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Mercy Urgent Care

Asheville, Brevard, Burnsville, Columbus, Waynesville & Weaverville NC

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Pfizer FDA Approval/ Booster shots

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From the September Mercy Occupational Medicine eNewsletter

On Aug. 23, Pfizer BioNTech became the first company to receive full FDA approval for its COVID-19 vaccine. Commenting on this approval, acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D., said, “While this and other vaccines have met the FDA’s rigorous scientific standards for emergency use authorization, as the first FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine, the public can be very confident that this vaccine meets the high standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality the FDA requires of an approved product.” She continued, “While millions of people have already safely received COVID-19 vaccines, we recognize that for some, the FDA approval of a vaccine may now instill additional confidence to get vaccinated. Today’s milestone puts us one step closer to altering the course of this pandemic in the U.S.”

As full FDA approval comes for the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine, the recent surge in COVID-19 cases poses questions about the need for booster vaccinations. While the FDA is not currently recommending booster vaccinations for all vaccinated individuals, they have recommended additional booster doses for certain groups. Moreover, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced plans to offer booster doses later this fall.

Who needs an additional COVID-19 vaccine?
Currently, the CDC is recommending that moderately to severely immunocompromised people receive an additional vaccine dose to help boost immune response. This includes people who have:

  • Been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood.
  • Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system.
  • Received a stem cell transplant within the last 2 years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system.
  • Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome).
  • Advanced or untreated HIV infection.
  • Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune response.

Talk to your health care provider about any potential medical conditions that may apply to determine whether getting an additional booster dose is appropriate for you.

Ask how Mercy Urgent Care and Occupational Medicine can support your employees with COVID-19 vaccinations, testing or other workplace services.

Source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Safe Urgent Care during COVID-19

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When you have a non-life-threatening illness or injury, Mercy Urgent Care provides high-quality, affordable, and convenient medical care at a fraction of the time and cost of an emergency-room visit. Not-for-profit, independent and Asheville-based, Mercy Urgent Care cares for you and your family with board-certified physicians and a well-trained professional medical staff.

To reduce viral spread for patients and staff alike, Mercy is dedicated more than ever to providing a safe, clean environment for all of its patients — whether we’re screening for strep, performing a pre-employment physical or x-raying a fractured arm. We know that you’re worried, and we want you to know we’re doing everything we can to keep you safe during this stressful situation. Here’s what you need to know before your visit:

When You Arrive

All patients, regardless of the reason for their visit, should adhere to the following procedures:

  1. Park, remain in your vehicle and call the center to check in with staff. Staff will make note of your condition, symptoms and needs over the phone — and you may be asked to meet a staff person at the front door to provide photo I.D. and insurance.
  2. Wait in your car until a room is available. This is to eliminate potential cross-contamination in the lobby.
  3. When someone from our medical staff is available, we will call or text you to come inside. If appropriate, some patients may be seen from their vehicles.

The phone number for check-in at each Mercy Urgent Care facility is listed below:

  • West Asheville: 828-398-3525
  • East Asheville: 828-210-8325
  • South Asheville: 828-274-1462
  • Brevard: 828-883-2600
  • Burnsville: 828-536-5575
  • Columbus (Foothills): 828-802-1011
  • Waynesville: 828-210-8333
  • Weaverville: 828-645-5088

 

In-Vehicle Treatment

Mercy Urgent Care staff is willing to work with you to get you the care that you need.

Patients with injuries or illnesses requiring visual or simple swab diagnoses (pink eye, sinus infection, rash, etc.) may be seen from their vehicles if deemed appropriate by staff. Patients needing x-rays, bloodwork or other more complex treatment, however, must come inside to receive care. All patients, however, should follow the arrival procedures listed above, regardless of where they expect to be seen.

Inside the Facility

Everyone will be required to wear a surgical mask while inside the facility. Mercy will provide these masks.

