【《We Chinese in America》Media Editor Tang Zhao, October 28, 2022】Per 55-year-old man from the North Central region of the county is the first influenza death reported in San Diego this season, the County Health and Human Services Agency announced today.(Photo credit: County of San Diego Communications Office)
The man died on Oct. 15. He had underlying medical conditions and had not been vaccinated against the flu. He tested negative for COVID-19.
New influenza cases also continued to increase last week. The County Health and Human Services Agency is reporting 856 lab-confirmed flu cases for the week ending Oct. 22. That’s an almost 45% increase when compared to the previous week, when 591 new infections were reported.
The County Health and Human Services Agency now publishes the Respiratory Virus Surveillance Report weekly. The report is published each Thursday and tracks key respiratory illness indicators, including flu cases and deaths.
For the week ending Oct. 22, 2022, the report shows the following:
- Emergency department visits for influenza-like illness: 6% of all visits (compared with 5% the previous week)
- Lab-confirmed influenza cases for the week: 856 (compared to 591 the previous week)
- Total lab-confirmed cases to date: 2,528 (compared to 232 at the same time last season and a 196 prior 5-year average during the same week)
“Every flu death is tragic and our condolences go out to the man’s family and friends,” said Wilma J. Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., County public health officer. “Unfortunately, we see influenza deaths every fall and winter and I encourage San Diegans to do their part to stop the spread of illnesses and prevent deaths.”
Get Vaccinated
The influenza vaccine is available at doctors’ offices and retail pharmacies and is covered by medical insurance. People with no health care coverage can get vaccinated at one of the County’s six public health centers or a local community clinic. To find the nearest public health center location, visit the County’s Flu Vaccine Locations page or call 2-1-1 San Diego.
“Vaccination is the best defense we have against the flu,” Wooten said. “It is still early in the flu season and we are already seeing cases spike, so we have reason to believe that the flu could be extremely disruptive this year. Protect yourself and your family now and get the flu shot as soon as you can.”
It takes about two weeks after immunization until immunity develops.
In addition to getting vaccinated, Wooten recommends that people, especially those who are at a higher risk of severe outcomes, recommit themselves to the following precautions this fall and winter:
- Wash hands thoroughly and often;
- Use hand sanitizers, if unable to wash hands;
- Stay away from sick people;
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth;
- Clean commonly touched surfaces; and
- If you are sick, stay home and avoid contact with others.
Flu Symptoms
The flu and COVID-19 are both spread from person-to-person, especially indoors and in crowded places. Symptoms for both viruses include fever, headache, and muscle and joint pain, as well as a sore throat and coughing.
Since symptoms for both the flu and COVID are similar, but treatment varies, COVID testing, which is still widely available across the region, is a good first step to help sick individuals determine a plan of action.
It is recommended that San Diegans who develop flu-like symptoms get tested for COVID-19, especially if you have an underlying condition that puts you at an increased risk of severe outcomes from the flu or COVID.
High-risk individuals include:
- People with chronic medical conditions like asthma, diabetes and lung disease, even if symptoms are under control;
- Pregnant women;
- People aged 65 years and older; and
- People who live with or care for others who are at higher risk.
During the 2021-2022 flu season, 4,192 flu cases were reported and eight San Diegans died from influenza. During the 2020-2021 flu season, a total of 848 influenza cases were reported in San Diego, and two San Diegans died from the flu.
(Source: County of San Diego Communications Office)
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【《We Chinese in America》Media Editor Tang Zhao, October 27， 2022】Per f you’re a registered voter and haven’t cast your ballot yet, you’ll soon get a reminder from the Registrar’s office that you have just over one week to cast your ballot for the Nov. 8 Statewide General Election. (Photo credit:
The Registrar sent over 1.7 million reminder postcards to registered voters in San Diego County who had not voted as of Oct. 21.
Don’t delay! If you have been holding onto your ballot, act now and vote from the comfort of your home. Sign and date your return envelope, seal your completed ballot inside and return it by mail promptly to make sure it arrives at the Registrar’s office well before Election Day.
You also have the option to use one of the Registrar’s 141 official ballot drop boxes. The new stand-alone boxes feature the Registrar’s logo along with the County seal and are labeled “Official Ballot Drop Box.” Find one close to you through the Registrar’s online locator tool or inside your information pamphlet. Check each location’s hours of operation before heading out at sdvote.com.
