Perrigo Told to Reduce Lead in Formula • Prosecutors Eager for Details from Gov. Newsom’s Care Court

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Perrigo Told to Reduce Lead in Formula

On Feb. 2, the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office joined with the California Attorney General’s Office to file suit against Perrigo Co., which sells toddler formula with dangerously elevated lead levels in their products.

Testing revealed that these formulas exceed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration provisional daily intake levels for children under 6 and caused lead exposures that exceeded the Proposition 65 warning threshold.

“Lead is a dangerous neurotoxin that may cause severe harm to children. The Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting the health and safety of Santa Cruz County residents, and marketing adulterated products for children consumption is unacceptable,” said District Attorney Jeffrey Rosell.

The lawsuit alleges that Perrigo’s Toddler Formula products are adulterated under California and Federal standards and the sale of the products violated Proposition 65 and California’s Unfair Competition Law by manufacturing products with lead levels that exceeded the Proposition 65 warning threshold. The settlement requires Perrigo to significantly reduce the levels of lead in its products, with substantial injunctive terms, including: • The settlement sets a target lead level for all Perrigo infant and toddler formula products sold in California of 4 parts per billion, with a maximum lead level of 5-7 ppb, depending on the product. • To attain the target level, Perrigo must put ingredient sourcing and control processes in place. Perrigo must also consult with an independent

food processing auditor, set internal food quality auditing practices, and conduct compliance testing to ensure that its products do not exceed the maximum lead levels. • If a product lot exceeds the maximum lead levels and is not found to be an outlier, Perrigo may not sell that lot in

California. It must also investigate the cause, and work with the auditor to keep the level under the maximum.

The lawsuit was filed by Santa Cruz District Attorney, the District Attorneys of Alameda, Marin, Monterey, Napa, Santa Clara, Shasta, Solano, Sonoma, and Orange counties, and the Attorney General. n

Prosecutors Eager for Details from Gov. Newsom’s Care Court

The California District Attorneys Association supports the concept of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Care Court; a proposal that would provide mandatory treatment for mentally ill homeless people.

“This innovative and humane approach would help the thousands of Californians on the street suffering from mental illness who don’t have the wherewithal to volunteer for medical and psychiatric care,” said Greg Totten, CDAA’s Chief Executive Officer.

In his State of the State Address, Newsom proposed Care Court, which he said would create civil court divisions in every county that could have the power to mandate mental health treatment for people with debilitating psychosis.

“By providing new treatment options to those who are most vulnerable and most in need, California can humanely address the human suffering connected to homelessness while also improving public safety for all of our communities,” said Jeff Reisig, Yolo County District Attorney and president of the California District Attorneys Association.

The governor suggested “care court” could become state law this year.

The California District Attorneys

“Elderday” from page 4

A coordinated team of licensed professionals, nurses, social workers, and physical and occupational therapists, focus on medical, preventive and social care to improve health outcomes for vulnerable participants.

Participants get therapeutic activities, personal care, hot meals, nutritional counseling, and transportation to and from the center. This helps them stay as healthy as possible in their own homes, as most people prefer as they age, and out of institutional care.

During the pandemic, in-person services were limited as it was not safe to bring vulnerable people together. The vast majority of the offerings moved online – via telehealth for example -- although Elderdayp never fully closed.

Most participants used the virtual option but for about 18 months only the most critically in need of care came for inperson services, and then only one or two at a time.

By developing a partnership with Parks and Recreation Departments and libraries within Santa Cruz County, Community Bridges created Senior Center Without Limits to offer virtual services not only to Elderday participants but to any older adult in the county.

The innovative online programming offered seniors a way to stay connected with activities and friends online even as they sheltered in their own homes.

Although Senior Center Without Limits will continue to offer online classes to the whole community, Elderday has begun to gradually bring participants back to the center to receive the full scope of their programming and support in person.

Elderday reopened last summer but returned to virtual operations again over the winter due to the Omicron variant surge of cases. n Association, which represents more than 3,500 prosecutors, issued a statement saying, “We look forward to being a part of a robust conversation about a policy that is desperately needed.” n

“We look forward to being a part of a robust conversation about a policy that is desperately needed.”

