COVID-19 Vaccinations: Third Doses Now Available for Immunocompromised in Santa Clara County Santa Clara County, CA – County officials announced on August 14, 2021 that a third dose of COVID-19 vaccination is now available for people who have a compromised immune system, effective immediately. Eligible individuals are encouraged to contact their primary healthcare provider for consideration of the additional dose. Appointments can also be scheduled now through the County’s website sccfreevax.org, which also includes information about numerous drop-in vaccination sites throughout the county, including local pharmacies. This expansion of eligibility follows the decision by the Food and Drug Administration to extend emergency use authorization ... August 23, 2021 COVID19, Public Health COVID-19, ThirdDose, Vaccination, Vaccine 0 0 Comment Read More »
Mental Health–Related Emergency Department Visits Among Children Aged <18 Years During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, January 1–October 17, 2020 Rebecca T. Leeb, PhD1; Rebecca H. Bitsko, PhD1; Lakshmi Radhakrishnan, MPH2; Pedro Martinez, MPH3; Rashid Njai, PhD4; Kristin M. Holland, PhD5 Published reports suggest that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a negative effect on children’s mental health (1,2). Emergency departments (EDs) are often the first point of care for children experiencing mental health emergencies, particularly when other services are inaccessible or unavailable (3). During March 29–April 25, 2020, when widespread shelter-in-place orders were in effect, ED visits for persons of all ages declined 42% compared with the ... August 17, 2021 COVID19, Mental Health Children, COVID-19, Mental Health, Pandemic 0 0 Comment Read More »
The Pandemic of Loneliness In this extraordinary era of pandemic isolation, social distancing, and masking, it makes perfect sense that loneliness and its impact on mental and physical health would garner literary attention. Vivek Murthy, MD, MBA, the US surgeon general, released a book early in the pandemic saying America is experiencing a loneliness epidemic. Murthy reported that chronic loneliness works this way: Persistent stress increases inflammation that damages tissues and blood vessels, increasing risk of cardiovascular illness and death. It can interfere with the function of the immune system and make high blood ... August 12, 2021 Mental Health COVID-19, Isolation, Loneliness, Pandemic 0 0 Comment Read More »
Effect of Graphic Warning Labels on Cigarette Packs on US Smokers’ Cognitions and Smoking Behavior After 3 Months, A Randomized Clinical Trial Abstract Importance The US Food and Drug Administration’s implementation of graphic warning labels (GWLs) on cigarette packs is under challenge in US courts. Objective To determine whether GWLs can affect US smokers’ perceptions about their cigarettes or health consequences and changes in smoking behavior. Design, Setting, and Participants This study was a randomized clinical trial of the effect of a 3-month, real-world experience of cigarettes with GWL packaging. Community recruitment was done from September 2016 through December 2019 of daily smokers from San Diego, California, aged 21 to 65 years, who were not ready to ... August 10, 2021 General, Public Health Cigarette, FDA, Warning Labels 0 0 Comment Read More »
County of Santa Clara Releases Data Dashboard Showing COVID-19 Case Rates by Vaccination Status This dashboard shows the 7-day daily average COVID-19 case rate by day for Santa Clara County overall, for unvaccinated residents, and for fully vaccinated residents. The COVID-19 case rate for the county overall is calculated as the total number of cases on a given day per 100,000 County residents. The COVID-19 case rate for unvaccinated residents is calculated as the total number of cases on a given day per 100,000 unvaccinated residents on that day. The COVID-19 case rate for fully vaccinated residents is calculated as the total number ... August 5, 2021 COVID19, Public Health Case Rate, COVID-19 0 0 Comment Read More »
