October 2, 2025 • 38 mins
The latest government report shows common cold infections this month are at the highest level since 2022. Roughly 31% of weekly tests are coming back positive for rhinovirus and enterovirus. Doctors say this signals a rough cold and flu season ahead.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray. I'm WBS he cost
in his new radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
I'd like to follow up here for a little bit
during this hour. I think doctor Derne was very clear,
which is why I think she's such a great and
special guest. But I would like to hear from some
of you. We haven't talked about this whole issue, but
(00:28):
I think there's a number of cross currents that we're
dealing with here. Everybody finds themselves in a different age bracket.
I mean, you could be twenty five, or you could
be eighty five any or ninety five, anywhere in between.
By the way, I did want to take just a
moment tonight, and I should have done this earlier, but
(00:51):
I had an email earlier this week from a lovely
woman who I'm just going to identify her by her
last name. Her name is Kim, and she asked me
her mom turns ninety nine years of age tomorrow. Now,
(01:12):
if her mom is listening, or as Kim is listening,
they know of whom I speak. And if you happen
to have a friend who turns ninety nine years of
age tomorrow on October third, you'll know of whom I speak.
As well, but I'm told by Kim again, whose mom
(01:35):
celebrates a double nine birthday, And at that point in time,
I think it's okay to tell people's ages, because to
get to that point in time is really a wonderful accomplishment.
And I just want to wish Kim's mom a many
happy birthday and many many more. Kim tells me that
(01:55):
her mom listens to this program every night, and I
hope that she might be listening now. Your daughter sent
me a lovely note. I did respond to your daughter,
and I was trying to tell her exactly when I
would do it, just to make sure that you hear it.
If you do, and you want to call in and
(02:18):
let me know that your mom heard it, that would
be great. If someone and I'm sure people who listen
to this audience, if you have a friend named Kim
whose mom turns ninety nine tomorrow, well then you have
to know that. You have to know that who we're
talking about. And I just want to say congratulations to
(02:39):
Kim's mom, thank you for your loyalty to this program.
Don't you ever stop listening. I expect you're going to
stay with me however long I continue in this position
and just thanks, thank you very much, and thanks to
everyone everyone who listens to this program, but particularly right
now to Kim's mom. If you want tomorrow, you can
(03:02):
call Rob and he can probably get you a PDF.
And in case your mom missed this, or you can
give me a call and any you can call Rob
now and get my direct number. I did send you
an email back, but you must have missed him, all right,
So I want to follow on with doctor Jerome, and
I'm not looking to open up a controversy here, but
(03:22):
I must be honest with you. I did not realize
that IRSV shots are required. I don't know. I'd have
to call my doctor's office and find out if I
had an RSV shot a year ago. Apparently based upon
the symptoms that I described to doctor Doroan Doran, I
(03:43):
must have had IRSV last winter. It was tough. I
actually took a sick day. I think that was my
first sick day in five years. I don't take many
sick days because I've been blessed with really good health.
To be honest with you, but I would love to
know are you taking all the shots? Are you taking
a COVID shot, a flu shot, and an RSV shot again.
(04:06):
I assume, depending upon your age, you probably have an
inclination one way or the other. And I would also
like to know what success you've had. Look, I took
all my flu shots right up through last year. I
don't think I took one in the spring this year. Now,
(04:29):
based upon listening to doctor Deron tonight, I have to
reconsider whether I want to do a COVID shot. And
part of that is COVID seems to have disappeared from
the headlines. How many of you remember when COVID was
bursting onto the scene, and those of us in Massachusetts,
Charlie Baker had a horrible system. It crashed every time
(04:53):
people were holding on for hours and then being cut off.
They were just trying to get an appointment. And I'm
talking now February and March of twenty twenty. It was
a horrific way to bring in the decade of the
twenty twenties. But there was so much confusion and as
(05:13):
I mentioned, and I think doctor Dorone agreed with me,
when these vaccines as they were called that a vaccine
first became readily available again March April or so of
twenty twenty, we were kind of led to believe by
(05:34):
the medical authorities at the time, including doctor Fauci. And
I'm not trying to politicize it here, but you get
the shot and you're all set. They kind of sold
it similarlyly to how you would think of as a
polio shot. I mean, most of us received a polio
shot when we were in what the first grade, six
(05:56):
years of age. I think it was a requirement to
attend school, public school, and I attended a Catholic grammar school.
But I remember getting the polio shot. I remember how
when they did the polio shot, they left this sort
of little mark on your arm for a while until
you kind of grew out of the mark and it
(06:18):
ended polio. I know that polio has made some sort
of a comeback. You read stories here and there. I
get it. I understand that. But I think they over
sold the COVID shots, that.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
It was.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
A shot that kind of like the flu shot. It
wasn't a vaccine. The word vaccine carried sort of a
guarantee if you will, like a polio vaccine, and we
went through the hall, the whole process where they said, hey,
oh yeah, you might get it, but you won't be hospitalized,
it won't be a serious case. Then we found out
people in hospitals, and then they said, well, you may
(06:55):
go to a hospital and in a rare serious case,
but you're not going to die because you had the
the COVID vaccine. Well, there were people died, and I
think that that was the bad messaging from public health
back in the day of twenty twenty. And I think
that did influence a lot of people, and there were
some people who suffered some medical consequences. So anyway, the
(07:19):
point that I'd like to find out from you is
what are you doing this fall? Have you weaned yourself
off the vaccines? I think that probably is a mistake.
But if you have, that's fine. Have you stopped taking
the vaccines? Have you done well without the vaccines? Let's
(07:41):
just talk about this a little bit. I'm renowed. I'm thinking, now, Gee,
I got to check with my doc's office and see
if I had an RSV shot a year ago, and
what they would advise on getting a second RSV shot,
and if I didn't get one, should I get one?
Now I've gotten my flu shot, which I've had for
years and years and years, and I thought I got
(08:03):
the flu last year, but now I'm led to believe
maybe it was RSV. I remember having sleeping and trying
to sleep when I had this, and it almost sounded
as if there was someone inside my chest cavity talking
to me like the voice it was. It was a
different sort of sounding wheeze. And I did get last winter.
(08:27):
It was in December, and I may not have actually
taken a sick day. It might have been during my
Christmas New Year's break and I felt miserable for a
couple of days, worse than when I got COVID. I
mean when I cooked took covid, got took covid. And again,
I will tell you this, if you do get COVID,
there's this this series of medication. I'm not a doctor,
(08:50):
but it worked for me, and that was to get
what they call packskillovid paxlovid uh. And the only side
effect of that was that left this steely taste in
your mouth. You thought that you had had an automobile
bumper for breakfast. And yeah, So anyway, I'm just going
to open up the lines here and let's talk a
(09:11):
little bit about it. A follow up on with doctor Deron.
I'd love to know what your thoughts are. Obviously, I
know there are some who don't trust public health sources,
but I do think that whether it's a Republican president
or a Democratic president, the public health professionals in this
(09:32):
country are doing their best because it's in their interest too,
as well as in the interest of public health generally,
to make sure that we have the best information that
is available at any given time. And I do remember,
I remember back in the day when we were dying
to get COVID shots. It was like, give me one,
(09:54):
give me two. It was like I want my COVID shots,
and you couldn't get them. And finally they figured out
the delivery system and it worked and you got an invitation.
Maybe some of you don't remember that, but you would
be invited to show up at a certain time at
a certain place where COVID shots were being disseminated, and
(10:14):
you would darn happy to get them, and you felt
at that point, well, I'm safe. Well, the shots did
not assure you of your safety. It probably made many
of us a lot less susceptible to COVID. So let
me open up the lines. I'm tired of talking about this.
Six one, seven, two, five four ten. I'm not tired
(10:36):
about talking about it with you, but I've told you,
I've bared my story to you six months and I
want to hear yours. And what are you doing this fall?
