This week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued updated COVID-19 guidance, relaxing rules on the use of face coverings in certain settings among certain populations. Under the revised guidance, individuals who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 no longer need to wear a face covering outdoors while walking, running, hiking, or biking…
Read More »The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week released an assessment finding that fully vaccinated adults from the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna mRNA vaccines 65 years of age and older were 94 percent less likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than people of the same age who were not vaccinated. People 65 and…
Read More »Amid a significant surge of COVID-19 cases, California and the United States this week sent supplies and materials to India to support the country’s emergency needs and ongoing response to the pandemic. California sent hundreds of oxygen concentrators, cylinders, regulators, and related supplies to India which will be provided directly to health care providers and…
Read More »This week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced its commitment to advancing two tobacco product standards to significantly reduce disease and death caused by using combustible tobacco products. The two standards – a menthol product standard and a flavored cigar standard – will aim to ban menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes…
Read More »On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released new buprenorphine practice guidelines that, among other actions, remove a long-established requirement tied to health care provider training. According to HHS, many providers have cited the training requirements associated with the prescribing and use of buprenorphine as a significant barrier to treating more…
Read More »U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra recently renewed the country’s declaration of a public health emergency due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The renewal became effective on April 21 and is renewed for 90 days until July 20, 2021. The renewed declaration is available here.
Read More »The California State Senate and Assembly this week continued with its steady pace of policy committee hearings as the Legislature approaches upcoming deadlines for measures to be advanced in the legislative process. Next Friday, April 30 is the last day for policy committees to meet and report to appropriations committees bills with fiscal implications introduced…
Read More »Assembly Member Rob Bonta on Thursday was confirmed as California’s next Attorney General by the California State Senate and Assembly. Recall, Governor Gavin Newsom last month nominated Bonta to succeed Xavier Becerra, who is now the Secretary of the U.S. Health and Human Services. Bonta was confirmed to his new position on a 29-6 vote…
Read More »Today, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lifted their recommended temporary pause on the administration of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. The move follows today’s vote by the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to recommend the resumption of Johnson and…
Read More »This week, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. announced the U.S. has reached its updated goal of administering 200 million COVID-19 vaccines within his Administration’s first 100 days. Recall, the goal was doubled after 100 million COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered by day 58 of the Biden-Harris Administration. To encourage the continued administration of COVID-19 vaccines,…
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