Covid Solution?: Bill Would End Personal Belief Vaccine Exemption, By

Covid Solution?

Bill Would End Personal Belief Vaccine Exemption

By Jondi Gumz

Dr. Richard Pan is a doctor specializing in children and a state senator representing Sacramento since 2014. His bill, SB 277, became law in September 2019 after a measles outbreak at Disneyland — the goal to end the “vaccine exemption loophole” for kids attending public and private schools.

On Jan. 24, with the Covid-19 Omicron variant hospitalizing 15,000 Californians and 97,000 cases a day, Pan said he will introduce SB 871 to add COVID-19 to the list of 10 childhood illnesses for which students are required to be vaccinated – and remove the personal belief exemption.

The bill can be found at at https:// leginfo.legislature.ca.gov

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

Employer Mandate

On Jan. 13, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked the Biden administration mandate to large employers to vaccinate or test. That means 100 or more employees.

The ruling affects an estimated 84 million workers — and a minority of employers in Santa Cruz County where 82% of businesses have nine or fewer employers. Most of the large employers are medical facilities, schools or colleges.

The ruling said the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which regulates occupational hazards, did not have the right to regulate public health broadly.

The court allowed a federal vaccine mandate applying to medical facilities that take Medicare or Medicaid payments. That affects an estimated 100,000 workers.

On Jan. 25, OSHA said it would withdraw the vaccine and testing requirements for large employers. Employers can mandate vaccines or tests for their employees if they feel it’s necessary.

Protesting Mandates

On Jan. 23, Children’s Health Defense, headed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. , rallied 20,000 to 30,000 people to a peaceful protest in Washington, D.C., at the Lincoln Memorial, calling for an end to vaccine mandates, a strategy used by President Biden and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Kennedy, an attorney and a passionate advocate for vaccine choice, mentioned Anne Frank, who was Jewish, hiding to escape Nazis, a reference for which he apologized a day later.

In Brussels, 50,000 people filled the streets, protesting vaccine passports and Covid restrictions. Masked demonstrators broke a glass entrance to the office of the EU’s foreign policy agency, an action recorded on Twitter, and police fired water cannons and tear gas to break up the protest.

Public health officials say the scientific consensus is that Covid vaccines are safe, but protest leaders were 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. HHS declined requests by CNBC for an interview.

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

Active Cases

The number of active cases in Santa Cruz County skyrocketed from 3,324 to 6,677 active cases in two weeks, despite the Nov. 22 mandate to mask indoors, then dipped on Jan. 27 to 5,229.

The assumption is Omicron, the most easily transmissible variant of the Covid-19 coronavirus, is the driving the increase.

Cases began rising during the holidays, with 325 confirmed on Dec. 29, then 504 on Jan. 4, and 527 on Jan. 5, according to the county health dashboard, which is updated on Mondays and Wednesdays.

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

Hospitalizations are fluctuating — 39, down to 33, up to 44, including three in intensive care, according to a state dashboard.

The question is: Will hospitalizations will rise — or decline, as San Francisco has seen.

Possibly people entered the hospital with another condition or for elective surgery, then got tested for Covid. The dashboard does not explain.

Local cases are split between Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz and Watsonville Community Hospital, while filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection while trying to orchestrate a sale to a local consortium.

Earlier, county health officials urged people with no symptoms or mild symptoms or some other not-serious illness to stay home rather than going to the hospital emergency department.

Under the 1986 federal law EMTALA, emergency departments must treat everyone who comes in, regardless of ability to pay – an unfunded mandate.

Responding to a Times query via email, the California Department of Public Health estimates Omicron comprises 91% of cases statewide and Delta 6.5% but the state does not have a breakdown of Omicron hospitalizations or deaths.

Not all COVID-19 cases requiring hospitalization are sequenced, the state emailed in response to the query, and the proportion of cases due to the Omicron variant who die is still being determined.

Santa Cruz County reports 79.15 % of residents have a least one dose of vaccine and 72.65 % fully vaccinated.

Less Deadly?

Omicron may not be as deadly as Delta, which raged in 2021.

Omicron left less serious illness in South Africa, but Israeli experts are not sure that is the situation in their country.

Scotland reported 92 deaths on Jan. 20, 2021, and 4 deaths on Jan. 23, 2022, according to the Johns Hopkins University database.

On Jan. 27, the San Francisco Chronicle reported people are dying at a lower rate than previous surges.

Santa Cruz County reports 239 Covid deaths, up from 225 as of Dec. 15.

One statistic is similar then and now: 79 percent of those who died had preexisting conditions.

Why do people fear Omnicron?

It could be they 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.

“COVID Update” page 8

Mee Memorial Hospital is using part of a grant from the federal government to install four billboards along the Highway 101 corridor to encourage the unvaccinated to step up for a shot. Billboards are to be installed from Soledad to San Ardo, communities that have the lowest vaccination rate in Monterey County.

“COVID Update” from page 7

Some people who got Covid experience “long Covid,” with symptoms such as fatigue and brain fog months afterward.

