This morning, appearing at a San Francisco middle school, Governor Newsom announced that California would be requiring all school-aged children to be vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. The California Department of Public Health will add COVID-19 vaccination to the list of required vaccinations for in-person instruction through the emergency rulemaking process. The vaccination requirement will apply to…
Read More »PEN America announced they will honor Santa Cruz County Health Services Director Mimi Khin Hall and Health Officer Dr. Gail Newel with their 2021 Pen/Benenson Courage Award. The award is given to those individuals who exhibit exceptional acts of courage in the exercise of freedom of expression. Ms. Hall and Dr. Newel’s leadership gained national…
Read More »Late last week, California Department of Public Health Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Tomás Aragón issued an order requiring all COVID-19 vaccination providers to request patients’ mobile phone numbers and email addresses for entry into the California Immunization Registry (CAIR), including the San Diego Immunization Registry (SDIR) and the Healthy Futures/Regional Immunization Data…
Read More »This week, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-16-21 to extend the provisions of a prior executive order that facilitates telehealth services by enabling medical providers to conduct routine and non-emergency medical appointments through telehealth without the risk of being penalized. The order extends the relaxation of certain state privacy and security laws for medical…
Read More »This week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded nearly $1 billion in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to nearly 1,300 Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Health Center Program-funded health centers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories to support major health care construction and renovation…
Read More »Following last week’s recommendation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) to recommend COVID-19 vaccine boosters for older adults and high-risk groups, the FDA and the CDC took similar steps this week to authorize and recommend the boosters for certain populations. On Wednesday, the FDA amended…
Read More »On Thursday, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the issuance of the COVID-19 Vaccine Action Plan that outlines how the state will immediately begin administering COVID-19 vaccine doses to eligible residents, continue the state’s equity focus on eligible but unvaccinated individuals, and expand operations once more residents become eligible. The move follows Wednesday’s authorization by the U.S….
Read More »On Wednesday, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. convened heads of state and leaders from international organizations, the private sector, philanthropic organizations, non-governmental entities, and others for the “Global COVID-19 Summit: Ending the Pandemic and Building Back Better.” As part of the summit, President Biden called on leaders to elevate global efforts to end the COVID-19…
Read More »On Monday, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-15-21 waiving the application of AB 361 until October 1, 2021, when the provisions of a prior executive order that established specified requirements for public agencies to meet remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic will expire. AB 361, which was signed into law by Governor Newsom last week,…
Read More »Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) voted to recommend authorizing a booster shot for recipients of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine who are 65 years of age and older or are at high risk of severe COVID-19. The recommendation for COVID-19 booster shots for older adults…
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