Latest From California Healthline:
California Healthline Original Stories
Pharma Campaign Cash Delivered to Key Lawmakers With Surgical Precision
With an eye to shutting down Medicare drug price negotiations, drug companies and their lobbying groups gave roughly $1.6 million in the first six months of 2021, with Democrats edging closer than they have in a decade to Republicans’ total haul. (Victoria Knight and Rachana Pradhan and Elizabeth Lucas, )
First Responders, City Workers Get Vaccine Extension: Los Angeles police officers, firefighters and other city workers who have yet to get vaccinated against covid-19 will have more time to get the shots under a plan approved Tuesday by the City Council. City workers who still haven’t followed the requirements at the end of Dec. 18 will face “corrective action,” according to the plan. Read more from the Los Angeles Times and City News Service.
Application Process Begins Friday For Guaranteed Income Program: The 10-day application window for a new $1,000-a-month cash assistance program in Los Angeles kicks off Friday. The city’s guaranteed basic income program will give 3,200 Los Angeles households the monthly stipend for a year. Read more from the Los Angeles Times.
Below, check out the roundup of California Healthline’s coverage. For today's national health news, read KHN's Morning Briefing.
More News From Across The State
San Francisco Chronicle:
In Long-Awaited Move, FDA Panel Recommends COVID Vaccine For Children Ages 5 To 11
Children ages 5 to 11 could start getting COVID-19 vaccines as early as next week after a key federal advisory panel on Tuesday recommended they be made eligible for the Pfizer shot. The Food and Drug Administration generally goes along with the panel recommendations, and the agency was expected to quickly grant emergency authorization of the vaccine for children in the age group. The advisory committee’s vote was 17 in favor, with one person abstaining and none opposed. (Allday, 10/26)
Bay Area News Group:
FDA Expert Panel Blesses Vaccine For Kids Ages 5-11
In a key step toward authorizing COVID-19 vaccines for elementary school-age children, a panel of medical experts advising the U.S. Food and Drug Administration concluded Tuesday that the benefits of vaccinating kids ages 5-11 with Pfizer’s shots — at a third of the dosage given teens and adults — outweigh the risks of rare but potentially dangerous side effects such as heart inflammation. The FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee’s recommendations aren’t binding but are typically followed by the FDA in coming days. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s advisory committee is expected to consider the matter Nov. 2-3, and authorization could follow soon after. (Woolfolk, 10/26)
Sacramento Bee:
Sacramento, California: Where To Find A COVID-19 Booster
Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson boosters. And Pfizer was previously given the green light on an extra shot for certain groups. This means you can receive an additional poke from any of the three available brands. Those eligible for an extra dose can get a brand different from the one they initially received, according to regulators. (Taylor, 10/26)
CapRadio:
What You Need To Know About COVID Boosters
Millions of Americans can now opt for an extra shot of protection against COVID-19, regardless of the vaccine they initially received. The criteria for a booster shot can depend on your age, job, where you live and your underlying health. In most cases, you have to wait until six months after your first two shots. What's more, booster shots don't have to match the first vaccine you had. (Stone, 10/26)
The (Santa Rosa) Press Democrat:
Wide Range Of Vaccination Rates Among Sonoma County Public Safety Agencies
COVID-19 vaccination rates among local law enforcement officers — who have one of the highest workplace infection rates — vary from as low as 72% to nearly 100%, according to a Press Democrat survey of Sonoma County police departments. (Wilder and Espinoza, 10/26)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Should The Vaccine Hesitant Be Paid To Get Vaccinated? A Bay Area Study Shows It Probably Doesn't Work
According to a new Bay Area study published this month, financial incentives meant to encourage vaccine-hesitant Americans to get Covid-19 vaccines do not increase vaccination rates, and instead may even lead to fewer vaccinations among certain groups of people. (Sumida, 10/26)
Bay Area News Group:
Santa Clara County Considering ‘Long COVID-19’ Clinic At Valley Medical Center
Santa Clara County may establish a specialized clinic at Valley Medical Center that would help treat those with long term COVID-19 symptoms and is waiting on the recommendations of physicians at the hospital before it forges ahead. Long COVID, also known as long hauler syndrome, is a phenomenon where symptoms of the virus last more than a couple of months after initial infection and include fatigue, shortness of breath and memory problems. It’s estimated that around 15 to 25 million people in the United States may have long COVID, according to Brian Block, a UCSF doctor who joined supervisors for a special meeting on Tuesday to discuss the issue. (Greschler, 10/26)
San Diego Union-Tribune:
San Diego Unified Approves Plan To Spend $303 Million Of COVID Funds
Since March 2020, the district says it has been allocated a total of $678 million in COVID funding from nine state and federal pots of money that is to be spent on learning recovery efforts and on operating expenses related to the pandemic. So far the district has already spent $136 million of that money. Some of it went to laptops and WiFi hotspots for students for distance learning at home, as well as personal protective equipment, training for teachers and expanded summer school. (Taketa, 10/26)
Sacramento Bee:
Some CA Correctional Officers Face COVID Vaccine Deadline
California state correctional officers who work in prison health care settings must be fully vaccinated by Nov. 24 or face disciplinary action, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation told employees in emails Monday. The Department of Public Health ordered on Aug. 19 that all prison and jail employees who work in or around health care settings had to be vaccinated by Oct. 14. (Venteicher, 10/26)
Modesto Bee:
COVID Vaccine Mandates Debated At Stanislaus County Meeting
Stanislaus County’s top executive said Tuesday that COVID vaccination status is not and won’t be a requirement for people to access county services. County Chief Executive Officer Jody Hayes said he made the statement at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting because information from the state on vaccination mandates can be confusing for the public. (Carlson, 10/26)