I think the one thing that we learned last hour
is if you are of a certain age, get a
shingle shot. Is that is a miserable condition to have
(10:57):
to live through. Are you doing IRSV in addition to flu?
Are you doing flu? Are you not doing flu? Give
us a call six one, seven, two, five four ten
thirty six one seven, nine three one ten thirty. My
name is Dan Ray. Will be back, get this conversation
going and we will talk about some other subjects as
the evening goes on. Back on night Side right after
(11:19):
these messages.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
If you're on Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ,
Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
On the CDC website here, CDC by dot gov slash
vaccines and they it's a pretty confusing website. I must
tell you. They give you an opportunity to you can
pick a letter in the alphabet. Immunizations will bring it.
Vaccines by age, so it's all there. You can find it.
(11:48):
It's not easy, but you feel free. You can find it.
It's as simple. It's as it's not as simple as that,
but it's it's all there. I'm sure the doctors have
easy access to it and you can find it just
CDC dot gov and then immunizations of vaccines and you'll
get vaccines my age. Again, I am troubled when they
(12:11):
use the word vaccines. I think it should be something
less definitive and say shots. But that's that's something that
I'll have to deal with. Let me get to phones
see what people have to say. I'm going to go
to Paul up in Ontario. Hey, Paul, thank you for
calling in great dear your voice, thank.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
You, thank you for taking my call. Don and congratulations
on the start of your nineteenth year.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
Yeah, it's you know, it's been a pretty good ride,
that's for sure. So yeah, I'm trying to get what
are they saying up in Canada about what are your
medical I don't know you have something I'm sure similar
to the CDC.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
We do.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
So we actually my wife's receiving treatments now for melanoma.
She's going through immunotherapy which has very good results long term.
But we asked her oncologist if she would be okay
to get the flu shot, the COVID shot, and the
(13:11):
RSV shot. He said yes to all three. However, he
did say that he recommends that they be taken at
different times. Here at the they often will the pharmacies
here will often encourage you to get the flu shot
and the COVID shot at the same time. And just
(13:33):
from anectoical evidence or what I've heard from people is
the ones that seem to have the bad reactions are
the ones that get both at the same time. So
the doctor recommended a one to two week gap between
the flu shot and the COVID shot.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Yeah, that's what I've heard doctors down here. I must
say this that one of the things that bothers me.
And I don't know if there's anyone out there who
fails the same way, But what I want walk into
a pharmacy like a CVS, and I'm not just picking CVS.
It could be a Walmart as well. Or I walk
into a grocery store, whether it's again a Shaws, and
(14:12):
I'm not sure how many different grocery stores they have
their pharmacies inside their stores, and they're telling you, you know,
you get your COVID shot, get you this shot, and
you'll get the ten dollars off your shopping or whatever.
They are making money. I mean, the the pharmacies. They're
(14:34):
getting paid by the government for these shots, and I'm
convinced of that, and also the grocery stores. And it's
just I now get my shots at you know, I'll
get it at a CVS. I'll talk to the pharmacist though,
before I get the shot, and I'll talk to the
(14:55):
pharmacist that shaws. But it just seems to me a
little weird that by getting because you get a shot
at the store, you get a coupon. Is anyone else
out there struck by that as being almost.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
Like a loss of leader, yes you.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
If you yeah, right, yeah, you know, twenty percent off
or whatever up to a certain amount. It's like they
phrase it in such a way that you But it
just seems to me that it should be simply the
shot is here, that they should not be allowed to
induce people because I don't know, I mean, I don't
know if there are people out there getting multiple shots,
(15:34):
which which is also unhealthy, by the way, that's a
problem too.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
So yeah, I can say that the food shot and
the COVID shot are covered by our government. Here the
RSV shot. The whoever gets the shot has to pay
out a pocket two hundred and sixty six dollars. The
other thing about the the the RSV shot, like I'm
(16:01):
at an age where I should be having it. I'm seventy.
I've had eight COVID shots, and I've had the flu
shot for I don't know how many consecutive years. I
don't want to overwhelm my immune system. That's one of
the concerns I have. So I think will probably my
wife and I will probably just go with the COVID
(16:23):
and the flu shot and forego the RSV shot. The
other thing is the RSV vaccination is relatively new, so
I like it to be around a little longer to
have a better understanding of how effective it is. I
guess I'm going with the old meat Loaf song. Two
(16:45):
out of three ain't bad.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
Yeah, I agree with you that. Yeah. So again, Canada
is very It's interesting that Canada, with his public health
system and as high taxes, that they would make you
pay for RSV shots. I I don't know, to be
really honest with you, if I think the COVID shots
are covered because I get my COVID shot. Uh. Well,
(17:09):
I've got my COVID shot yet, but I got my
flu shot uh at a at a pharmacy. Uh. And
I didn't have to pay anything. And you know, I
don't know. It's very confusing, and I just think there's something.
Speaker 3 (17:23):
I don't know what to make of it, to be
quite honest with you. But we're gonna go with with
the two, the COVID and the flu shots, and we'll
do it probably in the next like the next week
one shot and maybe two weeks after that the other.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
Yeah, I think that's I I remember one year I
did that. I did a COVID booster and a flu
shot and I was advised, you know, separate by at
least a week, and I had no adverse reaction to either.
But that's what was being recommended at the time. But
sometimes the recommendations change. Paul up my break. Great to
hear your voice. Don't be a stranger. Thank you so.
Speaker 3 (17:55):
Much, great, thank you for taking my call. I have
a great evening.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
Yes you too. I'd like to continue with this, so
I'd love to hear from you. Have thrown out a
number of my reactions. I'd love to know if when
you walk into your supermarket, depending upon which it is,
and I think some offer these shots, some don't. If
you walk into a pharmacy, are you more comfortable in
the pharmacy or do you say, look no, I'm just
(18:18):
going to take it go to my doctor's office. I mean,
you wouldn't go to this. You wouldn't go to the
pharmacy or to the grocery store to get a physical why?
And again, I've done it. It's convenient. I will admit that.
I'd love to get your reaction to that. And I
know that there are some people who still believe that
(18:39):
these shots are being pushed on us, but I don't know.
It's it just feels different right now in this fall
than it did certainly in the late winter of twenty twenty,
no question about that. And I'd love to get your
reaction and your experience six one, seven two ten thirty
or six seven thirty. I think this is a great topic.
(19:04):
I appreciate what doctor Drone said. All of her advice
is critical to she's really good. So please don't listen
to my advice. Don't listen to my any callers advice.
Those are experiences she provides advice, and I think that
words have meaning in words with meaning matter. Okay six one, seven, two, five,
(19:28):
four ten thirty six one seven, nine three one ten thirty.
Coming right back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
You're on night Side with Dan Ray. I'm w YOUZ
Boston's news Radio.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
Okay, we're following on our conversation with doctor Shaivra Drone.
Just getting your reaction. I mean, we're not we're not expert.
She is, and I would follow her guidance, but I'd
also be talking to my doctor because your doctor knows
you best. Let's go next to Bill in Danvers. Hey, Bill,
welcome next one night Side.
Speaker 4 (20:04):
Yeah, Dan, I actually have my physical luk coming up
on Tuesday.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
Excellent. So you got to do that every year too, by.
Speaker 4 (20:11):
The way, Yeah, well yeah, plus, I mean but I
pay insurance rates, you know, and I want to make
sure I maximize everything. But so a few years ago
I asked them about the pneumonia shot, you know, and
you're annoying them. They said, you gotta be closer to
the sixties. I said, fine, well, you know whatever, a
you know, I'm you know, getting closer to the fifty
one here. So I went in, Chuck did the pre
(20:32):
check in on patient gateway for the Tuesday thing. And
then you know they want to double check every day
and make sure you still got the same insurance or
you have insurance, and it says they're now recommending and
said the other thing the pneumonia shot. So I investigated
and I start looking into it, and they dropped the
standard by ten years.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
I didn't even know there was a pneumonia shot. I mean,
I'm learning something tonight. Is that the same as the
rs V shot?