The sooner the Registrar’s office receives your ballot, the sooner it is processed for the first release of election night results.
If you want to vote in person, that option is available too. You can cast your ballot at the Registrar’s office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Starting Saturday, Oct. 29, 39 vote centers will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Starting Saturday, Nov. 5, 218 vote centers will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
All vote center locations and the Registrar’s official ballot drop boxes will be open on Election Day, Nov. 8, when voting hours change to 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
You can find a complete list of vote center and ballot drop box locations at sdvote.com.
Learn more about voting in the Nov. Statewide General Election at sdvote.com, call (858) 565-5800 or toll free at (800) 696-0136.
(Source: County of San Diego Communications Office)
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【《We Chinese in America》Media Editor Tang Zhao, October 22, 2022】The CDC’s independent vaccine advisers voted 15-0 Thursday to add most Covid-19 vaccines offered in the U.S. to the childhood, adolescent and adult immunization schedules.
The immunization schedules, which are updated every fall before going into effect the following year, consolidate all of the CDC’s vaccine recommendations in one document for states that use them as guidance for school entry requirements and busy physicians. The additions formalize recommendations the CDC has already made on Covid vaccination in individuals ages 6 months and older for shots that the FDA has approved or has authorized for emergency use. (Photo credit : Getty Images).
Covid vaccines’ inclusion on the schedules don’t constitute mandates, particularly for schoolchildren, which are the purview of states, localities or jurisdictions, depending on local laws. Still, the committee’s vote sparked controversy and debate on social media about what the additions mean for vaccine requirements after Fox News’ Tucker Carlson asserted Tuesday that the CDC would trigger mandates for students.
The FDA has approved two messenger-RNA vaccines targeting Covid: The Pfizer-BioNTech primary series vaccine for people 12 and older and the Moderna primary series for adults 18 and older. They’re each authorized for emergency use for children as young as 6 months, and all booster doses — including new formulations designed to target the original coronavirus strain and two Omicron subvariants — are authorized for emergency use.
The agency also has authorized a two-dose primary series of a protein-based vaccine by Novavax for emergency use in individuals 12 and older, as well as one booster dose in a limited population of adults.
Vaccine law experts acknowledge adding Covid vaccines to the immunization schedule could influence states that are inclined to require them for school entry to do so, and many states use the schedules as guidance for requirements. But the CDC panel’s recommendations do not trigger mandates, and 21 states have passed laws prohibiting Covid vaccine mandates for students.
Nirav Shah, director of Maine’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention and an advisory committee member, noted there are vaccines included on the schedule now, such as seasonal flu shots, that many jurisdictions don’t require for children to attend school.
“Local control matters, and we honor that the decision around school entrance for vaccines rests where it did before, which is at the state level, the county level and at the municipal level, if it exists at all,” Shah said. “They are the arbiters of what vaccines are required, if any, for school entry. This discussion does not change that.”
According to the National Academy for State Health Policy, 21 states have instituted bans against Covid vaccine mandates for students. Washington, D.C., has required students eligible for fully approved Covid vaccines to be immunized by 2023, and California has a similar requirement that won’t kick in before July 2023.
(Source: New York Times)
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【《We Chinese in America》Media Editor Tang Zhao, October 23, 2022】Per County of San Diego Communications Office, the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency is introducing a new combined Respiratory Virus Surveillance Report that will provide San Diegans with a detailed snapshot of common respiratory illness activity in the region on a weekly basis.(Photo credit: County of San Diego Communications Office)
The new report will be released each Thursday and contains, for now, both flu and COVID-19 activity, including cases, outbreak information and deaths. The report contains graphs and tables that allow the community to compare illness activity this year to activity during prior seasons.
The Respiratory Virus Surveillance Report replaces the separate Influenza Watch and COVID-19 Watch reports the County released previously.
“The new report paints a more comprehensive picture of respiratory illness activity in the region,” said Wilma J. Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., County public health officer. “The report is a one-stop-shop for community members and healthcare providers, and we will continue to update it with new features in the future, as necessary.”
San Diegans can sign up for the report here, or access it on the County of San Diego COVID-19 website and Influenza website.
Bivalent Boosters For Children 5 And Older
The California Department of Public Health recently updated its emergency use authorization of the bivalent COVID-19 boosters in California to include younger children. Eligibility for the Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent booster now extends to individuals 5 years of age and older and eligibility for the Moderna bivalent booster now extends to individuals 6 years of age and older.