Sacramento Bee:
Another In-N-Out Location Closed As Chain Violates Vaccine Mandates
Another In-N-Out restaurant in California has been temporarily closed by health officials who say the business is “creating a public health hazard” by violating local vaccine mandates. Contra Costa Environmental Health suspended the Pleasant Hill In-N-Out location’s food permit and temporarily shut down the restaurant Tuesday because employees were not checking customers’ vaccination status, according to KRON 4. (Ravikumar, 10/26)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Contra Costa County Shuts Down An In-N-Out For Violating Vaccine Mandate
In-N-Out Burger was forced to stop slinging burgers out of its Pleasant Hill location on Tuesday. Contra Costa County suspended the restaurant’s food permit “for creating a public health hazard,” according to the health department. The shutdown comes about a week after San Francisco temporarily ordered In-N-Out’s Fisherman’s Wharf outpost closed. The reasoning is the same: In-N-Out failed to check vaccine cards of diners eating inside the restaurant despite the indoor vaccine mandates present in those cities. (Bitker, 10/26)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Schools Lose Few Employees As They Implement New Weekly COVID-19 Testing Mandate; Vaccine Mandate On Horizon
The majority of teachers and school staff members in Kern County have complied with a state mandate that took effect Oct. 15 that requires them to either prove they have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or take weekly tests. Superintendents from Greenfield Union, Rosedale Union, Fruitvale, Standard and Kernville Union school districts said that the 30 percent to 40 percent of employees who have not been vaccinated on their campuses are testing weekly, largely at sites provided by schools on campus and district sites. (Gallegos, 10/26)
Los Angeles Times:
Many Unvaccinated L.A. School Athletes Could Be Kicked Off Teams
An Oct. 31 COVID-19 vaccine deadline could force thousands of high school athletes and musicians to the sidelines in the Los Angeles Unified School District, officials confirmed on Monday. About 70% of students participating in sports, band and drill had submitted documentation of at least one vaccine dose as of Monday. Those under 18 will need evidence of two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine by Oct. 31 and the doses must be three weeks apart. If they are 18, they could receive the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine. (Sondheimer, Blume and Welsh, 10/26)
Modesto Bee:
Will A UC Merced Medical School Lead To More Latino Doctors?
Gov. Gavin Newsom and higher education leaders on Monday visited the future site of UC Merced’s medical education program, which would serve a building block for the San Joaquin Valley’s first public medical school. Proponents of the highly anticipated project said the program would lead to more doctors serving in the Central Valley, as well as a diverse physician workforce that reflects the region’s Latino community. (Bojórquez, 10/26)
Sacramento Bee:
Sacramento On List Of Most Rat-Infested Cities In US
The city of Sacramento, which has been topping lists lately for skyrocketing housing prices, is also climbing the rankings on a national list for something else — rats. The Capital City ranked No. 29 on Orkin’s annual list of the top 50 “rattiest” cities in America — up seven spots from last year. (Clift, 10/26)
Fresno Bee:
Fresno Area Farm Workers Want Daily Pesticide Warnings, To Protect Against Cancer Risks
Advocates for agricultural workers and families who live and work near farms gathered Tuesday in Clovis, pushing for warnings related to cancer-causing pesticides. Representatives from Fresno, Madera, Huron, Coalinga, Orosi, Mendota and other rural communities said they are concerned over chemicals that can cause respiratory irritation, kidney effects and cancer, among other illnesses. (Miller, 10/26)
The Bakersfield Californian:
'It’s Been A Blessing': Women Receive Donations From Breast Cancer Drive-Thru
Local women warriors supported other types of women warriors Tuesday morning. Bakersfield Police Department women officers and personnel donated items at state Sen. Shannon Grove’s breast cancer drive-thru, hosted to benefit Bakersfield’s Young Survival Coalition chapter. Other residents also dropped off blankets, beanies, slippers and many more items geared toward easing the discomfort of young women diagnosed with breast cancer. Adventist Health also gave vouchers for free mammograms. (Desai, 10/26)
San Francisco Chronicle:
After 20 Years, BART Will Reopen Restrooms At Powell And 19th Street Stations
BART riders who’ve waited 20 years to use the restrooms at the Powell and 19th Street stations will finally get their chance in February. Robert Powers, the transit system’s general manager, announced the long-awaited reopening on Tuesday. BART directors will get a progress report on the reopening of restrooms throughout the system at their Thursday meeting. Ten restrooms at underground stations in the BART system have been closed since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks at the recommendation of federal transit and security officials. (Cabanatuan, 10/26)
CapRadio:
Sacramento’s ‘Safe Ground’ Locations Help Unhoused People, But Advocates Say More Need To Open Before Winter
Since the city of Sacramento opened its first sanctioned campsite for unhoused individuals in the spring, staff there have been striving to get people what they need — whether a meal, medical appointment or connection to permanent housing. But for the 140 people sleeping in a parking lot on the south end of downtown near Highway 50, real shelter seems like a pipe dream. And just getting by is a daily challenge. (Caiola, 10/27)
Bay Area News Group:
Elizabeth Holmes Trial: Another Bruising Day In Court For Theranos Founder Holmes
In another bruising day for Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes in her criminal fraud trial, an investment manager for the family of former U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos testified Tuesday that Holmes’ claims were key to the family’s decision to invest $100 million in the firm. Lisa Peterson testified in U.S. District Court in San Jose that Holmes, while courting the DeVos family as potential investors, claimed Theranos’ technology was in use “on military helicopters.” Federal prosecutors allege Holmes falsely claimed her company’s technology was being used on U.S. military choppers. (Baron, 10/26)