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Orange County Coronavirus

Health Experts Answer Vaccine Questions While Questions Linger Over Planned Vaccination Site in Santa Ana

JULIE LEOPO, Voice of OC

A worker prepares to vaccinate someone with the coronavirus vaccine at Orange County Fire Authority headquarters in Irvine. Jan. 8, 2021.

By Brandon Pho | February 11, 2021
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Orange County health experts are mounting their own ground-level efforts to educate people on the Coronavirus vaccine’s science, safety and effectiveness, while also encouraging them to get vaccinated at the first opportunity. 


Editor’s Note: As Orange County’s only nonprofit & nonpartisan newsroom, Voice of OC brings you the best, most comprehensive local Coronavirus news absolutely free. No ads, no paywalls. We need your help. Please, make a tax-deductible donation today to support your local news.


The effort comes as a host of questions swirl around County of Orange strategies for making sure people can actually get the vaccine — especially in underserved and low-income communities.

Latinos make up the most Coronavirus infections in the county but are left far behind in terms of vaccinations, according to county data available as of Thursday.

A vaccination site is set to open tomorrow at Santa Ana’s Valley High School, according to the Santa Ana Unified School District.

It’s a partnership with the county and community health clinic Latino Health Access, said Santa Ana Unified School District Board Member Valerie Amezcua on Thursday.

Yet county officials offered few details when asked about it Thursday, one day before it was set to open. There also hasn’t been any specific announcement on the site across the county’s social media channels.

When a Voice of OC photographer asked for media access to the Valley High site Thursday, county spokeswoman Molly Nichelson said the county wasn’t providing media access “at this time.”

Asked later by a reporter over text message when more information about the site would become available, Nichelson said: “When we announce it.”

It’s a contrast to the county’s unveiling of their vaccination POD site at Disneyland in Anaheim earlier this year — which county officials christened with a whole media day and publicity campaign and sent videos of the event to reporters. 

Most of the known details on the Valley High site came straight from school district officials, who announced online that they would be hosting several vaccination sites over the next several days, starting with Valley High.

“My opinion, and this is my opinion, is that Santa Ana has been treated like a stepchild. Why wasn’t the city a priority from the beginning?” Amezcua said. “We could have avoided so many deaths.”

Amezcua said the Valley High site comes thanks to a set of meetings between local leaders from the community health clinics, cities of Anaheim and Santa Ana, and the school district — all of whom raised the issue of equity to the county and asked for more vaccines. 

“It took this group that (Dr. America Bracho of Latino Health Access) brought together to say, ‘Look at the equity issues we’re dealing with. Our community is dying. What can we do about it?’” Amezcua said. 

“I don’t believe the Board of Supervisors have done enough, and they’re not willing to admit that either,” Amezcua added.

Amezcua said the school district locations are optimal as vaccination sites because schools “are a trusted presence in our communities.”

“It only makes sense to use our school sites. If we open vaccine sites, people will come because they trust us,” Amezcua said.

Meanwhile medical researchers and experts at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) sent several clear messages to the public at a Thursday educational panel on the vaccine. 

Experts say data and studies around the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness are “promising” but there’s still a need for people to socially distance and mask up even after getting vaccinated. They add that everyone should get vaccinated at their earliest opportunity. 

And with the threat of new Covid-19 variant strains, UCI’s Founding Associate Dean of Research Rob Spitale said there’s “a lot of very promising data that the current vaccines … are still quite effective against the mutant viruses that  have been emerging around the world, including in the U.S.” 

“In fact there was a recent paper published … detailing how the responses are in some cases indistinguishable in their efficacy,” Spitale said. Though data and more information is still being gathered.

Other UCI panelists on Thursday included Alex Chan, UCI’s founding chair of the Department Of Clinical Pharmacy Practice, Health Sciences Assistant Clinical Professor Keri Hurley-Kim, and School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences Founding Dean Jan Hirsch.

Chan said there have been “no significant safety concerns identified in the (vaccine’s) clinical trials.” 

Yes, he said, there is a potential for some people to experience anaphylactic allergic reactions to the vaccine, though Chan said the risk is low and applies to a “very, very small” portion of the population. He advised people with a history of such allergic reactions to consult their doctors. 

Panelists advised people not to take medication with acetaminophen and ibuprofen before receiving the vaccine. Chan said that way, people would be more able to if they feel side effects of the vaccine like headaches, which he said are “good signs” that the body is mounting an immune response.

“If very few people want to receive these vaccines, we’ll move through the (vaccine priority) phases more quickly but will end up with a lower percentage of our population vaccinated,” said Hurley-Kim during the panel.

Those currently prioritized for the vaccine include health care, pharmacy and dental workers — as well as those in community health clinics and emergency service workers such as police officers and firefighters in areas most impacted by the virus like Anaheim and Santa Ana.

Click here for more information about what groups are currently next in line.

Meanwhile there are outstanding concerns over the County of Orange vaccination progress and strategy, stemming from a number of factors:

For weeks there were problems with the county’s Othena app, which was designed to help people make vaccine appointments. County officials gave it a publicized rollout only to find the app beset by technical glitches.

