The Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs (BPOA) Warns of Scammers Contacting Licensees
Persons pretending to be from one of the health-related licensing boards are contacting licensees by phone and mail about the status of their licenses. The Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs (BPOA) received reports that persons pretending to be from one of the health related boards are contacting licensees by phone and mail about the […]
Pennsylvania Expands List of Health Care Professionals That May Administer COVID-19 Vaccines – INCLUDES VETERINARIANS5
Various measures have been taken to boost the number of health care professionals available to administer COVID-19 vaccines. This includes a Declaration made by the former U.S. Acting Secretary of HHS on March 10, 2020, under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act for Medical Countermeasures Against COVID-19 (PREP Act). That Declaration has since been […]
Getting the COVID Vaccine
Pennsylvania has started to vaccinate against COVID-19 and is working to expand eligibility to more groups of people. Supplies are extremely limited, so we must prioritize who gets vaccinated first — starting with those most at risk of catching COVID and experiencing complications…
A Statement on COVID-19 Vaccinations for Veterinarians, CVTs and Staff
Since the initial news of the Commonwealth’s plans for phased distribution of COVID-19 vaccinations was reported in December, PVMA has been continually trying to get information regarding the veterinary profession’s status in the plan. Early on, the Department of Health told us that veterinarians were in Phase 1B. As far as we know, that has […]
Departments of Agriculture, Health Confirm Pennsylvania’s First COVID-19 Positive Cat
Today, the Pennsylvania Departments of Agriculture and Health confirmed that a 16-year old cat in Cumberland County tested positive for COVID-19. The companion animal lived in a household with multiple individuals who had previously been diagnosed with COVID-19 and was in close contact with these individuals. Unfortunately, the cat was humanely euthanized due to its […]
Help Get COVID-19 Hazard Pay for PA Veterinary Professionals
PVMA needs your help! Veterinary practices were deemed essential from the start of the pandemic, but were excluded from receiving Hazard Pay. Veterinarian professionals play critical roles in food production, public safety, and ensuring optimal health for animals to sustain our economy. There is power in numbers, so let’s work together to change this by […]
Two House Cats in NY Test Positive for COVID-19, but PVMA’s Immediate Past-President States It is Not a Reason to Become Alarmed or Start Testing All Pets
With the news being released on April 22, 2020, of two house cats from NY having their tests for COVID-19 being confirmed as positive from the National Veterinary Science Laboratory the concern of cats being a source of infection for humans and other cats has once again ramped up. “There is no need to become […]
PA’s Department of Health Defines Safety Measures to Follow for Maintaining In-Person Operations
We are receiving many questions regarding safety measures to follow for businesses to maintain in-person operations from PA’s Department of Health (DOH). The DOH has provided some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to answer questions you may have to continue running your essential business. Page 9 addresses social distancing and veterinary medicine. See excerpt below: Q. […]
Interim Recommendations for Intake of Companion Animals From Households Where Humans With COVID-19 Are Present
As the number of human cases rises in PA, there are more questions about how to handle pets that have been in contact with infected people, especially if they must be removed from the home to be cared for elsewhere. There are some new recommendations available on this topic.