COVID-19

State’s Top Doc Burke-Harris to Lead Advisory Team as African Americans Raise COVID-19 Vaccine Concerns

Published

4 years ago

December 3, 2020

Kiki

Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris California Surgeon General

Nine months into the COVID-19 pandemic, three vaccine trials have yielded promising results, and the first round of Americans could begin to receive shots as early as mid-December.

Last week, the California Dept. of Public Health announced that California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris will chair the state’s Community Vaccine Advisory Committee. The group Burke-Harris leads will help guide the state’s decision-making about vaccine distribution.

“While the COVID-19 vaccine is new, we are not starting our planning process from scratch. This is an area of expertise we have strong partnerships in, building on lessons learned from previous vaccination campaigns, including H1N1 and the seasonal flu,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom.

But as the anticipated end of the global pandemic finally comes into our line of sight, some Black activists are raising concerns shared and echoed by skeptical African Americans across the country.

Earlier this month, San Diego civil rights organization People’s Alliance for Justice (PAFJ) sent letters to the four companies developing COVID-19 vaccines, asking them to release data regarding the diversity of vaccine trial participants.

“We need a breakdown of race and ethnicity to analyze data regarding whether communities of color are overrepresented in these trials or underrepresented or equally represented and how our communities are responding to the call for volunteering,” said the letter written by PAFJ Pres. Shane Harris.

According to Harris, Pfizer, the global pharmaceutical company, has responded to his inquiry. He shared the letter with California Black Media.

“With regard to your data request, the demographic data collected to date shows that approximately 30% of trial participants in the United States have racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds,” the letter from the CEO of Pfizer reads. “More specifically, 10.1% of U.S. participants are Black, and 13.1% of U.S. participants are of Hispanic/Latinx origin. Please find additional demographic information at the global and U.S. levels here.”

Pfizer says it also plans to present subgroup analyses by age, race and ethnicity and may also do an evaluation by country.

Dr. Oliver Brooks, who is the immediate past president of the National Medical Association (NMA), said during a California Black Legislative Caucus (CLBC) press conference last week that he has also met with the companies developing vaccines and verified that African Americans are included in the trials.

The CLBC organized the virtual press conference to highlight work Black elected officials and healthcare professionals are doing to address the pandemic in California’s African American communities.

Asked whether the vaccine will be prioritized in communities that have been COVID-19 hot spots, which are primarily Black and Brown communities, Burke-Harris says she is taking steps to make sure that process is inclusive.

“We will be reviewing the distribution plan and ensuring that we are having an equitable framework for vaccine distribution,” said Burke-Harris.

Two of the companies developing a COVID-19 vaccine, Pfizer, in partnership with BioNTech, and Moderna, announced in November that their vaccines are producing promising vaccine trial results.

The Pfizer vaccine is estimated to be more than 90% effective, with 94 trial participants out of nearly 44,000 contracting COVID-19. The Moderna vaccine was found to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection by 94.5 %.

A third company, AstraZeneca, which is developing a vaccine with Oxford University, announced that its vaccine, from separate clinical trials, is up to 90% effective.

Pfizer announced on November 20 that it has asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to grant an emergency use authorization for its vaccine. On November 22, Moncef Siaoui, the head of Operation Warp Speed — the federal government’s program to produce and deliver 300 million doses of the vaccine by January 2021– told CNN that the group plans to begin administering the vaccine immediately.

“Our plan is to be able to ship vaccines to the immunization sites within 24 hours from the approval, so I would expect maybe on Day Two after approval, on the 11th or on the 12th of December, hopefully, the first people will be immunized across the United States, across all states,” Slaoui told CNN.

The FDA committee in charge of the emergency use authorization is scheduled to meet December 10. According to reports, Pfizer and U.S. government officials expect to have 30 to 40 million doses of the vaccine before the end of the year, enough for 20 million people.

Officials have yet to decide which groups of people will qualify for the first round of vaccinations, but they are expected to start with groups vulnerable to infection first, including health care workers, older adults and people who have risk factors such as obesity or diabetes. According to Slaoui, herd immunity is expected by around May 2021.

