COVID: Five Things You Need to Know 05/04/21

 

It’s Tuesday, May 4th and here is the latest installment of 5 Things You Need to Know About COVID-19. 

First, supply now outweighs demand for vaccines as hundreds if not thousands of appointments go vacant across the Bay Area. Please encourage your employees, friends and family to receive a vaccine. There are many appointments available across the Bay Area. 

Haven’t yet received a vaccine? Here’s some resources for those who live or work in Santa Clara County: 

    • To find appointment options in Santa Clara County, visit www.sccfreevax.org where you can find appointments including same-day and drop-in centers. 
    • Evening and weekend vaccination options are now available (both through appointments and at the drop-in sites). Sites that have evening and/or weekend hours include: Levi’s Stadium, the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, Eastridge Mall, Valley Specialty Center on the SCVMC campus, and several other sites.
    • To book an appointment through one of the County Health System’s nine appointment-based vaccination sites, go directly to vax.sccgov.org

The California Department of Public Health has put together a huge campaign to “get out the vaccine” this week. This includes messaging on their social media channels and a digital spot you may catch during the nightly news. 

Is your company interested in hosting a pop up vaccine clinic? Please reach out to Kat at kwortham@svlg.org to help. 

Second, ditch the pajama pants because offices are likely to reopen soon. Employers, including many member companies, are grappling with what the “new normal” is, and if that includes mandating vaccines. Due to the concern around reopening offices I’ve provided a few links below that may help: 

Third, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been cleared for use in the United States. The CDC along with the FDA announced last week that use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine may resume after the vaccine was placed on a temporary pause. Reports arose about the vaccine’s safety after six women reported rare blood clots due to the vaccine. Since those initial cases were reported, 11 more cases have been reported. Serious adverse effects from the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are still considered quite rare with less than 0.1% of those who received the vaccine getting the rare blood clots. 

Fourth, California has updated its guidance on masks and no longer requires masks to be worn outdoors if you are fully vaccinated. Private businesses and entities as well as private events may still require masks for those who are fully vaccinated even if they are outside. CDPH notes that for those who are not vaccinated “face coverings are required outdoors any time physical distancing cannot be maintained.” This is stricter than the recently updated guidance provided by the CDC. You can read more about those differences here

And fifth, children ages 2-11 may soon receive a COVID-19 vaccine as Pfizer seeks FDA approval for use in children. The company is expected to apply for emergency use authorization (EUA) in September. The company is set to receive an EUA for children ages 12-15 early next week. 

The next installment of 5 Things You Need To Know About COVID-19 will come out in two weeks on Tuesday, May 18, 2021. In the meantime if you have questions or comments regarding SVLG’s COVID-19 work, please reach out to me at kwortham@svlg.org. Thank you and stay safe.

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May 04, 2021

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