By Miriam Raftery

September 25, 2023 (San Diego) – A new COVID-19 vaccine designed to target the latest variants is now available.  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommends it for everyone six months and older, as long as it's been at least two months since your last vaccine. The new vaccine is available free for adults.

This is the first fall and winter virus season where vaccines are available for the three viruses responsible for most hospitalizations – COVID-19, RSV, and flu.

With COVID surging, the federal government is once again offering free at-home COVID-19 tests.  Each U.S. household can order four free rapid tests delivered to your residence.   

Order Free At-Home Tests online.  Need help placing an order for your at-⁠home tests?

Call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489).

By Cassie N. Saunders, County of San Diego Communications Office

September 14, 2023 (San Diego) --The Tuberculosis Program in the Public Health Services (PHS) department, of the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency, in collaboration with San Diego State University (SDSU) and Aztec Shops are working closely to notify employees potentially exposed to tuberculosis (TB) on the SDSU campus, primarily at the Charles B. Bell Jr., Pavilion. Exposures to the general public, SDSU students and faculty, and to other employees are considered to be limited.

The dates of potential exposure are from Feb. 16, 2023 to June 22, 2023. Those known to have been potentially exposed have been directly notified and have been provided direction from health officials. People sick with TB may be sick for many months before they are diagnosed, and as such, exposure periods can be long.

TB is an airborne disease that is transmitted from person-to-person through inhalation of the bacteria from the air. The chance of infection is higher for people with prolonged indoor exposure to a person who is sick with TB.

By Anita Lightfoot, County of San Diego Communications Office

September 7, 2023 (San Diego) -- After years of declines, confirmed suicide deaths in San Diego County rose to 360 in 2022, slightly more than the 358 recorded in 2021, which was the lowest number of deaths in 10 years. 

East County News Service

September 3, 2023 (San Diego's East County) -- The maximum amounts for which you can be eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in California will increase starting October 1st, 202312. 

By Ashley Murray, Kansas Reflector

Photo: CC0 Public Domain by Renjith Krishnan R

August 30, 2023 (Washington, D.C.) — Medicare can now negotiate lower prices for 10 common high-price drugs, cutting out-of-pocket costs for an estimated 9 million seniors and saving taxpayers billions, the Biden administration said Tuesday.

By Cassie N. Saunders, County of San Diego Communications Office

August 26, 2023 (San Diego's East County) -- The County of San Diego is asking residents ages 55 and older to share their thoughts in a comprehensive needs assessment survey. 

The state survey will be used to inform future local program development or maintenance. This survey was first sent out to randomly selected residents in July and is now available to the general public. The survey will close September 4th. 

Those 55 and older can fill out the survey online. 

August 23, 2023 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• A Stroke Stole Her Ability to Speak at 30. A.I. Is Helping to Restore It Years Later. (New York Times)
• Experts have found powerful antibodies that neutralize all Covid variants (MSN)
• Caring for people with fentanyl addiction often means treating terrible wounds (KPBS)
• COVID-19 took a toll on heart health and doctors are still grappling with how to help(AP)
• Long-term use of certain reflux medications is associated with a higher risk of dementia, study suggests (CNN)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• An author says AI is ‘writing’ unauthorized books being sold under her name on Amazon (CNN)
• Canada wildfires: Trudeau criticizes Facebook over news ban amid crisis (BBC)
• Insight: Amazon rainforest gold mining is poisoning scores of threatened species(Reuters)
  
  Analysis: Solar power to the rescue as Europe's energy system weathers extreme heat (Reuters)

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

By Miriam Raftery

August 11, 2023 (San Diego) – Five overdose deaths in San Diego County have been linked to a large animal tranquilizer, Xylazine, known on the streets as Tranq, according to Councilmember Marni Von Wilpert. The drug can cause flesh to rot and in extreme cases, amputation of limbs. It is being laced into street drugs including fentanyl, methamphetamines and heroin, so users are often unaware that they’re consuming Xylazine.

Narcan does not work to reverse a Xylazine overdose because Xylazine is not a narcotic.

By Jacob Pamus

On July 26, 81-year-old Senator Minority Leader Mitch McConnell abruptly froze mid sentence for around 20 seconds during a press conference, he was escorted away and later returned to finish.It is unknown for sure what the cause of this behavior is, whether it was related to his concussion in March from falling earlier this year.

But the symptoms can also be a sign of a mini-stroke, known as a Trasient Ischemic Attack (TSI) or even a major stroke.. Whether you support Mitch Mconnell,  a Republican, or not it is important to recognize how dangerous a stroke can be, especially for older individuals. If you suspect someone is having a stroke, you need to call 911 immediately for proper treatment since the longer it takes to get treatment, the higher the risk of damage to the brain.

This incident, along with health issues involving California Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein, who is 90, also raises concerns over the fitness of some long-serving members of Congress.

Advocates call for continued investment in water infrastructure

East County News Service

July 29, 2023 (San Diego) - As Californians return to local beaches this summer, a new report warns that more work is needed to ensure that all waters are safe for swimming. In 2022, 197 beaches were potentially unsafe for swimming on at least one day, according to Environment California Research and Policy Center’s latest analysis of bacteria testing, titled Safe for Swimming?

July 23, 2023 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• FDA approves first over-the-counter birth control pill (CNN)
• Covid-19 repeatedly spread between humans and deer, study shows, raising concerns about animal reservoirs (CNN)
• Flavored vapes are supposed to be illegal, but they're still widely available  (NPR)
• Biomedical startups are racing to revolutionize the way humans reproduce  (NPR)
• Plastic debris is smothering 92% of coral reefs examined in a new study  (NPR)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• Climate records tumble, leaving Earth in uncharted territory - scientists (BBC)
• Striking SAG Actors in Disbelief Over Studios’ Dystopian AI Proposal (Rolling Stone)
• Lavish tomb in ancient Spain belonged to a woman, not a man, new research shows (AP)
• How the FBI took down a notorious cyber crime gang without arresting a single person (Politico)

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

East County News Service

July 17, 2023 (Sacramento) -- The California Medical Association (CMA) has achieved a significant victory for healthcare providers, consumers and public interest advocates in the case of California Medical Association v. Aetna Health of California Inc. The California Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of CMA, confirming  the organization's legal standing to sue Aetna Health for alleged violations of the Unfair Competition Law (UCL).

The lawsuit centers on an Aetna Health policy that targeted the use of out-of-network benefits by its PPO plan members. CMA alleges that the insurance company discouraged its members from going out of network even though their PPO plans included such benefits, and that Aetna Health harassed or terminated its contracted physicians for referring PPO members to out-of-network facilities.

Such a policy, according to CMA, directly interfered with the doctor-patient relationship and physicians’ independent medical judgment, in violation of numerous state laws. CMA sued Aetna Health to stop what it calls “harmful and illegal policy.”

East County News Service 

July 15, 2023 (San Diego) -- Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48) was joined by House colleagues Richard Hudson (NC-09), Michael Waltz (FL-06), and Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) this week to introduce H.R. 4334 – “The HERO Act.”  If enacted, it would grant service members who are victims of medical malpractice in a Dept. of Defense medical treatment facility the right to take their claim to District Court.

By Miriam Raftery

July 12, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) – The  Vesicular Stomatitis Virus (VSV) outbreak in livestock that began in San Diego County in May has now spread to encompass six California counties.  One county in Texas also had a single confirmed case on a property that’s been released from quarantine.

Species affected locally includes primarily equine species such as horses, though two local sites have had cattle infected and one San Diego location has had clinically infected rhinoceros.