Body On March 14, 2023 the FDA authorized the use of bivalent Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine as a booster dose for children 6 months through 4 years of age who had previously completed a 3-dose monovalent Pfizer-BioNTech primary series. Subsequently, on March 16, 2023, the CDC updated its Interim Clinical Considerations on the...

Body (Santa Ana, CA) – The OC Health Care Agency’s (HCA) Mental Health and Recovery Services (MHRS) has released its Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) Three-Year Program and Expenditure plan. The plan is posted and ready for public review here . It will remain posted through April 18, 2023. MHSA’s Three-Year...

Body SB7 793 is a new law that took effect December 21-2022, and bans the sale of certain tobacco products. Click here for more information.

Body (Santa Ana, CA) – As the California COVID-19 State of Emergency ends and the community returns to business as usual, County Health Officer, Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong is asking Orange County residents to comply and observe requests to mask if asked in high-risk settings, such as medical provider offices and/or adult...

Body (Santa Ana, CA) - The National Weather Service (NWS) has forecasted cold overnight temperatures throughout inland, coastal and south Orange County cities beginning Tuesday, April through Thursday, April 6. Overnight temperatures in many areas throughout the county will dip to the high-30s tomorrow and stay in the low-to-mid 40s through...

Body (Santa Ana, CA) - The OC Health Care Agency (HCA) encourages community members to drop-off expired, unused or unwanted prescription medications on “National Prescription Drug Take Back Day” Saturday, April 22, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at numerous locations throughout Orange County (OC). “This is a great opportunity for...

Body On April 18, 2023, the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) amended the emergency use authorizations (EUAs) of Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 bivalent mRNA vaccines. This action included authorizing the current bivalent vaccines to be used for all doses administered to individuals six-months of age and older, including additional...

Body (Santa Ana, CA) - Following the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory action last week to amend the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) on COVID-19 vaccinations, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) transitioned recommendations to using only the mRNA bivalent vaccines (both Moderna and Pfizer) and the use...

Body CDC has received reports that some STD programs are currently unable to procure enough penicillin G benzathine (Bicillin L-A®) – the first-line recommended treatment for syphilis – to treat syphilis cases in their jurisdictions. The manufacturer anticipates the issue will be resolved in the next two months. In the meantime...

Body The CDC recently released new recommendations for Screening and Testing for Hepatitis B Virus infection . These guidelines mirror existing CDC Recommendations for Hepatitis C Screening Among Adults - 2020 . Both recommendations call for universal testing of ALL adults, 18 years and older, at least once for hepatitis B...