Boxer and Pan introduce vaccination legislation plans in effort to raise immunization rates U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer and California State Senator Richard Pan, M.D., toured an Emeryville Head Start program last week to illustrate the reasons they have introduced vaccination bills at the national and state levels. Senator Boxer introduced the Head Start on Vaccinations Act with Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto. That bill would protect children in Head Start programs from preventable diseases by requiring that all children in Head Start programs nationwide be fully vaccinated unless they have been exempted for medical reasons. Boxer chose the Emeryville Head Start program to ... February 26, 2015 General Immunization, Public Health, State Legislation, Vaccination, Federal Legislation 0 0 Comment Read More »
Cleaner air means a healthier California: Join the Doctors for Climate Health campaign Climate change is one of the most serious public health challenges of our day. As part of its “Doctors for Climate Health” campaign, the American Lung Association (ALA) is asking physicians to remind policymakers that clean air saves lives and money. Lethal air pollutants contribute to health emergencies that send people to hospitals and contribute to catastrophic climate change. Air pollution costs Californians $1 billion in asthma hospitalizations each year. Approximately 7,300 Californians die prematurely each year due to polluted air. At least 75 percent of pollution in the state ... February 18, 2015 General Environmental Pollution, Public Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
Legislation announced to ban personal belief exemptions for school vaccinations With the number of California measles cases now at 103 and growing, Sacramento pediatrician and State Senator Richard Pan, M.D., has announced his intention to introduce legislation to repeal personal belief exemptions for school vaccinations. Cosponsoring the repeal with Dr. Pan is Sen. Ben Allen, D-Redondo Beach. Joining Senators Pan and Allen at the press conference announcing their bill were Senators Hannah Beth Jackson and Lois Wolk and Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez. The same day, Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer urged California to revisit the law allowing personal belief exemptions. In ... February 18, 2015 General Measles, Public Health, State Legislation, Vaccination, Immunization 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA applauds University of California in efforts to increase number of immunized students Sacramento – In response to a statement issued today by the University of California, California Medical Association (CMA) president Luther Cobb, M.D. issued the following comments: “CMA and our 40,000 members applaud the University of California in their announcement today that they will require incoming students to be vaccinated for measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, meningococcus, tetanus and whooping cough. “For years, the rates of unvaccinated children has been slowly rising from false internet claims and so called ‘scientific’ research. However, we’ve started to see headway with legislation that passed in ... February 18, 2015 General Public Health, Vaccination, Immunization 0 0 Comment Read More »
California School Immunization Law California School Immunization Law California Health and Safety Code, Sections 120325-120375: Under these statutes, children in California are required to receive certain immunizations in order to attend public and private elementary and secondary schools, child care centers, family day care homes, nursery schools, day nurseries, and developmental centers. Schools, child care centers, and family child care homes are required to enforce immunization requirements, maintain immunization records of all children enrolled, and submit reports. California Code of Regulations Title 17 Division 1, Chapter 4, Subchapter 8. These regulations specify California school immunization requirements ... February 2, 2015 General Public Health, Immunizations 0 0 Comment Read More »
California measles cases now at 68 The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) confirmed today that the number of measles cases in the state has grown to 68 California residents with a number of additional suspected cases under investigation. Infected individuals range in age from seven months to 70 years. The vaccination status is documented for 34 of the 68 cases ΜΆ 28 patients were unvaccinated (six were infants too young to vaccinate), one patient had received only one dose of the MMR vaccine and five had received two or more doses of MMR vaccine. The ... January 29, 2015 General Measles, Public Health, Infectious Diseases 0 0 Comment Read More »
CDPH offers clinical reference tool for adult pneumococcal vaccinations The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has developed a clinical reference chart to help physicians understand and implement the new pneumococcal vaccine recommendations. The chart was produced in response to the increased complexity of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ recent pneumococcal vaccine recommendations. The chart summarizes the latest adult pneumococcal vaccine (PCV13 and PPSV23) recommendations for all adults age 65 and over (effective September 19, 2014, both vaccines now covered by Medicare Part B and adults 19-64 with certain underlying conditions. Download the chart here. Click here for more information ... January 29, 2015 General Immunization, Public Health, Vaccination, Department of Public Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
CDC encourages antiviral treatment for influenza With a poorly matched influenza vaccine and influenza activity high across much of the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is urging physicians to prescribe antiviral drugs to patients who are very ill with flu-like symptoms, particularly those over age 65 and those at high risk of complications from the virus. According to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), flu activity in California is beginning to increase. The first influenza death in the state of a person under the age of 65 for the 2014-2015 season ... January 22, 2015 General Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Flu, Influenza, Public Health, CDC 0 0 Comment Read More »
Measles Health Advisory HEALTH ADVISORY – January 7, 2015 Measles has been confirmed in seven California residents in 2015 and two Utah residents; all visited Disneyland or Disney California Adventure Park between December 17th and 20th, 2014. Testing is underway on three additional California residents who also visited Disneyland during this same time period. The California confirmed cases reside in five local health jurisdictions and range in age from 8 months to 21 years. Of the seven confirmed cases, six cases were unvaccinated for measles (2 were too young to be vaccinated, and 1 had received appropriate vaccination (two doses ... January 14, 2015 General Public Health, Measles 0 0 Comment Read More »
California ACEP publishes safe prescribing handout for patients The California Medical Association has joined with the California Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians to promote a statewide safe prescribing program for patients seen in emergency departments or urgent care facilities. The hope is that this program – motivated by the desire to reduce prescription drug abuse and drug diversion – will lead to better patient care, safer prescribing and fewer unmet expectations. A key portion of this program is a handout that explains safe prescribing to patients, available in both English and Spanish: Also provided ... January 6, 2015 General Drug prescribing, Public Health, American College of Emergency Physicians 0 0 Comment Read More »