Speaker 4 (20:59):
I don't know, but it says pneumonia on the on
the shot. It was on the thing, and I knew
a few guys years ago they got it and I
asked about it. They didn't correct me and say irs
V or.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
But I thought that pneumonia was when your lungs filled
up with water.
Speaker 4 (21:13):
And well, I guess this is a shot for it
that it pumps you with something. I don't know what
it does or whatever, but it has to stop.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
What I'm saying is that has to stop. I'm not
a dodger. I wish talked to Jerome was here, But
I mean, I assume that pneumonia is caused by flu
or rs V or some sort of an infection that
you have.
Speaker 4 (21:35):
I don't know, but yeah, so you know, but being
in New England and I'm in that out of things and
I sort of yeah, I usually get run down more
than I am now I've sort of built myself up
at the gym SA. I'm on the gym bike right
now talking to you nice and uh, you know I
usually do about eight ten miles on the bike. So
but you know, uh, you know now they load it.
(21:57):
So you know, you get cynical with a lot of
stuff that we've seen. You know, did they lower it
because they sorry? I think for it or you know,
do maybe you know the stock crisis is a low
low Dan, you know you think about that?
Speaker 2 (22:10):
You know, No, I understand, And that's how that's that's
how we we think. What do you think when you
walk into a grocery store or you walk into a pharmacy,
uh where you where you normally buy toothpaste and Derodo
deodorant And I know they have a they have you
can pick up your prescription drugs there.
Speaker 4 (22:29):
But oh yeah, I go to Walgreens. I see it
all the time, the sign get the shots. We got
a promo and we got this.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
Yeah, but you know, if the shots are being paid
by by the government, which they are. It would seem
to me that part of that payment, I'm sure there's
a cut that goes to the pharmacy. I don't know
what it is, but they're not doing it for their health.
Speaker 4 (22:55):
No, you know, there's a business model. Whatever the margins are,
they feel that and give a rebate that way. Did
they get you to move another product in the store. Yeah,
and then if they move more product, right, of course,
they get a better They're doing more volume, so they
get a better rate on what the selling, so that
helps on that end.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
Well. No, but but also my look, my understanding is
that every shot that they administer, there's a it's being paid.
The government is paying them. I think it's like one
hundred and fifty dollars or you know, I think that's
what the number is. Okay, that's that. That's a that's
a nice little you know addition, you know, to people
(23:35):
who are coming in buying the odorant and candy, uh
and they stop buy for a for a for at shot.
I mean, it's it's well worth it to the far,
that's all I'm saying. I'm not saying it's bad.
Speaker 4 (23:46):
I'm not trying to criticize.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
The pharmacies to the grocery store. There's just something about it.
Don't give me a ten dollar coupon. Don't induce me
with a ten dollar coupon to to you know I
should do I should do it because I want to
do it, is what I'm trying to say. I should
do it. Of my doctor.
Speaker 4 (24:07):
It's part of the capitalist deal, Dan, when you go
in that's capital.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
So I get it. I get it, but but this
is one I'm a big capitalist guy, but this is
one that that troubles me, really does trouble me.
Speaker 4 (24:18):
Well, they probably have a formula, they know X amount
of people are going to get the shots. They probably
don't demographics in the area, they know how many. Basically, roughly,
it is going to be reimburssed because if people take them,
and they're just trying to get a bigger percentage of
that market, because you'll built.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
I totally get that. But what I'm saying is it
would seem to me that most people should get their
medical care through their doctor's office. I don't go to
the grocery store to get a physical. I don't go
to the grocery store for a proctologist saying yeah.
Speaker 4 (24:51):
I mean, I agree that I feel better going to
the doctors. I mean, I'm so shocked that the people
that run their urgent cares for stuff that you know,
urgent care to me is like maybe you know, uh,
we'll check you have a fever, take to aspirin, or
do this, or follow up what you've done. You know,
I can't imagine anything. I just you know, I go
on patient Gateway and if I have a thing, I can,
(25:11):
I can schedule. I can you know I had a
rash thing one time, you can take a picture, send
it to.
Speaker 2 (25:16):
Him, evaluated, edit that I am. I find patient Gateway
pretty confusing if the truth be done.
Speaker 4 (25:23):
I mean, oh yeah, I think. I mean, I you know,
it's pretty uh. I mean, and I'm not a great
computer guy, but I manage it pretty good.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
Well, good for you, good, good for you. Okay, Hey Bill,
I gotta let you run here because we're here, We're
going on. You'd be well, okay, stay do whatever you
got to do to stay healthy this winter. Okay, thanky.
I Well, but I still haven't heard from anyone who uh,
And I should have asked doctor Drona if there's any
predictions out there in terms of COVID. I just don't
(25:52):
get a sense it's on anyone's radar. Ron, is it Newton? Hey? Ron,
welcome back?
Speaker 5 (25:56):
How are you hi?
Speaker 2 (25:58):
Dan?
Speaker 5 (25:58):
Thanks so much, great topic. You know, I think decisions
are always an individual and based on a risk benefit. Yes,
and as you have underscored every single moment that you
know it.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
By the way, Ron, I had to be the bear
of bad news here, but the Yankees have just eliminated
the Red Sox for nothing. Brilliant pitching performance by the
young guy Yankee pitcher who pitched for Walpole High School
in Northeastern camp Slittler. Slitler, I believe is how his
name is pronounced. His dad as the police chief in Nita, Massachusetts.
(26:37):
And the Yankees move on and the Red Sox. The
truck leaves in about one hundred and twenty days from
Fenway Park. I'm sorry to be the bear of that
bad news.
Speaker 5 (26:45):
I'm sad, Dan, that's I mean, that's that was one
of our bright spots.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
Well, we still have the Patriots wrong.
Speaker 6 (26:55):
Yeah, okay, all right, let's get back to this story
at here and go right ahead.
Speaker 5 (27:02):
So again, I think it's it's everything that you have
is a risk benefit decision, and it's you are the
one that is an individual case. I am currently currently
I have eight different vaccines that that's tiny because I
have international travel, everything ranging from HEPA have bey new
(27:25):
macaccle vaccine that you had, the pneumonia vaccine that you
had alluded to me, Ninja cockle, tetanus, typhoid, yellow fever.
I get the flu shot in COVID every year.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
But well, again, your situation is you could be activated
in this medical team that you're associated with to go
literally anywhere in the world within twenty four hours. And
if people are going to travel internationally, normally they have
to check in with their doctors and make sure that
that they have the proper vaccines depending upon the country
they go to. Let me ask you this as a
(28:00):
as a medical professional, does it strike you odd or anything.
I'm just going to say the word odd by the
fact that you go into a grocery store or into
a pharmacy and people are their advert they're basically will
give you a ten dollar coupon if you get your shot.
(28:21):
Here is there's something about that.
Speaker 5 (28:25):
I'm not comfortable with that, To be honest.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
With you, it's certainly convenient, and if the purpose is
to get more people immunized, that the whole concept member
that was they talked about herd immunity. That's okay, I
guess if it's if that's a more effective delivery system.
Speaker 5 (28:45):
Yeah, well maybe it's a way to coax people to
think about it. I don't know, but I mean my
source is the Travel and Immunization Center at MGH, which
is what we use. And I actually have to have
an international certificate, a vaccination, a yellow card that I
(29:06):
carry with me when I go.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
Sure, you gotta have something. Remember we all used to
be walking around with our COVID cards. I couldn't find
my COVID card to save my life right now. It
got filled up. Do you know where your COVID card are?
You probably knowing you, you probably know where your COVID
card is.
Speaker 5 (29:24):
I have my COVID card, but I also have the
partner gateway as you know that you can go right
on and see it. But I have to tell you
I had the discussion in August with the I have
a chief of the chief of what I call the
(29:44):
ub itis Clinic because I have an immuno logic hyperactivity
that sometimes happens. I have a rheumatoid condition in my age.
