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The rollout of the coronavirus vaccine to people 65 and over in California has been marked by confusion, with some counties moving faster than others.
Some counties are beginning to offer the vaccine to older residents. But others, including Los Angeles County, say they need to finish giving shots to first responders and medical workers first. In Northern California, some counties are beginning by offering vaccines to people 75 and over first and then moving to people 65 and older.
Here are some details:
According to the L.A. County Public Health Department, the county is still in
Phase 1A of the vaccine rollout, which means only healthcare workers and residents of skilled nursing and long-term care facilities are eligible to receive the vaccine.
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San Diego County residents 65 and older can now get vaccinated against COVID-19 provided their health care provider has the doses.
But with vaccine demand far exceeding supply, that’s likely to be an issue.
As it is, the county has struggled to vaccinate the nursing home residents and health care workers who fall into the state’s highest-priority vaccination tier. There are 620,000 people in this group, and only around 80,000 have been inoculated, though county officials say this may be an underestimate.
On Wednesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that Californians 65 and older are now eligible for vaccination one day after the federal government urged states to expand eligibility. Older adults are especially vulnerable to the coronavirus. About 15 percent of San Diego County residents age 80 and older who’ve gotten COVID-19 have died more than one in seven.
Granger Music Hall holds a special place in Oma Wegeforth’s heart.
For years, she lived adjacent to the National City landmark, built for her late husband’s grandfather, entrepreneur Ralph Granger. It’s where Wegeforth and her husband, Lester, hosted countless plays, weddings and other celebrations.
“I have so many fond memories,” Wegeforth, 95, said last week.
Much to the dismay of Wegefort and many others the historic building’s condition has deteriorated over the past decade. Weather conditions, vandals and very little upkeep have contributed to the damage.
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Wegeforth has waited anxiously for the city to take action to preserve the music hall, which has been unused for the past decade.
The spread of the B.1.1.7 mutation has helped to push England into a lockdown
For weeks, he said, those coming through the hospital’s emergency room doors have often admitted to attending Thanksgiving celebrations with large groups of family and friends. Over the last few days, he said, the number admitting to such gatherings has decreased.
Now, he said, everyone on the front lines is praying that Christmas doesn’t follow the same pattern. The system, they warn, simply does not have enough trained workers left to handle yet another holiday spike. Just getting through the current one, Tovar said, has required a certain kind of battlefield mentality.
By Yucatan Times on December 20, 2020
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Andrés Smith became the first Mexican to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in the United States.
He is a doctor, he works as director of the Emergency Department of Sharp Hospital in Chula Vista, San Diego, California, and being part of the Health staff that treats patients with COVID-19, he is within the first segment of the US population to receive the vaccine.
In addition, he is president of the Mexican Red Cross in Tijuana and a member of the Binational Leadership Council for his philanthropic work at Sharp Chula Vista.
Dr. Smith and his colleagues in the emergency department were awarded the Donald N. Sharp Medal of Honor from the Sharp HealthCare Foundation for their contributions to various campaigns including “Above and Beyond,” aimed at building the next generation of hospitals in South San Diego County.