One parent, guardian or caretaker is permitted per patient. Any nonessential persons will be asked to remain in their vehicles.

Increased Sanitation

In addition to the safety precautions above, staff will be frequently disinfecting all shared surfaces and practicing meticulous hygiene procedures between patients.

Questions about COVID-19?

Visit our COVID-19 information page, where we are posting the latest news, information and resources on the outbreak in the region.

Concerned about coronavirus? Here’s what employers should know

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For the last month, the world has been buzzing with concern over a new coronavirus, COVID-19, which has spread to more than 45,000 people across at least 25 countries in just a few short weeks.

The moderately infectious illness, similar to the 2003 SARS outbreak, is predicted to have a fatality rate of less than 3 percent, with each infected individual likely to spread the virus to between 1.5 and 3.5 new people. In other words: It’s somewhat more contagious than the flu, but not nearly as infectious as chickenpox. Patients with COVID-19 have reported a range of mild to severe symptoms, including fever, cough and shortness of breath.

So far, only 15 cases have been confirmed in the United States (in Arizona, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Texas, Wisconsin and Washington) — but Mercy Urgent Care strongly urges our communities (and its many employers) to be prepared, should COVID-19 eventually make its way to Western North Carolina.

To prevent the spread of both COVID-19, as well as the more immediate threat of the seasonal flu, the CDC recommends employers:

  • actively encourage sick employees to stay home.
    • Employees who have symptoms of acute respiratory illness are recommended to stay home and not come to work until they are free of fever, signs of a fever, and any other symptoms for at least 24 hours — without the use of fever-reducing or other symptom-altering medicines. Employees should notify their supervisor and stay home if they are sick.
    • Ensure that your sick leave policies are flexible and consistent with public health guidance and that employees are aware of these policies.
    • Do not require a health care provider’s note for employees who are sick with acute respiratory illness to validate their illness or to return to work, as healthcare provider offices and medical facilities may be extremely busy and not able to provide such documentation in a timely way.
  • separate sick employees from those without symptoms. 
    • Employees who arrive to work with symptoms like a cough or shortness of breath — or those who develop symptoms throughout the day — should be separated from other employees and be sent home immediately. Sick employees should cover their noses and mouths with a tissue when coughing or sneezing (or an elbow or shoulder if no tissue is available).
  • emphasize workplace respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene.
    • Provide tissues, no-touch disposal receptacles, soap and water and alcohol-based hand sanitizers for use by employees — and place the items in plain, accessible view to encourage hand hygiene.
    • Visit the CDC’s coughing and sneezing etiquette webpage for more information.
  • perform routine environmental cleaning.
    • Routinely clean all frequently touched surfaces in the workplace, such as workstations, countertops, and doorknobs. Use the cleaning agents that are usually used in these areas and follow the directions on the label.
    • Provide disposable wipes so that commonly used surfaces (for example, doorknobs, keyboards, remote controls, desks) can be wiped down by employees before each use

Additionally, prior to an outbreak occurring in the area, all employers should develop and be ready to implement strategies to protect their workforce from COVID-19 while ensuring continuity of operations.

The CDC recommends that this strategy be flexible, with employees involved in developing and reviewing the plan — and to plan ahead for gaps or potential problems that may arise should be plan be set in motion. Also recommended is to share the plan with employees — explaining what policies, leave, pay and benefits will be available to them — as well as sharing best practices with other businesses in your community.

For more workplace advice on COVID-19, click here. For more general information on the COVID-19 situation, click here.

If you have specific questions or concerns related to coronavirus, call the NC Department of Health and Human Services at 866.462.3821 for more information. In the event of an emergency, please call 9-1-1. You can also submit questions online by selecting Chat at www.ncpoisoncontrol.org.

You can also contact your local health department:

Buncombe County: 828.250.5109

Transylvania County: ‎828.884.3135

Yancey County: .828.682.6118

Haywood County: 828.452.6675

Polk County: 828.894.8271