I'm seventy. So I discussed it with my doctor in
August in the U Guidist clinic.
Speaker 6 (30:02):
Because every time, yep, that's yeah, brod, that's the best
advice that you could give anyone, and that is, don't
do anything in this regard without dealing with your doctor,
because the doctor knows your best.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
And I think that's the point I'm trying to make.
Speaker 5 (30:18):
And I'm at risk because I get I can get
an inflammatory reaction and I did last year, Yeah, and
had the emergency room.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
So we'll get a little bit of too much information there, Ron,
if you get my dript, yeah, TMI, butddy of mine
loves to say t MI. All right, my friend, we'll
talk soon.
Speaker 5 (30:36):
Okay, thanks Ron, Thanks very much, Thanks.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
Buddy, talk to you later. Six six. Uh, let's have
at it. Get some open lines here at eleven will
change topics. I'd like to get a little bit more
reaction from my audience about getting vaccinations at pharmacies or
at grocery stores. Something about it hits me wrong. It
is obviously a a consequence of COVID, and I guess
(31:02):
if it makes US safer. That's fine. There's something about it.
And also the idea of you get a coupon for
a couple of bucks if you get if you get
your COVID vaccine. I don't know. There's just in terms
of our medical delivery system. Strikes me. On six one
seven thirty six one seven nine, three, ten thirty The
(31:23):
Red Sox season is over. Hate to be the bare
of bad news. They have lost to the Evil Empire.
Back on Night's side. After this.
Speaker 1 (31:30):
Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
No joy in Mudville. The Red Sox lost four nothing
to the Yankees, and the Red Sox season is over.
I just did the math. They think it's about one
hundred and twenty nine days or something, depending upon early February.
I'm thinking the bus leaves for Fort Myers, not the bus.
The truck leaves for Fort Myers around February eight, So
we got one hundred and twenty nine days. Hey, the
(31:57):
Red Sox had a pretty good season, particularly considering the
injuries that they suffered. We might talk about that in
the I might try to talk about it in the
final hour tonight, but in the meantime we're talking about
reaction to doctor Shira Deran. She was excellent tonight. She
really was in a It's the type of guest on
nightside that I really enjoy because that guest is helping
(32:18):
all of us. Let me go next to Shirley in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Shirley,
appreciate you calling in your question or comment.
Speaker 7 (32:24):
Shirley just on that I actually get my vaccine. I'm
getting the flu vaccine at work because I work at
a university and they just have sty markets. They have
their pharmacists come in and they do it three different times, really,
and I do it because I don't want to pay
(32:44):
the twenty five dollar copa to have.
Speaker 5 (32:47):
To go to my doctor's office.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
I okay, yeah, yeah. Well, first of all, that's convenient
for you. How often has your school done this for you?
Speaker 7 (32:58):
So they've been doing it since COVID?
Speaker 2 (33:01):
Oh okay, well yep. I mean I think that's a plus.
The fact that it's done in your office where I'm
sure there's a room set aside and everything is, you know,
perfectly clean and all of that, and I just feel
(33:22):
a little I got I got my flu shot at
a pharmacy and the nurse or whomever it was that
administrative shot. Could not have could not have been nicer,
could not have been nicer. But there's just something about
walking into a grocery store and being induced to get
a shot because you you're going to get a coupon
(33:45):
or something. You know.
Speaker 7 (33:49):
No, I agree, I agree with you. I'm just like
I said, it's just convenient and I don't want to
have to pay that cope.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
It's a twenty five dollar cope, totally understand.
Speaker 7 (34:01):
Yeah, that's a lot anyway. So it's like it's like
a win win for me.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
Okay, so they do. So the university does the COVID
shot for you or or is it the flu shot?
I forget what you said.
Speaker 7 (34:16):
You could get both. You could get COVID, you could
get the flu depending upon your age, you could get.
Speaker 5 (34:22):
The new Macaco Yeah, okay, okay.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
And there are three times you said when when they
when they make the shots available? So that makes it
convenient too. So I don't know if you have to
pay a co pay at all of the shots, but
you save more than twenty five dollars. You save twenty
five dollars. You said, what on the on the COVID shot?
And then there must be an equivalent amount on the
flu shot or whatever as well.
Speaker 7 (34:49):
Exactly, I don't write I don't have to pay for
anything because you just have it on your insurance cards,
and your insurance pays full of the shot itself, so
I don't have to. Hey, my COPAI going to the
doctors and I so basically, you know, you get your
shot for free.
Speaker 2 (35:07):
Yeah, that's I hadn't thought of it that way, to
be honest with you, but that makes a lot of sense.
I've only seen in stores and pharmacies this year. I've
only seen the flu shot. Maybe maybe they make the
COVID shots available as well. I've gotten COVID shots other years,
and again, it just could be the grocery store or
(35:27):
the pharmacy that I'm going to. To be honest with you,
that could be I got to maybe look around a
little more, a little more carefully. Thanks.
Speaker 7 (35:36):
Yeah, I'm not doing the COVID this year. I'm just
doing the flu.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
But how old are you if I could have? How
old are you if I could.
Speaker 7 (35:43):
Ask, I'm going to be fifty six in November.
Speaker 2 (35:47):
Okay, Well you're not in that category they're saying. I
think over sixty five people should seriously consider to take
the COVID shot I didn't get. I think I was
due for covido last May. I didn't take it. I
did take all my COVID shots. And as they said,
it was two years ago, actually it might have been
(36:08):
in Yeah, I think it was three years ago. Now
I had COVID and it was it was, it was.
It wasn't that bad, to be really honest with you,
I mean it was. You know, it was a couple
of days where you felt a little down. But if
you get COVID, get packslovered, right.
Speaker 7 (36:30):
So I'll tell you I had it two years ago
and I wasn't that bad. I had a fever, you know,
it wasn't all that bad. A couple of as in pain.
But my worst one was December of twenty twenty. And
I'm a long hauler. I still can't smell still smell.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
Yeah, I think that. I think that that first wave
of COVID because I have friends of mine who are
what they call long haulers. So you cannot smell anything.
Speaker 7 (37:01):
I mean, it has to be super super super strong,
like a bleach wow, really really strong. And for tasting,
it has to be something really sweet.
Speaker 5 (37:13):
Like really super sugary.
Speaker 7 (37:15):
Sweet like a lemonade, or it has to be super spicy.
Speaker 2 (37:21):
Wow. So so if if you were blindfolded and I
held a purple onion under your nose, which is very
easy to smell, you wouldn't You wouldn't be able to say,
that's a that's an onion.
Speaker 7 (37:34):
Uh, unless it was super super super strong. No, I
would not.
Speaker 2 (37:37):
Wow.
Speaker 7 (37:38):
Like I work at a university and we can walk
into dormitory and what I call my right hand man,
he'll say, wow, you know you can tell their smoke
in their marijuana tonight does not even affect me.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
Well, I can't.
Speaker 7 (37:54):
I can't smell it.
Speaker 2 (37:55):
Yeah. I don't know if that means you wouldn't have
a contact high, but whatever, it's one of one of
the problems of the jew of the job. Okay, thanks Hirley,
I appreciate it very much. Hey, have a great night,
Thanks for listening, Thank you for listening, and thank you
for calling. Have a great night. Good Welcome all. We
(38:17):
come back right after eleven o'clock news. I'm not sure
what we're gonna do. I'm conflicted. I've got an idea.
I'll run it by you. We'll see what you want
to say. Coming back on night side
It's Night Side with Dan Ray. I'm WBS he cost
in his new radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
I'd like to follow up here for a little bit
during this hour. I think doctor Derne was very clear,
which is why I think she's such a great and
special guest. But I would like to hear from some
of you. We haven't talked about this whole issue, but
(00:28):
I think there's a number of cross currents that we're
dealing with here. Everybody finds themselves in a different age bracket.