— California District Attorneys Association

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“COVID Update” from page 6

Young Kids, What’s Next

On March 13, the chief executive of Pfizer, which made one of the vaccines, said fully vaccinated people will need a fourth shot this year.

In an interview on “Face the Nation,” on CBS, Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla said a fourth dose — a second booster — is necessary.

“The protection that you are getting from the third, it is good enough, actually quite good for hospitalizations and deaths,” he said. “It’s not that good against infections, but doesn’t last very long.”

Fully vaccinated means having two shots (Pfizer or Moderna) or one Johnson & Johnson shot. All were developed for the initial Covid-19 coronavirus.

For Omicron, a booster shot is needed. Booster shots are 90 percent effective against preventing Omicron hospitalizations, according to the federal Centers of Disease Control.

The New York Times reported Pfizer will seek emergency use authorization from regulators in April for a three-shot regimen for children under 5.

Parents anxious to have shots for their younger children under 5 have been waiting for Pfizer and BioNTech to gather more data on whether a third dose produces the desired result.

Pfizer initially applied for emergency use authorization for young children for two doses.

In January, Dr. Anthony Fauci, White House chief medical adviser, said younger children will likely need three doses because two shots did not induce an adequate immune response in 2- to 4-year-olds in Pfizer’s clinical trials.

Mary Holland, president and general counsel of Children’s Health Defense, contends there is no COVID emergency for children under 5 years old.

Children have a 99.995% recovery rate, and a body of medical literature indicates that “almost zero” healthy children under 5 have died from COVID, according to Holland. She cited these studies: • Germany: Zero deaths for children under 5. • England and Wales: Throughout 2020 and 2021, only one child under 5 without comorbidities died from

COVID. A comorbidity means one or more diseases is present along with the primary infection.

Myocarditis

In a 2022 report in the Journal of American Medical Association online, Dr. Matthew Oster of the CDC reported the government’s VAERS database received 1,991 reports of myocarditis after one dose of mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine and 1,626 met the CDC’s definition for probable or confirmed myocarditis.

Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart, which can lead to clots, a stroke or heart attack.

Oster’s conclusion: “The risk of myocarditis after receiving mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines was increased across multiple age and sex strata and was highest after the second vaccination dose in adolescent males and young men. This risk should be considered.”

The Japanese government amended the label for mRNA COVID-19 vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna to add myocarditis to their list of significant “adverse drug reactions.”

Public health officials say the scientific consensus is that Covid vaccines are safe, but some are skeptical about relying on science from drug-makers, which saw profits rise in 2021. They point to the U.S. government database, https://vaers.hhs. gov/, where health care providers are to report adverse events after a vaccine.

The reporting site was created after Congress passed a law in 1986 protecting vaccine manufacturers from civil personal injury lawsuits and wrongful death lawsuits resulting from vaccine injuries.

After Covid arrived, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar invoked the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act, a 2005 law that allows the HHS secretary to provide legal protection to companies making or distributing critical medical supplies such as vaccines unless there’s “willful misconduct” by the company, according to a report by CNBC.

This lowers the cost of immunizations, and the protection lasts until 2024.

Dr. Pamela Popper of Ohio has sued HHS, FDA and CDC concerning vaccines for kids under 16, and hopes to get discovery, the point at which both sides can get evidence. Updates are at https:// makeamericansfreeagain.com/

Pop-up Clinic

Public health officials consider vaccinations to be the number one tool to prevent hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19.

According to County Public Health, and the most recent three deaths were unvaccinated along with being older and having underlying conditions. The county website now lists vaccination status as “yes” or “no.”

The most COVID fatalities in the county occurred in January 2021, when vaccines were not available and 22 people died in one week, according to the county Covid-19 dashboard.

California reports 83.6% of residents age 5 and up have had at least one shot.

On the CDC Covid tracker, Santa Cruz County reports 93% of residents age 12 and up have at least one shot and 84.9% fully vaccinated, little changed from two weeks ago. The county closed the vaccination site at Felton Community Hall after giving 2,000 vaccinations there.

La Princesa Food Market,1424 Freedom Blvd., Watsonville, will host a pop-up vaccine clinic in the parking lot, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 19.

