Curious letter from the doctor.

For other reasons -- one of their PAs screwed up -- I looked at my so-called Patient Portal and found I'd gotten this letter** from the medical practice, last Friday, 6 days ago. I do this once a year or so. Why not send me an email, that I'd actually see. (And not an email that tells me to go to the patient portal. Just a plain old email.)

**It's not an email, afaic. It didn't depart from or arrive in an email server.

Seriously, the odds of my seeing this were very slim and now that I've perused the new "dashboard" thoroughly, if they ever send me another such letter, the odds are less than 1 in a 100 I'll see it.

Dear Patients, > >As per Governor Hogan's directive from January 14, 2021, please use the following website to access information about the >availability of, eligibility for and locations near you to obtain appointments to access the COVID-19 vaccine in Maryland >as they become available: > >coronavirus.maryland.gov

Yes, I already know, from multiple sources, but I guess it is still their responsibility to tell me.

As of now, there is no requirement for documentation from a Health Care Provider documenting chronic illness as a criteria >and, therefore, we do not plan to provide this. Please do not request such a statement from us. The State of Maryland already >has access to a large database that documents your diagnoses.

Why I'm posting: What!!!! The state of Maryland already has access to a large database that documents my diagnoses!!! Who told them they could have that? Whatever happened to confidentiality? Who gave them access if not the very doctors who are writing me? Maybe in your state too.

How much access do they have? Just related to corona vaccine or more?

And why would anyone need a letter regarding illness? Answer, if they work where vaccination is required but they are allergic. So will those people still get to interact with everyone, even though they have not been vaccinated?

Also, criteria is a plural word. If "a" precedes it, it should be criterion.

The Health Care Providers of blah-blah-blah strongly endorses that all adult patients get the COVID-19 vaccine. The CDC has >cautioned against getting the vaccine only those with a history of immediate allergic reactions to polyethylene glycol and polysorbate.

Is that the same as polysorbate 80, that's in loads of food?

There are no other medical conditions that contraindicate receiving the vaccine. > >G.... MD FACP >President