I mean, you could be twenty five, or you could
be eighty five any or ninety five, anywhere in between.
By the way, I did want to take just a
moment tonight, and I should have done this earlier, but
(00:51):
I had an email earlier this week from a lovely
woman who I'm just going to identify her by her
last name. Her name is Kim, and she asked me
her mom turns ninety nine years of age tomorrow. Now,
(01:12):
if her mom is listening, or as Kim is listening,
they know of whom I speak. And if you happen
to have a friend who turns ninety nine years of
age tomorrow on October third, you'll know of whom I speak.
As well, but I'm told by Kim again, whose mom
(01:35):
celebrates a double nine birthday, And at that point in time,
I think it's okay to tell people's ages, because to
get to that point in time is really a wonderful accomplishment.
And I just want to wish Kim's mom a many
happy birthday and many many more. Kim tells me that
(01:55):
her mom listens to this program every night, and I
hope that she might be listening now. Your daughter sent
me a lovely note. I did respond to your daughter,
and I was trying to tell her exactly when I
would do it, just to make sure that you hear it.
If you do, and you want to call in and
(02:18):
let me know that your mom heard it, that would
be great. If someone and I'm sure people who listen
to this audience, if you have a friend named Kim
whose mom turns ninety nine tomorrow, well then you have
to know that. You have to know that who we're
talking about. And I just want to say congratulations to
(02:39):
Kim's mom, thank you for your loyalty to this program.
Don't you ever stop listening. I expect you're going to
stay with me however long I continue in this position
and just thanks, thank you very much, and thanks to
everyone everyone who listens to this program, but particularly right
now to Kim's mom. If you want tomorrow, you can
(03:02):
call Rob and he can probably get you a PDF.
And in case your mom missed this, or you can
give me a call and any you can call Rob
now and get my direct number. I did send you
an email back, but you must have missed him, all right,
So I want to follow on with doctor Jerome, and
I'm not looking to open up a controversy here, but
(03:22):
I must be honest with you. I did not realize
that IRSV shots are required. I don't know. I'd have
to call my doctor's office and find out if I
had an RSV shot a year ago. Apparently based upon
the symptoms that I described to doctor Doroan Doran, I
(03:43):
must have had IRSV last winter. It was tough. I
actually took a sick day. I think that was my
first sick day in five years. I don't take many
sick days because I've been blessed with really good health.
To be honest with you, but I would love to
know are you taking all the shots? Are you taking
a COVID shot, a flu shot, and an RSV shot again.
(04:06):
I assume, depending upon your age, you probably have an
inclination one way or the other. And I would also
like to know what success you've had. Look, I took
all my flu shots right up through last year. I
don't think I took one in the spring this year. Now,
(04:29):
based upon listening to doctor Deron tonight, I have to
reconsider whether I want to do a COVID shot. And
part of that is COVID seems to have disappeared from
the headlines. How many of you remember when COVID was
bursting onto the scene, and those of us in Massachusetts,
Charlie Baker had a horrible system. It crashed every time
(04:53):
people were holding on for hours and then being cut off.
They were just trying to get an appointment. And I'm
talking now February and March of twenty twenty. It was
a horrific way to bring in the decade of the
twenty twenties. But there was so much confusion and as
(05:13):
I mentioned, and I think doctor Dorone agreed with me,
when these vaccines as they were called that a vaccine
first became readily available again March April or so of
twenty twenty, we were kind of led to believe by
(05:34):
the medical authorities at the time, including doctor Fauci. And
I'm not trying to politicize it here, but you get
the shot and you're all set. They kind of sold
it similarlyly to how you would think of as a
polio shot. I mean, most of us received a polio
shot when we were in what the first grade, six
(05:56):
years of age. I think it was a requirement to
attend school, public school, and I attended a Catholic grammar school.
But I remember getting the polio shot. I remember how
when they did the polio shot, they left this sort
of little mark on your arm for a while until
you kind of grew out of the mark and it
(06:18):
ended polio. I know that polio has made some sort
of a comeback. You read stories here and there. I
get it. I understand that. But I think they over
sold the COVID shots, that.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
It was.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
A shot that kind of like the flu shot. It
wasn't a vaccine. The word vaccine carried sort of a
guarantee if you will, like a polio vaccine, and we
went through the hall, the whole process where they said, hey,
oh yeah, you might get it, but you won't be hospitalized,
it won't be a serious case. Then we found out
people in hospitals, and then they said, well, you may
(06:55):
go to a hospital and in a rare serious case,
but you're not going to die because you had the
the COVID vaccine. Well, there were people died, and I
think that that was the bad messaging from public health
back in the day of twenty twenty. And I think
that did influence a lot of people, and there were
some people who suffered some medical consequences. So anyway, the
(07:19):
point that I'd like to find out from you is
what are you doing this fall? Have you weaned yourself
off the vaccines? I think that probably is a mistake.
But if you have, that's fine. Have you stopped taking
the vaccines? Have you done well without the vaccines? Let's
(07:41):
just talk about this a little bit. I'm renowed. I'm thinking, now, Gee,
I got to check with my doc's office and see
if I had an RSV shot a year ago, and
what they would advise on getting a second RSV shot,
and if I didn't get one, should I get one?
Now I've gotten my flu shot, which I've had for
years and years and years, and I thought I got
(08:03):
the flu last year, but now I'm led to believe
maybe it was RSV. I remember having sleeping and trying
to sleep when I had this, and it almost sounded
as if there was someone inside my chest cavity talking
to me like the voice it was. It was a
different sort of sounding wheeze. And I did get last winter.
(08:27):
It was in December, and I may not have actually
taken a sick day. It might have been during my
Christmas New Year's break and I felt miserable for a
couple of days, worse than when I got COVID. I
mean when I cooked took covid, got took covid. And again,
I will tell you this, if you do get COVID,
there's this this series of medication. I'm not a doctor,
(08:50):
but it worked for me, and that was to get
what they call packskillovid paxlovid uh. And the only side
effect of that was that left this steely taste in
your mouth. You thought that you had had an automobile
bumper for breakfast. And yeah, So anyway, I'm just going
to open up the lines here and let's talk a
(09:11):
little bit about it. A follow up on with doctor Deron.
I'd love to know what your thoughts are. Obviously, I
know there are some who don't trust public health sources,
but I do think that whether it's a Republican president
or a Democratic president, the public health professionals in this
(09:32):
country are doing their best because it's in their interest too,
as well as in the interest of public health generally,
to make sure that we have the best information that
is available at any given time. And I do remember,
I remember back in the day when we were dying
to get COVID shots. It was like, give me one,
(09:54):
give me two. It was like I want my COVID shots,
and you couldn't get them. And finally they figured out
the delivery system and it worked and you got an invitation.
Maybe some of you don't remember that, but you would
be invited to show up at a certain time at
a certain place where COVID shots were being disseminated, and
(10:14):
you would darn happy to get them, and you felt
at that point, well, I'm safe. Well, the shots did
not assure you of your safety. It probably made many
of us a lot less susceptible to COVID. So let
me open up the lines. I'm tired of talking about this.
Six one, seven, two, five four ten. I'm not tired
(10:36):
about talking about it with you, but I've told you,
I've bared my story to you six months and I
want to hear yours. And what are you doing this fall?
I think the one thing that we learned last hour
is if you are of a certain age, get a
shingle shot. Is that is a miserable condition to have
(10:57):
to live through. Are you doing IRSV in addition to flu?
Are you doing flu? Are you not doing flu? Give
us a call six one, seven, two, five four ten
thirty six one seven, nine three one ten thirty. My
name is Dan Ray. Will be back, get this conversation
going and we will talk about some other subjects as
the evening goes on. Back on night Side right after
(11:19):
these messages.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
If you're on Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ,
Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
On the CDC website here, CDC by dot gov slash
vaccines and they it's a pretty confusing website. I must
tell you. They give you an opportunity to you can
pick a letter in the alphabet. Immunizations will bring it.
