Source:  Covered California

Photo:  nearly 300,000 Californians have signed up during open enrollment through Jan. 26

Janaury 29, 2025 (Sacramento) - Covered California has surpassed 1.9 million enrollees, bolstering its record-high enrollment before open enrollment’s Jan. 31 deadline for California’s remaining uninsured.

By Miriam Raftery

January 21, 2025 (Washington D.C.) – Among the dozens of executive orders issued by President Donald Trump yesterday after his inauguration is a notice to withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization (WHO).  Under a 1948 law, withdrawal requires one-year notification and Congressional approval, Associated Press (AP) reports. 

If completed, withdrawal by the U.S., a founding partner of WHO, would drop one-fifth of WHO’s funding and prevent the U.S. and the American medical community from accessing vital health resources and data.

Trump previously tried to withdraw from  WHO in 2019, but President Biden rejoined the organization after his election before the waiting period ended. In July 2020, amid the pandemic, a joint statement by the American Medical Association and three other medical organizations representing pediatricians, family physicians and other doctors strongly opposed Trump’s withdrawal order, calling it “dangerous.”

By Miriam Raftery

January 8, 2025 (La Mesa) – Dozens of public speakers at yesterday’s Grossmont Healthcare District meeting urged the board to move its 9 a.m. meetings to evenings in order to accommodate people with full-time jobs. The proposal was made by newly elected director Nadia Farjood, a working mother who says her new full-time job at the District Attorney’s office prevents her from attending daytime meetings.

The district represents about 520,000 residents. Around 271 people signed a petition in support of Farjood’s proposal, and around 40 showed up in support at yesterday’s meeting. But despite testimony from union representatives, healthcare workers, district residents and local elected officials, Farjood’s proposal failed, with no other director in support.

Some speakers voiced concern not only for Farjood, but for the potential chilling effect on would-be candidates who may be persuaded from running for office if they have full-time day jobs.

East County News Service

January 6, 2025 (La Mesa) – Tomorrow at 9 a.m., the Grossmont Healthcare District board of directors will consider a proposal by newly elected board member Nadia Farjood to change the board’s meeting times to evenings or weekends.  But a survey of board members shows no support for that plan. The board previously experimented with holding evening meetings but found that attendance by the public dropped, multiple members noted.

Farjood, an attorney, has said that her  day job prevents her from attending any meetings Monday through Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 6 p.m., when she has court appearances, as well as from 6 to 9 p.m. on the second and third Tuesdays each month.

East County News Service

County News Service contributed to this report

January 2, 2025 (San Diego) -- The County of San Diego’s Behavioral Health Services has spent the last year organizing extensive planning and training to prepare for the biggest update to California’s civil detention and conservatorship laws in more than 50 years.  Advocates argue that the measure is needed to assure that severely mentally ill  people including some homeless individuals will receive treatment, though opponents voice concerns over forced institutionalization.

By Fernanda Lopez Halvorson, County of San Diego Communications Office

Photo courtesy of the CDC

December 21, 2024 (San Diego) - County public health officials are warning San Diegans not to eat or drink raw milk products or give them to their pets because of the heightened risk for H5N1, or bird flu. 

By Miriam Raftery

December 5, 2024 (Washington D.C.) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reports that 68 cases of salmonella have been linked to cucumbers, including 18 people who were hospitalized. SunFed Produce, Baloian Farms of Arizona Co. and Russ Davis Wholesale have issued voluntary recalls of all sizes of fresh American/slicer cucumbers grown by Agrotato and sold in 19 states, including California.

Russ Davis also recalled multiple products containing recalled cucumbers: Crazy Fresh Garden Salad W/ Ranch Dressing, Quick & Easy Garden Salad with Ranch Dressing, Crazy Fresh Turkey Havarti Wrap, Quick & Easy Bacon Avocado Wrap, Crazy Fresh Bacon Avocado Wrap, and Kowalski’s Market Garden Salad.

By East County News Service

November 27, 2024 (San Diego)-- County Public Health officials are asking people to

throw away organic carrots tied to a nationwide E. coli outbreak. One person in San

Diego who consumed the carrots became ill from the same strain of Shiga Toxin producing E. Coli (STEC) that is part of a multi-state outbreak.

Thirty-nine people infected with the outbreak strain of E. coli have been reported from 18 states, 15 people have been hospitalized, and one person has died. The implicated carrots are organic, whole bagged carrots and baby carrots sold under multiple brands by Grimmway Farm at many major retailers. Brand labels include Trader Joe’s, Sprouts, O Organics, Cal-organic, Bunny Luv, Good & Gather, Full Circkle, Compliments, GreenWise, Marketside, Nature’s Promise, Wegmans, Wholesome Pantry, Raley’s, Simple Truth, President’s Choice, and Grimmway Farms, and in a variety of sizes.

By Fernanda Lopez Halvorson, County of San Diego Communications Office

November 15, 2024 (San Diego) -- County public health officials are reporting an increased number of pertussis cases, also known as whooping cough, in San Diego County this year. The increase is notable when compared to 2023 and is even more marked when compared to 2020 to 2022 numbers. 

October 25, 2024 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future

HEALTH

• What we know about the McDonald’s E. coli outbreak investigation (CNN)
• IV fluid supplies in US disrupted by Hurricane Helene (BBC)
• CDC updates COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for older adults (The Hill)
• Worst U.S. whooping cough outbreak in a decade has infected thousands  (NPR)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• TikTok sued by 14 states over alleged harm to children’s mental health (CNN)
• Inside the TikTok documents: Stripping teens and boosting ‘attractive’ people (NPR)
• In an engineering feat, mechanical SpaceX arms catch Starship rocket booster back at the launch pad  (AP)

SpaceX pulled off the boldest test flight yet of its enormous Starship rocket on Sunday, catching the returning booster back at the launch pad with mechanical arms.

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

By Seraphina Eberhardt, East County Program Manager, Institute for Public Strategies

October 22. 2024 (San Diego) -- Alcohol consumption is embedded in our social fabric, often marking celebrations, casual gatherings and daily routines. While moderate drinking is generally accepted, alcohol misuse brings significant social costs that affect our communities at large. Understanding and addressing these impacts helps build a healthier and safer society.

September 29, 2024 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future

HEALTH

• New COVID variant XEC now in half the states. Here’s what to know. (CBS)
• Utilities must comply with limits on PFAS chemicals by 2029 (NPR)
• A dramatic rise in pregnant women dying in Texas after abortion ban (NBC)
• FDA has new mammography rules regarding breast-tissue density   (NPR)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• It's A good time to revisit what Project 2025 would mean for hurricane forecasts (Huffington Post)
• Death toll from Hurricane Helene mounts as aftermath assessment begins (NPR)
• 'What a perfect world': First private spacewalk a success (BBC)
• Doritos dye makes mice transparent, Invisible humans next? (MSN)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.