protect everyone who enters our facilities, all patients, staff, physicians and advanced practitioners are screened at waiting room entries. In addition, to minimize risks to our patients and team members, we have established the following safeguards in our facilities:
      • Spacing chairs and limiting the number of people in waiting areas
      • Adding signage regarding social distancing
As a reminder, 1) we must take your temperature before you enter our waiting area; 2) you must wear a mask; 2) you must not bring anyone with you to your appointment (exception: pediatric patients or those who need assistance may bring one companion or attendant).
Pre-check in for in-office appointments
To minimize your time in our waiting rooms, some of our offices have implemented pre-check in. The goal of pre-check in is to expedite our normal check-in process as much as possible. On the day of your appointment, the office staff will attempt to call you in advance to verify basic information such as your name, physical and email addresses, and phone number(s). They will also collect any copayments or deductibles required by your health insurance. You may also be given additional instructions.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, our policies and procedures will be adjusted as needed. We are committed to caring for our patients in the safest, most compassionate manner possible, and we thank you for continuing to trust your health to Graybill Medical Group.

What to do if you are sick
If you suspect that you have been infected with the coronavirus or have COVID-19, PLEASE CALL AHEAD. DO NOT come directly to a Graybill Office. Instead, call our Patient Customer Service Center at (760) 291-6700 and tell them your symptoms. Our Representative will connect you to an Advanced Practitioner (Physician Assistant or Nurse Practitioner) who can evaluate your situation and advise you on the most appropriate arrangements for your care and on how to keep others safe as well.

Genetic, Antibody Testing

At this time, Graybill is not conducting either diagnostic (genetic) or antibody (serological) COVID-19 testing. Many commercial labs are advertising their ability to do antibody (also called serology) testing. Currently, the Food and Drug Administration states that it is not aware of an antibody test that has been validated for diagnosis of COVID-19 infection. The FDA states that, “while FDA remains open to submissions of these tests for such use, based on the underlying scientific principles of antibody tests, we do not expect that an antibody test can be shown to definitively diagnose or exclude COVID-19 infection.”

Due to this Graybill is not promoting any antibody testing for our patients at a commercial lab. In the future, this may potentially be used to help determine, together with other clinical data, whether these individuals may be less susceptible to infection.

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