Vaccines by age, so it's all there. You can find it.
(11:48):
It's not easy, but you feel free. You can find it.
It's as simple. It's as it's not as simple as that,
but it's it's all there. I'm sure the doctors have
easy access to it and you can find it just
CDC dot gov and then immunizations of vaccines and you'll
get vaccines my age. Again, I am troubled when they
(12:11):
use the word vaccines. I think it should be something
less definitive and say shots. But that's that's something that
I'll have to deal with. Let me get to phones
see what people have to say. I'm going to go
to Paul up in Ontario. Hey, Paul, thank you for
calling in great dear your voice, thank.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
You, thank you for taking my call. Don and congratulations
on the start of your nineteenth year.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
Yeah, it's you know, it's been a pretty good ride,
that's for sure. So yeah, I'm trying to get what
are they saying up in Canada about what are your
medical I don't know you have something I'm sure similar
to the CDC.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
We do.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
So we actually my wife's receiving treatments now for melanoma.
She's going through immunotherapy which has very good results long term.
But we asked her oncologist if she would be okay
to get the flu shot, the COVID shot, and the
(13:11):
RSV shot. He said yes to all three. However, he
did say that he recommends that they be taken at
different times. Here at the they often will the pharmacies
here will often encourage you to get the flu shot
and the COVID shot at the same time. And just
(13:33):
from anectoical evidence or what I've heard from people is
the ones that seem to have the bad reactions are
the ones that get both at the same time. So
the doctor recommended a one to two week gap between
the flu shot and the COVID shot.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Yeah, that's what I've heard doctors down here. I must
say this that one of the things that bothers me.
And I don't know if there's anyone out there who
fails the same way, But what I want walk into
a pharmacy like a CVS, and I'm not just picking CVS.
It could be a Walmart as well. Or I walk
into a grocery store, whether it's again a Shaws, and
(14:12):
I'm not sure how many different grocery stores they have
their pharmacies inside their stores, and they're telling you, you know,
you get your COVID shot, get you this shot, and
you'll get the ten dollars off your shopping or whatever.
They are making money. I mean, the the pharmacies. They're
(14:34):
getting paid by the government for these shots, and I'm
convinced of that, and also the grocery stores. And it's
just I now get my shots at you know, I'll
get it at a CVS. I'll talk to the pharmacist though,
before I get the shot, and I'll talk to the
(14:55):
pharmacist that shaws. But it just seems to me a
little weird that by getting because you get a shot
at the store, you get a coupon. Is anyone else
out there struck by that as being almost.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
Like a loss of leader, yes you.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
If you yeah, right, yeah, you know, twenty percent off
or whatever up to a certain amount. It's like they
phrase it in such a way that you But it
just seems to me that it should be simply the
shot is here, that they should not be allowed to
induce people because I don't know, I mean, I don't
know if there are people out there getting multiple shots,
(15:34):
which which is also unhealthy, by the way, that's a
problem too.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
So yeah, I can say that the food shot and
the COVID shot are covered by our government. Here the
RSV shot. The whoever gets the shot has to pay
out a pocket two hundred and sixty six dollars. The
other thing about the the the RSV shot, like I'm
(16:01):
at an age where I should be having it. I'm seventy.
I've had eight COVID shots, and I've had the flu
shot for I don't know how many consecutive years. I
don't want to overwhelm my immune system. That's one of
the concerns I have. So I think will probably my
wife and I will probably just go with the COVID
(16:23):
and the flu shot and forego the RSV shot. The
other thing is the RSV vaccination is relatively new, so
I like it to be around a little longer to
have a better understanding of how effective it is. I
guess I'm going with the old meat Loaf song. Two
(16:45):
out of three ain't bad.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
Yeah, I agree with you that. Yeah. So again, Canada
is very It's interesting that Canada, with his public health
system and as high taxes, that they would make you
pay for RSV shots. I I don't know, to be
really honest with you, if I think the COVID shots
are covered because I get my COVID shot. Uh. Well,
(17:09):
I've got my COVID shot yet, but I got my
flu shot uh at a at a pharmacy. Uh. And
I didn't have to pay anything. And you know, I
don't know. It's very confusing, and I just think there's something.
Speaker 3 (17:23):
I don't know what to make of it, to be
quite honest with you. But we're gonna go with with
the two, the COVID and the flu shots, and we'll
do it probably in the next like the next week
one shot and maybe two weeks after that the other.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
Yeah, I think that's I I remember one year I
did that. I did a COVID booster and a flu
shot and I was advised, you know, separate by at
least a week, and I had no adverse reaction to either.
But that's what was being recommended at the time. But
sometimes the recommendations change. Paul up my break. Great to
hear your voice. Don't be a stranger. Thank you so.
Speaker 3 (17:55):
Much, great, thank you for taking my call. I have
a great evening.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
Yes you too. I'd like to continue with this, so
I'd love to hear from you. Have thrown out a
number of my reactions. I'd love to know if when
you walk into your supermarket, depending upon which it is,
and I think some offer these shots, some don't. If
you walk into a pharmacy, are you more comfortable in
the pharmacy or do you say, look no, I'm just
(18:18):
going to take it go to my doctor's office. I mean,
you wouldn't go to this. You wouldn't go to the
pharmacy or to the grocery store to get a physical why?
And again, I've done it. It's convenient. I will admit that.
I'd love to get your reaction to that. And I
know that there are some people who still believe that
(18:39):
these shots are being pushed on us, but I don't know.
It's it just feels different right now in this fall
than it did certainly in the late winter of twenty twenty,
no question about that. And I'd love to get your
reaction and your experience six one, seven two ten thirty
or six seven thirty. I think this is a great topic.
(19:04):
I appreciate what doctor Drone said. All of her advice
is critical to she's really good. So please don't listen
to my advice. Don't listen to my any callers advice.
Those are experiences she provides advice, and I think that
words have meaning in words with meaning matter. Okay six one, seven, two, five,
(19:28):
four ten thirty six one seven, nine three one ten thirty.
Coming right back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (19:35):
You're on night Side with Dan Ray. I'm w YOUZ
Boston's news Radio.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
Okay, we're following on our conversation with doctor Shaivra Drone.
Just getting your reaction. I mean, we're not we're not expert.
She is, and I would follow her guidance, but I'd
also be talking to my doctor because your doctor knows
you best. Let's go next to Bill in Danvers. Hey, Bill,
welcome next one night Side.
Speaker 4 (20:04):
Yeah, Dan, I actually have my physical luk coming up
on Tuesday.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
Excellent. So you got to do that every year too, by.
Speaker 4 (20:11):
The way, Yeah, well yeah, plus, I mean but I
pay insurance rates, you know, and I want to make
sure I maximize everything. But so a few years ago
I asked them about the pneumonia shot, you know, and
you're annoying them. They said, you gotta be closer to
the sixties. I said, fine, well, you know whatever, a
you know, I'm you know, getting closer to the fifty
one here. So I went in, Chuck did the pre
(20:32):
check in on patient gateway for the Tuesday thing. And
then you know they want to double check every day
and make sure you still got the same insurance or
you have insurance, and it says they're now recommending and
said the other thing the pneumonia shot. So I investigated
and I start looking into it, and they dropped the
standard by ten years.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
I didn't even know there was a pneumonia shot. I mean,
I'm learning something tonight. Is that the same as the
rs V shot?
Speaker 4 (20:59):
I don't know, but it says pneumonia on the on
the shot. It was on the thing, and I knew
a few guys years ago they got it and I
asked about it. They didn't correct me and say irs
V or.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
But I thought that pneumonia was when your lungs filled
up with water.
Speaker 4 (21:13):
And well, I guess this is a shot for it
that it pumps you with something. I don't know what
it does or whatever, but it has to stop.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
What I'm saying is that has to stop. I'm not
a dodger. I wish talked to Jerome was here, But
I mean, I assume that pneumonia is caused by flu
or rs V or some sort of an infection that
you have.