These bivalent boosters are available through healthcare providers, at participating pharmacies, and at County public health centers. Parents should visit the state’s My Turn website to schedule an appointment.
Bivalent boosters were designed to protect individuals from the worst outcomes of COVID-19, including hospitalization and death. Everyone 5 years of age and older who has had their primary vaccination series is eligible to get the updated booster two months following any COVID vaccine or booster dose.
Vaccination Progress:
- Close to 2.69 million or 80.4% of San Diegans received the primary series of one of the approved COVID-19 vaccines.
- Boosters administered: 1,480,105 or 60.0% of 2,467,279 eligible San Diegans.
- More vaccination information can be found at coronavirus-sd.com/vaccine.
Deaths:
- 10 additional deaths were reported since the last report on Oct. 13, 2022. The region’s total is 5,517.
- Of the 10 additional deaths, two were women and eight were men. They died between Jan. 29, 2022 and Oct. 5, 2022. One of the newly reported deaths occurred in the last two weeks.
- Four of the people who died were 80 years or older, three were in their 70s and three were in their 50s.
- Eight received at least the primary series of the vaccine and two had not.
- All had underlying medical conditions.
Cases, Case Rates and Testing:
- 1,591 COVID-19 cases were reported to the County in the past seven days (Oct. 11 to Oct. 17, 2022). The region’s total is now 927,970.
- The 1,591 cases reported in the past week were slightly lower compared to the 1,855 infections identified the previous week (Oct. 4 to Oct. 10, 2022).
- 4,710 tests were reported to the County on Oct. 15, and the percentage of new positive cases was 4.0% (Data through Oct. 15).
- The 14-day rolling percentage of positive cases, among tests reported through Oct. 15, is 3.9%.
(Source: County of San Diego Communications Office)
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【《We Chinese in America》Media Editor Tang Zhao, October 20, 2022】Per San Diego County residents and businesses still have time to register to join the Great California ShakeOut earthquake drill which is being held Thursday, 10/20/22.(Photo credit: County of San Diego Communications Office)
Minimizing or preventing injuries during a significant earthquake is the top goal and the best way to do that is to have some safety measures in place before one occurs, to know how to protect yourself during the shaking in different situations, and to be aware of potential hazards after one has passed.
San Diego is in the “before” phase now with more than 800,000 individuals, businesses and organizations in San Diego County currently registered to drop, cover and hold on at 10:20 a.m. on Thursday 10/20. Statewide, 9.4 million are participating and on an international scale, even more will drill.
The San Diego County Office of Emergency Services and San Diego County Fire and CAL FIRE San Diego encourage all San Diego County residents and area visitors to register for ShakeOut.
“Review and update your emergency plan if needed, and download the county’s SD Emergency App which includes ShakeReadySD, technology which can notify people of intense shaking several seconds before it begins. This can give people time to seek cover,” said Jeff Toney, Director of the San Diego County Office of Emergency Services. “The key to surviving an earthquake is having a plan and practicing it in different environments. Where you might seek cover at home is not the same as what you might do in your workplace or in your vehicle.”
Tony Mecham, County Fire and CAL FIRE San Diego Unit Chief, notes those with a plan and emergency supplies have a better chance of survival. This is because during a large-scale disaster, first responders may be unable to get to households for basic first aid calls.
Drop, cover and hold on is the protective action recommended by federal, state and local emergency preparedness organizations as the best way to avoid or reduce injury during an earthquake. If indoors, seek cover under a desk or table, or if one is not in the area, sit against an interior wall away from glass and heavy furniture and protect your head. Do not run outside if shaking begins. But if you’re already outdoors, try to find a clear area and sit down and protect your head. Move away from building exteriors, trees, power lines if possible. For more specific situations and video demonstrations, visit the Earthquake Country Alliance.
The ShakeOut drill can be conducted in as little as 90 seconds. After your drill, look around your surroundings at work or at home to see what items might fall or topple over during intense shaking and cause injury, then secure furniture and wall hangings to prevent the hazard.
Drill tips and information resources are available on the ShakeOut website. Free family disaster plan templates are also available on www.ReadySanDiego.org in multiple languages. The templates include a list of important items to assemble in your disaster emergency kit.
(Source: County of San Diego Communications Office)
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