The Watsonville Vaccine Center has vaccines available for walk-ins at 250 Main St., Watsonville, from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.

Proposed Bills

To track the Covid-19 bills proposed by California lawmakers see https:// leginfo.legislature.ca.gov

AB 1993: To mandate vaccines for all employees and independent contractors — and require employers to verify their workers are immunized.

Senate Bill 1479: To mandate Covid testing plans and require the California Department of Public Health to help school districts develop them.

Senate Bill 871: To end a personal belief exemption in the state’s student vaccine mandate.

Senate Bill 866: To allow children 12 and older to get COVID vaccines without parental consent.

Omicron Less Deadly

The assumption is Omicron, the most easily transmissible variant of the Covid-19 coronavirus, quickly drove the increase in January and the decline in February and March.

Omicron was confirmed in two cases in the county on Dec. 16 and 17.

The numbers ballooned from 325 cases confirmed on Dec. 29 to 1,265 on Jan. 20, according to the county health dashboard, which is updated twice a week, Mondays and Wednesdays.

The California Department of Public Health estimates Omicron comprises 91% of cases statewide and Delta 6.5% but does not have a breakdown of Omicron hospitalizations or deaths.

Not all COVID-19 cases requiring hospitalization are sequenced, and the proportion of cases due to the Omicron variant that die is still being determined.

Omicron is less deadly than Delta, which raged in 2021.

Santa Cruz County reports 256 Covid deaths, up from 225 as of Dec. 15, before Omicron.

One statistic is similar: 79% to 81% of those who died had pre-existing conditions.

Why do people fear Omnicron?

They may have a pre-existing condition (diabetes, obesity, asthma, high blood pressure).

Half of Americans do, so they are at higher risk for severe Covid illness.

So are people 85 and older.

Some people who got Covid experience “long Covid,” with fatigue and brain fog months afterward. A 2022 study in the journal Cell by researchers following more than 200 patients found many acute Covid patients had low cortisol, which could be addressed.

Testing

Santa Cruz County Office of Education, with Inspire Diagnostic, has provided 367,300 tests.

Cases peaked at 4,407 on Jan. 27, dropping to 145 on March 15. The 14-day positivity rate, 12.25% a month ago, is down to 1.18%.

The County Office of Education offers drive-though testing for students, staff and families at these locations:

Cabrillo College, Aptos, Parking Lot K, Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, 2601 E. Lake Ave., Watsonville, Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Santa Cruz County Office of Education, 399 Encinal St., Santa Cruz, Monday to Friday, 2 to 5 p.m.

Hundreds of school staff have rapid response antigen tests, courtesy of the County Office of Education, and schools are distributing more for home use.

Directions are posted at https://drive. google.com/file/d/1U8AdsSyH14sDvrjD 6T25krhvOFRFsuXs/view

For test options see: https://tinyurl. com/get-tested-santa-cruz. (Full URL: https://www.santacruzhealth.org/HSAHome/HSADivisions/ PublicHealth/CommunicableDiseaseControl/ CoronavirusHome/SAVELivesSantaCruz County/GetTested.aspx)

Shorter Isolation

Based on federal recommendations, the state shortened the isolation time for those testing positive from 10 days to five days.

Schedule booster shots at https:// myturn.ca.gov/ or by asking your local doctor and pharmacies. For local vaccine providers, visit www.santacruzhealth.org/ coronavirusvaccine.

For help scheduling an appointment, call the Community Bridges Helpline at 831-219-8607 or 831-440-3556 (English, Spanish, Mixteco and Triqui).

For local information on COVID-19, go to www.santacruzhealth.org/coronavirus or call (831) 454-4242 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. n •••

Total COVID cases: 900

••• COVID Deaths: 256 As of March 16 Age 85 and older: 109 • 75-84: 61 • 65-74: 44 60-64: 15 • 55-59: 4 • 45-54: 10 35-44: 8 • 25-34: 5 Underlying Conditions Yes: 207 • No: 49 Race White 146 • Latinx 89 • Asian 16 • Black 2 Amer Indian 1 • Hawaiian 1 • Another 1 Gender Men: 132 • Women: 124 Location At facility for aged: 115 Not at a facility: 141