Speaker 4 (21:35):
I don't know, but yeah, so you know, but being
in New England and I'm in that out of things and
I sort of yeah, I usually get run down more
than I am now I've sort of built myself up
at the gym SA. I'm on the gym bike right
now talking to you nice and uh, you know I
usually do about eight ten miles on the bike. So
but you know, uh, you know now they load it.
(21:57):
So you know, you get cynical with a lot of
stuff that we've seen. You know, did they lower it
because they sorry? I think for it or you know,
do maybe you know the stock crisis is a low
low Dan, you know you think about that?
Speaker 2 (22:10):
You know, No, I understand, And that's how that's that's
how we we think. What do you think when you
walk into a grocery store or you walk into a pharmacy,
uh where you where you normally buy toothpaste and Derodo
deodorant And I know they have a they have you
can pick up your prescription drugs there.
Speaker 4 (22:29):
But oh yeah, I go to Walgreens. I see it
all the time, the sign get the shots. We got
a promo and we got this.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
Yeah, but you know, if the shots are being paid
by by the government, which they are. It would seem
to me that part of that payment, I'm sure there's
a cut that goes to the pharmacy. I don't know
what it is, but they're not doing it for their health.
Speaker 4 (22:55):
No, you know, there's a business model. Whatever the margins are,
they feel that and give a rebate that way. Did
they get you to move another product in the store. Yeah,
and then if they move more product, right, of course,
they get a better They're doing more volume, so they
get a better rate on what the selling, so that
helps on that end.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
Well. No, but but also my look, my understanding is
that every shot that they administer, there's a it's being paid.
The government is paying them. I think it's like one
hundred and fifty dollars or you know, I think that's
what the number is. Okay, that's that. That's a that's
a nice little you know addition, you know, to people
(23:35):
who are coming in buying the odorant and candy, uh
and they stop buy for a for a for at shot.
I mean, it's it's well worth it to the far,
that's all I'm saying. I'm not saying it's bad.
Speaker 4 (23:46):
I'm not trying to criticize.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
The pharmacies to the grocery store. There's just something about it.
Don't give me a ten dollar coupon. Don't induce me
with a ten dollar coupon to to you know I
should do I should do it because I want to
do it, is what I'm trying to say. I should
do it. Of my doctor.
Speaker 4 (24:07):
It's part of the capitalist deal, Dan, when you go
in that's capital.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
So I get it. I get it, but but this
is one I'm a big capitalist guy, but this is
one that that troubles me, really does trouble me.
Speaker 4 (24:18):
Well, they probably have a formula, they know X amount
of people are going to get the shots. They probably
don't demographics in the area, they know how many. Basically, roughly,
it is going to be reimburssed because if people take them,
and they're just trying to get a bigger percentage of
that market, because you'll built.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
I totally get that. But what I'm saying is it
would seem to me that most people should get their
medical care through their doctor's office. I don't go to
the grocery store to get a physical. I don't go
to the grocery store for a proctologist saying yeah.
Speaker 4 (24:51):
I mean, I agree that I feel better going to
the doctors. I mean, I'm so shocked that the people
that run their urgent cares for stuff that you know,
urgent care to me is like maybe you know, uh,
we'll check you have a fever, take to aspirin, or
do this, or follow up what you've done. You know,
I can't imagine anything. I just you know, I go
on patient Gateway and if I have a thing, I can,
(25:11):
I can schedule. I can you know I had a
rash thing one time, you can take a picture, send
it to.
Speaker 2 (25:16):
Him, evaluated, edit that I am. I find patient Gateway
pretty confusing if the truth be done.
Speaker 4 (25:23):
I mean, oh yeah, I think. I mean, I you know,
it's pretty uh. I mean, and I'm not a great
computer guy, but I manage it pretty good.
Speaker 2 (25:30):
Well, good for you, good, good for you. Okay, Hey Bill,
I gotta let you run here because we're here, We're
going on. You'd be well, okay, stay do whatever you
got to do to stay healthy this winter. Okay, thanky.
I Well, but I still haven't heard from anyone who uh,
And I should have asked doctor Drona if there's any
predictions out there in terms of COVID. I just don't
(25:52):
get a sense it's on anyone's radar. Ron, is it Newton? Hey? Ron,
welcome back?
Speaker 5 (25:56):
How are you hi?
Speaker 2 (25:58):
Dan?
Speaker 5 (25:58):
Thanks so much, great topic. You know, I think decisions
are always an individual and based on a risk benefit. Yes,
and as you have underscored every single moment that you
know it.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
By the way, Ron, I had to be the bear
of bad news here, but the Yankees have just eliminated
the Red Sox for nothing. Brilliant pitching performance by the
young guy Yankee pitcher who pitched for Walpole High School
in Northeastern camp Slittler. Slitler, I believe is how his
name is pronounced. His dad as the police chief in Nita, Massachusetts.
(26:37):
And the Yankees move on and the Red Sox. The
truck leaves in about one hundred and twenty days from
Fenway Park. I'm sorry to be the bear of that
bad news.
Speaker 5 (26:45):
I'm sad, Dan, that's I mean, that's that was one
of our bright spots.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
Well, we still have the Patriots wrong.
Speaker 6 (26:55):
Yeah, okay, all right, let's get back to this story
at here and go right ahead.
Speaker 5 (27:02):
So again, I think it's it's everything that you have
is a risk benefit decision, and it's you are the
one that is an individual case. I am currently currently
I have eight different vaccines that that's tiny because I
have international travel, everything ranging from HEPA have bey new
(27:25):
macaccle vaccine that you had, the pneumonia vaccine that you
had alluded to me, Ninja cockle, tetanus, typhoid, yellow fever.
I get the flu shot in COVID every year.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
But well, again, your situation is you could be activated
in this medical team that you're associated with to go
literally anywhere in the world within twenty four hours. And
if people are going to travel internationally, normally they have
to check in with their doctors and make sure that
that they have the proper vaccines depending upon the country
they go to. Let me ask you this as a
(28:00):
as a medical professional, does it strike you odd or anything.
I'm just going to say the word odd by the
fact that you go into a grocery store or into
a pharmacy and people are their advert they're basically will
give you a ten dollar coupon if you get your shot.
(28:21):
Here is there's something about that.
Speaker 5 (28:25):
I'm not comfortable with that, To be honest.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
With you, it's certainly convenient, and if the purpose is
to get more people immunized, that the whole concept member
that was they talked about herd immunity. That's okay, I
guess if it's if that's a more effective delivery system.
Speaker 5 (28:45):
Yeah, well maybe it's a way to coax people to
think about it. I don't know, but I mean my
source is the Travel and Immunization Center at MGH, which
is what we use. And I actually have to have
an international certificate, a vaccination, a yellow card that I
(29:06):
carry with me when I go.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
Sure, you gotta have something. Remember we all used to
be walking around with our COVID cards. I couldn't find
my COVID card to save my life right now. It
got filled up. Do you know where your COVID card are?
You probably knowing you, you probably know where your COVID
card is.
Speaker 5 (29:24):
I have my COVID card, but I also have the
partner gateway as you know that you can go right
on and see it. But I have to tell you
I had the discussion in August with the I have
a chief of the chief of what I call the
(29:44):
ub itis Clinic because I have an immuno logic hyperactivity
that sometimes happens. I have a rheumatoid condition in my age.
I'm seventy. So I discussed it with my doctor in
August in the U Guidist clinic.
Speaker 6 (30:02):
Because every time, yep, that's yeah, brod, that's the best
advice that you could give anyone, and that is, don't
do anything in this regard without dealing with your doctor,
because the doctor knows your best.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
And I think that's the point I'm trying to make.
Speaker 5 (30:18):
And I'm at risk because I get I can get
an inflammatory reaction and I did last year, Yeah, and
had the emergency room.
