East County News Service

Photo: Commonly Used

May 23, 2021 (Santee) – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints is hosting a blood drive in partnership with the San Diego Blood Bank on Saturday, June 5 from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 10052 N Magnolia Ave, Santee, CA 92071 in the parking lot. All participants will receive a San Diego Padres Blood Drive T-shirt. (size subject to availability and while supplies last). 

Anyone 17 and older, who weighs at least 114 pounds and is in good health may be eligible to donate blood. A good meal and plenty of fluids are recommended prior to donation. We strongly encourage appointments.  Photo identification is required.  Please call (800) 469-7322 or visit SanDiegoBloodBank.org for more information.

By Miriam Raftery

May 22, 2021 (San Diego) – Fifteen months after COVID-19 shut downs began, the state of California will be lifting all capacity limits and color-coded tiers starting June 15, allowing all businesses to reopen at full capacity without physical distancing. Locally, that includes Padres games at full capacity, a return of symphony concerts, festivals and more.

The announcement came Friday from Dr. Mark Ghaly, head of the California Health and Human Services Agency, who indicated the state will largely follow guidelines U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There will, however, be some requirements for mega-indoor events as well as guidelines for massive outdoor events. In addition, rules remain pending for workplaces and some travel limits may be imposed for travelers from nations with high rates of COVID, in accordance with CDC recommendations.

By Miriam Raftery

May 18, 2021 (San Diego) – California and San Diego officials have announced that they will wait until June 15 to lift mask mandates for most public places. The four-week wait allows young people age 12 and up to get vaccinated, since the CDC just approved COVID-19 vaccines for younger teens starting last week.

Starting June 15, assuming cases remain low, as expected, Californians who are fully vaccinated will be able to go without masks in most indoor settings, according to Dr. Mark Ghaly, California’s Health and Human Services Secretary.  Vaccinated people can already go without masks in most outdoor settings.

“We urge all Californians to get vaccinated to ensure that infection and hospitalization rates remain low across the state and that we can all return to the activities we love,” Dr. Ghaly advises.

“San Diego County is aligned with the California Department of Public Health and will wait until June 15 to adopt CDC mask guidance,” Nathan Fletcher, Chair of the County Board of Supervisors, announced yesterday on twitter. “This short time frame allows us to ensure everyone has access to the vaccine and time for business and entities across our county to prepare for the change.”

By Katie Cadiao, County of San Diego Communications Office

Photo:  Registered nurse Carol Shapiro gets ready to give Kayden Faulkner, 14, her COVID-19 vaccination.

May 14, 2021 (San Diego) - Starting Saturday, youths ages 12-17 who want to get a COVID-19 vaccination in San Diego County without a parent present will have to provide a signed form to show their parent or legal guardian has given permission.

By Alexa Oslowski

May 11, 2021 (La Mesa) - The City of La Mesa announced in a news release on May 7 that it will be hosting a vaccine clinic on May 22 in partnership with the County of San Diego, Helix Charter High School, Champions for Health, and the Philippine Nurses Association of San Diego. This is one of the latest efforts by the city to improve vaccine equitability and access.

East County News Service

May 10, 2021 (Washington d.C.) -- Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration expanded the emergency use authorization for Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to include adolescents ages 12 through 15, Previously, the Pfizer vaccine was approved only for people age 16 and up.

Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D., says the action is “a significant step in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic,” adding, “Today’s action allows for a younger population to be protected from COVID-19, bringing us closer to returning to a sense of normalcy and to ending the pandemic. Parents and guardians can rest assured that the agency undertook a rigorous and thorough review of all available data, as we have with all of our COVID-19 vaccine emergency use authorizations.”

Sources: Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts and Addiction Policy Forum

May 10, 2021 (New York and Bethesda) -- Health officials have released an update that individuals with substance use disorders (SUD) are at a heightened risk for serious complications from COVID-19 and underscored the importance for individuals with SUD and their caregivers to get vaccinated.   

By Ariana Longley, chief operating officer at the Patient Safety Movement Foundation

Image via Pixabay

May 6, 2021 (San Diego) - The emergency room (ER) can be a stressful place – whether it’s you or a loved one seeking care. While most visits to the ER are unexpected, that doesn’t mean you can’t be prepared.

By José A. Álvarez, County of San Diego Communications Office

May 6, 2021 (San Diego's East County) - Starting, Thurs., May 6, three County COVID-19 vaccination sites in North, East and South County will start offering evening hours for San Diegans.

By Simona Valanciute, President and CEO, San Diego Oasis

May 4, 2021 (San Diego) - Seniors have been hit hard by the pandemic. Highly effective COVID-19 vaccines now offer hope of a return to a more normal life, but many of our institutions might be changed forever.

Source:  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

May 3, 2021 (San Diego) - Today, the US Department of Health and Human Services, through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is announcing a new program covering costs of administering COVID-19 vaccines to patients enrolled in health plans that either do not cover vaccination fees or cover them with patient cost-sharing. Since providers cannot bill patients for COVID-19 vaccination fees, this new program, the COVID-19 Coverage Assistance Fund (CAF), addresses an outstanding compensation need for providers on the front lines vaccinating underinsured patients.

Source:  Office of the California Attorney General

Photo via Greenwaterbottle1 on Wikipedia

April 30, 2021 (Sacramento) - California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued a consumer alert warning Californians about sham health insurance plans offered by some healthcare sharing ministries (HSMs). These HSMs use misinformation to mislead consumers into enrolling under the guise of offering an affordable alternative to health insurance from the Covered California marketplace. However, unlike Covered California plans, healthcare sharing ministries are not obligated to cover preexisting conditions or guarantee coverage for medical costs or services. As a result, consumers have filed complaints with the Attorney General’s Office alleging that their healthcare sharing ministry plans have refused to cover treatments and pay their medical bills.

The number of daily shots available for people without appointments is limited at each site. You can see a complete list of locations here.

By José A. Álvarez, County of San Diego Communications Office

April 28, 2021 (San Diego) -- San Diegans wishing to get a COVID-19 shot can now show up at a County-hosted clinic and get vaccinated without an appointment.

COVID-19 vaccines are available at no cost to anyone 16 and up who lives or works in San Diego County. People under 18 years of age need parental consent to make an appointment or must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to get vaccinated at a no-appointment site. To make sure you get a shot on a particular date and location, you can make an appointment at www.vaccinationsuperstationsd.com.