Which COVID vaccine booster shot is right? Important information you should know

Which COVID vaccine booster shot is right? Important information you should know

October 27, 2021 | Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Wednesday, Oct. 27. I’m Justin Ray. It sounded juvenile: We can just mix and match COVID-19 vaccines? But apparently yes, that’s exactly right; federal health officials said Americans can get a COVID-19 booster and may choose a different company’s vaccine for that next shot.

Majority of L.A. County businesses in compliance with COVID-19 vaccine verification, masking requirements

Majority of L.A. County businesses in compliance with COVID-19 vaccine verification, masking requirements

October 26, 2021 | If you have ventured out in public places around Los Angeles County over the last few weeks, chances are you’ve had to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccine since verification became a county requirement earlier this month. To help ensure the new rules are being followed, health inspectors have been stopping by businesses countywide. Overall, the majority of businesses have been in compliance, officials say.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NFL ALUMNI ENCOURAGE COVID-19 VACCINATION

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NFL ALUMNI ENCOURAGE COVID-19 VACCINATION

October 22, 2021 | A campaign from NFL Alumni Health, in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), aims to build COVID-19 vaccination confidence in metro areas around the country – including southern California. Hall of Fame Los Angeles Raiders cornerback Mike Haynes, former Los Angeles Rams and San Diego Chargers Pro Bowl quarterback Jim Everett, NFL Alumni Southern California Chapter President and former Los Angeles Rams and Dallas Cowboys safety James Washington, and NFL Alumni Southern California Chapter Vice President and former Los Angeles Raiders fullback Jarrod Bunch are among the more than 50 players lending their voices to the education and awareness campaign, which encourages people to get informed, address their vaccine questions with their healthcare providers and make the decision to get vaccinated. The initiative will include public service announcements, a campaign website, social media posts and local events in collaboration with healthcare providers and public health organizations.

Mortality study reinforces safety of COVID-19 vaccinations

Mortality study reinforces safety of COVID-19 vaccinations

October 22, 2021 | COVID-19 vaccine recipients had lower non-COVID-19 death rates than people who weren’t vaccinated, according to Kaiser Permanente research published October 22, 2021 in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. “Despite numerous studies showing the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, some people have remained hesitant to get vaccinated,” said lead author Stanley Xu, PhD, of the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation. “This study provides reassurance that the vaccines are very safe, and, in fact, people who received COVID-19 vaccines in the United States had a lower death rate than those who didn’t, even if you don’t count COVID deaths.”

Studies confirm COVID-19 vaccine’s effectiveness in teens, even against delta

Studies confirm COVID-19 vaccine’s effectiveness in teens, even against delta

October 20, 2021 | When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the first COVID-19 vaccine for use in adolescents as young as 12, regulators based their decision on clinical trial data collected before the delta variant became the dominant coronavirus strain. That left open the question of whether the vaccine’s real-world protection was still as good as advertised. Two new studies provide strong reassurance that the answer is yes.

Orange County’s COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to fall

Orange County’s COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to fall

October 18, 2021 | Orange County’s COVID-19 hospitalizations continued to fall Monday, reaching levels not seen since late July. Hospitalizations dropped from 210 on Friday to 175 on Monday, with the number of intensive care unit patients declining from 39 to 34, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency, which does not update statistics on Saturdays and Sundays.