Speaker 2 (30:25):
So we'll get a little bit of too much information there, Ron,
if you get my dript, yeah, TMI, butddy of mine
loves to say t MI. All right, my friend, we'll
talk soon.
Speaker 5 (30:36):
Okay, thanks Ron, Thanks very much, Thanks.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
Buddy, talk to you later. Six six. Uh, let's have
at it. Get some open lines here at eleven will
change topics. I'd like to get a little bit more
reaction from my audience about getting vaccinations at pharmacies or
at grocery stores. Something about it hits me wrong. It
is obviously a a consequence of COVID, and I guess
(31:02):
if it makes US safer. That's fine. There's something about it.
And also the idea of you get a coupon for
a couple of bucks if you get if you get
your COVID vaccine. I don't know. There's just in terms
of our medical delivery system. Strikes me. On six one
seven thirty six one seven nine, three, ten thirty The
(31:23):
Red Sox season is over. Hate to be the bare
of bad news. They have lost to the Evil Empire.
Back on Night's side. After this.
Speaker 1 (31:30):
Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (31:37):
No joy in Mudville. The Red Sox lost four nothing
to the Yankees, and the Red Sox season is over.
I just did the math. They think it's about one
hundred and twenty nine days or something, depending upon early February.
I'm thinking the bus leaves for Fort Myers, not the bus.
The truck leaves for Fort Myers around February eight, So
we got one hundred and twenty nine days. Hey, the
(31:57):
Red Sox had a pretty good season, particularly considering the
injuries that they suffered. We might talk about that in
the I might try to talk about it in the
final hour tonight, but in the meantime we're talking about
reaction to doctor Shira Deran. She was excellent tonight. She
really was in a It's the type of guest on
nightside that I really enjoy because that guest is helping
(32:18):
all of us. Let me go next to Shirley in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Shirley,
appreciate you calling in your question or comment.
Speaker 7 (32:24):
Shirley just on that I actually get my vaccine. I'm
getting the flu vaccine at work because I work at
a university and they just have sty markets. They have
their pharmacists come in and they do it three different times, really,
and I do it because I don't want to pay
(32:44):
the twenty five dollar copa to have.
Speaker 5 (32:47):
To go to my doctor's office.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
I okay, yeah, yeah. Well, first of all, that's convenient
for you. How often has your school done this for you?
Speaker 7 (32:58):
So they've been doing it since COVID?
Speaker 2 (33:01):
Oh okay, well yep. I mean I think that's a plus.
The fact that it's done in your office where I'm
sure there's a room set aside and everything is, you know,
perfectly clean and all of that, and I just feel
(33:22):
a little I got I got my flu shot at
a pharmacy and the nurse or whomever it was that
administrative shot. Could not have could not have been nicer,
could not have been nicer. But there's just something about
walking into a grocery store and being induced to get
a shot because you you're going to get a coupon
(33:45):
or something. You know.
Speaker 7 (33:49):
No, I agree, I agree with you. I'm just like
I said, it's just convenient and I don't want to
have to pay that cope.
Speaker 2 (33:58):
It's a twenty five dollar cope, totally understand.
Speaker 7 (34:01):
Yeah, that's a lot anyway. So it's like it's like
a win win for me.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
Okay, so they do. So the university does the COVID
shot for you or or is it the flu shot?
I forget what you said.
Speaker 7 (34:16):
You could get both. You could get COVID, you could
get the flu depending upon your age, you could get.
Speaker 5 (34:22):
The new Macaco Yeah, okay, okay.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
And there are three times you said when when they
when they make the shots available? So that makes it
convenient too. So I don't know if you have to
pay a co pay at all of the shots, but
you save more than twenty five dollars. You save twenty
five dollars. You said, what on the on the COVID shot?
And then there must be an equivalent amount on the
flu shot or whatever as well.
Speaker 7 (34:49):
Exactly, I don't write I don't have to pay for
anything because you just have it on your insurance cards,
and your insurance pays full of the shot itself, so
I don't have to. Hey, my COPAI going to the
doctors and I so basically, you know, you get your
shot for free.
Speaker 2 (35:07):
Yeah, that's I hadn't thought of it that way, to
be honest with you, but that makes a lot of sense.
I've only seen in stores and pharmacies this year. I've
only seen the flu shot. Maybe maybe they make the
COVID shots available as well. I've gotten COVID shots other years,
and again, it just could be the grocery store or
(35:27):
the pharmacy that I'm going to. To be honest with you,
that could be I got to maybe look around a
little more, a little more carefully. Thanks.
Speaker 7 (35:36):
Yeah, I'm not doing the COVID this year. I'm just
doing the flu.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
But how old are you if I could have? How
old are you if I could.
Speaker 7 (35:43):
Ask, I'm going to be fifty six in November.
Speaker 2 (35:47):
Okay, Well you're not in that category they're saying. I
think over sixty five people should seriously consider to take
the COVID shot I didn't get. I think I was
due for covido last May. I didn't take it. I
did take all my COVID shots. And as they said,
it was two years ago, actually it might have been
(36:08):
in Yeah, I think it was three years ago. Now
I had COVID and it was it was, it was.
It wasn't that bad, to be really honest with you,
I mean it was. You know, it was a couple
of days where you felt a little down. But if
you get COVID, get packslovered, right.
Speaker 7 (36:30):
So I'll tell you I had it two years ago
and I wasn't that bad. I had a fever, you know,
it wasn't all that bad. A couple of as in pain.
But my worst one was December of twenty twenty. And
I'm a long hauler. I still can't smell still smell.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
Yeah, I think that. I think that that first wave
of COVID because I have friends of mine who are
what they call long haulers. So you cannot smell anything.
Speaker 7 (37:01):
I mean, it has to be super super super strong,
like a bleach wow, really really strong. And for tasting,
it has to be something really sweet.
Speaker 5 (37:13):
Like really super sugary.
Speaker 7 (37:15):
Sweet like a lemonade, or it has to be super spicy.
Speaker 2 (37:21):
Wow. So so if if you were blindfolded and I
held a purple onion under your nose, which is very
easy to smell, you wouldn't You wouldn't be able to say,
that's a that's an onion.
Speaker 7 (37:34):
Uh, unless it was super super super strong. No, I
would not.
Speaker 2 (37:37):
Wow.
Speaker 7 (37:38):
Like I work at a university and we can walk
into dormitory and what I call my right hand man,
he'll say, wow, you know you can tell their smoke
in their marijuana tonight does not even affect me.
Speaker 2 (37:53):
Well, I can't.
Speaker 7 (37:54):
I can't smell it.
Speaker 2 (37:55):
Yeah. I don't know if that means you wouldn't have
a contact high, but whatever, it's one of one of
the problems of the jew of the job. Okay, thanks Hirley,
I appreciate it very much. Hey, have a great night,
Thanks for listening, Thank you for listening, and thank you
for calling. Have a great night. Good Welcome all. We
(38:17):
come back right after eleven o'clock news. I'm not sure
what we're gonna do. I'm conflicted. I've got an idea.
I'll run it by you. We'll see what you want
to say. Coming back on night side
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Cardiac Cowboys
The heart was always off-limits to surgeons. Cutting into it spelled instant death for the patient. That is, until a ragtag group of doctors scattered across the Midwest and Texas decided to throw out the rule book. Working in makeshift laboratories and home garages, using medical devices made from scavenged machine parts and beer tubes, these men and women invented the field of open heart surgery. Odds are, someone you know is alive because of them. So why has history left them behind? Presented by Chris Pine, CARDIAC COWBOYS tells the gripping true story behind the birth of heart surgery, and the young, Greatest Generation doctors who made it happen. For years, they competed and feuded, racing to be the first, the best, and the most prolific. Some appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, operated on kings and advised presidents. Others ended up disgraced, penniless, and convicted of felonies. Together, they ignited a revolution in medicine, and changed the world.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.