A 2022 study in the journal Cell by researchers who followed more than 200 patients found biological factors that might help predict “long Covid.” At diagnosis, many acute patients had low cortisol, which could be addressed.

Soquel Schools

Soquel Union Elementary District reports 176 active student cases and 11 staff cases in January.

New Brighton Middle School has the most student cases, 93, and one staff case.

Soquel Elementary has 41 student cases and 4 staff cases, Main Street Elementary 23 student cases and one staff case. Santa Cruz Gardens 19 student cases and 3 staff cases.

Pajaro Valley schools, which have 19,000 students, report 1,247 active student cases and 138 staff cases in January, which led to district administrators filling in for sick teachers.

The Pajaro Valley superintendent has no plans to survey students to see if the district has 70% herd immunity, explaining that student health information is protected by privacy laws.

Watsonville High has 145 student

Santa Cruz County Office of Education, which partnered with Inspire Diagnostics to provide 215,000 tests, posted an update that results may now take 48 to 96 hours. An optimal turnaround is 24 hours.

cases, the most in the district, and 11 staff cases.

Aptos High has 110 student cases and 10 staff cases.

On Jan. 12, Aptos High Athletic director Travis Fox suspended indoor sports temporarily because testing results did not arrive before game time. Teams have since resumed play indoors.

Santa Cruz City Schools alerted parents that the district, which includes Soquel High, expects to be in a state of “substantial exposure” for two to four weeks.

This means unvaccinated students must test twice per week. Those who do not test must quarantine at home and participate in Independent Studies. They are not allowed to participate in athletics and band. test. Vaccinated students are encouraged to

Pajaro Valley schools also are in “substantial exposure.”

Testing

As active cases skyrocketed in Santa Cruz County, there was greater exposure, great demand for testing, and results have been delayed.

In mid-January, an acupuncturist who teaches Qi Gong and Tai Chi outdoors stopped teaching after being exposed to someone who tested positive and did not resume until two tests were negative.

“Tests are very difficult to locate,” the instructor reported.

Santa Cruz County Office of Education, which partnered with Inspire Diagnostics to provide 215,000 tests, posted an update that results may now take 48 to 96 hours. An optimal turnaround is 24 hours.

Cases reported to the Office of Education peaked at 3,912 on JanT 21, dropping to 3,509 on Jan. 27. However, the 14-day positivity rate is higher, 12.65%.

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.

Self-tests are, or will be, available. Journalism coach Roy Peter Clark, at Poynter. org, cautions that the directions are not as clear as users might want.

Masking Guidelines

The new CDPH Guidelines notes the importance of wearing a face covering which has multiple layers.

N95 masks were provided for PVUSD staff.

To a complaint that not enough masks were received, Rodriguez advised talking with the site administrator.

On Jan. 27, the California Department of Public Health reported 18.8% test positivity rate statewide, down from 23%.

For test options see: https://tinyurl. com/get-tested-santa-cruz.

(Full URL: https://www.santacruz health.org/HSAHome/HSADivisions/PublicHealth/CommunicableDiseaseControl/ CoronavirusHome/SAVELivesSantaCruz County/GetTested.aspx)

Ella’s at the Airport, the popular restaurant in Watsonville, closed briefly so owner Ella King could visit her parents in Texas during the holiday, but the shutdown was extended as employees reported positive coronavirus tests.

Ella’s has since reopened, and is appealing the airport manager’s denial of her request to transfer her lease to the operator of Nancy’s Airport Café in Willow. After a long discussion, the City Council narrowly approved her appeal.

Isolation Shortened

Based on federal recommendations, the state has updated isolation guidance for those testing positive, shortening the requirement from 10 days to five days.

Additional information about testing, isolation guidance and masking, see the Jan. 7 letter from school superintendents on the county Office of Education website.

Boosters For Kids 12-15

Dr. Cal Gordon, Santa Cruz County deputy health officer, recommends booster shots for children ages 12-15 as protection for Omicron, as the state allowed on Jan. 6. A third dose is available for eligible immunocompromised children ages 5-11.

Booster shot appointments can be scheduled at https://myturn.ca.gov/ and by checking with your local doctor and pharmacies. For local COVID-19 vaccine providers, visit www.santacruzhealth.org/ coronavirusvaccine.

For assistance in scheduling an appointment can call the Community Bridges Helpline at 831-219-8607 or 831440-3556 (English, Spanish, Mixteco and Triqui).

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

Total COVID cases: 6,677

•••

COVID Deaths: 239

As of Jan. 27

Age

85 and older: 102 • 75-84: 53 • 65-74: 43 60-64: 15 • 55-59: 3 • 45-54: 10 35-44: 8 • 25-34: 5

Underlying Conditions

Yes: 190 • No: 49

Race

White 134 • Latinx 85 • Asian 16 Black 1 • American Indian 1 Other 1 • Unknown 1 Gender Men: 122 • Women: 117 Location At facility for aged: 112 Not at a facility: 127