Latinos in the county still account for the largest portion of virus infections while comprising a small slice of those vaccinated so far, according to county data. 

Storage issues at the county’s vaccination site at Soka University disrupted operations for a time, with many people complaining in waves on Twitter that their appointments were rescheduled.

County officials have publicly said no appointments were affected. 

And data continues to vary significantly on the county’s vaccination progress. 

The county’s own dashboard puts it behind other counties like San Diego at under 300,000 vaccinated. 

Officials this week have said the number is larger than that. 

The state says that number is actually more than 438,000, and on its own dashboard puts Orange County in third place in terms of counties that have administered the most doses, behind Los Angeles and San Diego counties.

Here in Orange County — as of Thursday — the number of people reported in the hospital with the virus has gone down, now at 965 hospitalizations. 

Meanwhile, deaths continue to spiral upward, now at 3,493, with 42 new deaths reported today.

To date, there have been 240,999 confirmed cases. 

For context, Orange County has averaged around 20,000 deaths from other causes a year since 2016, including  543 annual flu deaths, according to state health data.

According to the state death statistics, cancer kills over 4,600 people, heart disease kills over 2,800, more than 1,400 die from Alzheimer’s disease and strokes kill over 1,300 people.

Orange County has already surpassed its yearly average 20,000 deaths, with 23,883 people dead as of December, according to the latest available state data.

Here’s the latest on the virus numbers across Orange County from county data:

Infections | Hospitalizations & Deaths | City-by-City Data | Demographics

 

 

 

 

How can I sign up for a vaccine?

For full details on the COVID-19 vaccine in Orange County view our Voice of OC vaccine page that is constantly updated and has links of where to register for an appointment: http://bit.ly/occovidvaccine.

What is COVID-19? Do I have it?

INFORMATION View the CDC website. View OC's website. View the latest OC case counts.

TRANSLATIONS See the county's guides in non-English languages. Learn key Coronavirus facts in Vietnamese and Spanish via VietRise. See VietRISE guides in Spanish and Vietnamese.

PROTECTION To limit exposure, the CDC recommends: wash your hands often, avoid close contact with others, cover your mouth and nose with a cloth mask when around others, cover coughs and sneezes, clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces.

SYMPTOMS The CDC identifies these key symptoms that can occur any time between 2 and 14 days after exposure: Fever or chills, cough and shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches,  headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting or diarrhea. If you suspect Coronavirus, CALL your primary medical provider.

EMERGENCY SYMPTOMS If you display any of the following emergency warning signs, seek immediate medical attention: difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, new confusion or inability to arouse, or bluish lips or face.

RISK The CDC identifies people most at risk for serious illness: Older adults, and people who have serious chronic medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and lung disease.

What is open?

RESIDENTS The County of Orange offers a list of notices and news on what guidance is given for families and persons.

SCHOOLS The latest information for the county is available from the Orange County Board of Education.

STATE GUIDE TO WHAT IS OPEN A full list of statewide guidelines for what is open and what is closed.

SOCIAL DISTANCING Staying away from other people is called "social distancing." The aim is to SLOW the spread of Coronavirus so as to not overwhelm the nation's health care systems and so that people in need can get help. The Washington Post explains: "The spread (of COVID-19) can be slowed, public health professionals say, if people practice "social distancing" by avoiding public spaces and generally limiting their movement."

What support is available?

STRESS & ANXIETY Stress and anxiety can be triggered by the situation and resources are available to help from the Anxiety and Depression Association of America and from the American Psychology Association. Concern over this new virus can make children and families anxious, here are tips on talking with children about COVID-19.

MENTAL HEALTH The County of Orange offers a list of available mental health support services.

FIRST RESPONDERS The County of Orange offers these support services for first responders and health care workers.

BUSINESSES & ORGANIZATIONS The County of Orange offers a list of up-to-date guidelines for business and faith-based/community organizations.

FOOD ASSISTANCE Voice of OC offers a weekly list of available food pantries in Orange County. You can also apply for food benefits over the phone through the CalFresh program at 800-281-9799 or online.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION Buses and trains still offer service, but routes have been reduced so make sure to check your route ahead of time.

HOMELESSNESS The County of Orange offers a list of available shelter beds and other resources.

GENERAL FINANCIAL HELP Here are some services:

  •   • Find information on unemployment and disability benefits.
  •   • The Orange County Social Services Agency, despite closing its lobby, is processing online filings for assistance programs. This includes emergency cash assistance for immediate needs like rent or medical bills. The phone line has averaged a 30 minute wait time and offers a callback service, but people are encouraged to apply for benefits online.
  •   • Residents can apply for any of these programs by calling 800-281-9799.

RESTAURANT OWNERS & EMPLOYEES You can find a detailed list of resources available to restaurant owners and employees

How can I help?

VOLUNTEERING A statewide guide offers examples of ways to volunteer safely during Coronavirus. Options include, but are not limited to: donating plasma, making cloth face masks and supporting local food banks. Orange County's Second Harvest Food Bank lists support options online.

DONATIONS An Orange County Community Resilience Fund has been started through the OC Community Foundation to raise money for local nonprofits and volunteer organizations.

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