During a November 13 press conference, medical officials spoke about the progress of various vaccine trials.

One challenge they discussed was the distribution logistics of the Pfizer vaccine, which must be kept frozen while stored and transported.

Kiki

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Bay Area

Authorities Warn: There’s a COVID Surge in California

According to data estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the coronavirus in California’s wastewater has spiked for eight consecutive weeks. Hospitalizations and emergency room visits have also increased since the rise of the new subvariants. Over the last month, Los Angeles County experienced an average of 389 hospital patients per day that tested positive for the coronavirus. The FLiRT subvariants such as KP.3.1.1. Made up over 2% of coronavirus samples nationwide, an increase of more than 7% last month.

Published

4 months ago

August 17, 2024

Oakland Post

Photo provided by California Black Media.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

California is experiencing a COVID-19 surge this summer, experts warn, as numbers of infections increased for the third month this year.

State public health authorities attribute the summer COVID surge to more infectious subvariants that have emerged as the coronavirus evolves.

Dr. Elizabeth Hudson, regional chief of infectious disease at Kaiser Permanente Southern California, stated that subvariants of COVID-19 called FLiRT increased in recent months, particularly one named KP.3.1.1 that has become the most common strain in the country.

Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious diseases expert at UC San Francisco, said that the subvariant KP.3.1.1 seems most adept at transmission.

“The subvariant is the one that people think will continue to take over, not only in the United States, but … around the world,” Chin-Hong said.

The majority of the people who tested positive for COVID-19 complained of a sore throat and a heavy cough. Risk factors that can increase the illness include age, underlying health issues, and vaccine dosage.

Health experts stated that the demand for the COVID-19 vaccine has increased in Northern California. However, people are having a hard time getting the vaccine due to the increasing number of cases.

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley Gives Small Business a $30,000 Boost

On Jan. 6, Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley (D6) presented a $30,000 check to small business owner William “Bill” Owens, owner of Cascos Martial Arts Studio at 74th and MacArthur in Oakland. Miley, whose business has been facing financial challenges due to COVID Pandemic restrictions, says he was nearing bankruptcy. “This check will go a long way and is greatly appreciated,” he said.

Published

11 months ago

January 24, 2024

Oakland Post

Oakland Private Industry Council (OPIC) Business Managers Frank Smith, Diane Lewis with OPIC President Raymond Lankford, Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley, Cascos Martial Arts Studio Owner William "Bill" Owens, OPIC Board Members Kitty Epstein and Developer Alan Dones, Oakland City Councilmember Kevin Jenkins, and OPIC Business Manager Andrew Rodrigues. Photo By Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

On Jan. 6, Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley (D6) presented a $30,000 check to small business owner William “Bill” Owens, owner of Cascos Martial Arts Studio at 74th and MacArthur in Oakland.

Miley, whose business has been facing financial challenges due to COVID Pandemic restrictions, says he was nearing bankruptcy. “This check will go a long way and is greatly appreciated,” he said.

For Miley, starting 2024 on a high note was important. “I can’t think of a better way to start the new year,” he said. “Small businesses are vital to our communities and when you help a committed business owner, you help a community. It’s an honor to add value by contributing to a small business that has trained so many young people, watched them grow up and have viable careers.”

OPIC Business Outreach Team Members Diane Lewis and Frank Smith celebrated the new collaboration with the martial arts studio.

“It’s always exciting to launch new programs,” said Lewis. “It’s encouraging to see Black men supporting one another and helping them rise to another level,” said Smith.

The check was presented to Owens along with the Oakland Private Equity Council (OPIC).

Pastor Raymond Lankford of the Oakland Community Church and president of the (OPIC) was also present.

“This is martial arts studio has been a big part of this community and helping support Mr. Owens is a win-win for the community,” said Lankford.

OPIC Board Member Kitty Epstein also praised Owens.

“It’s important to support this business and its contribution to the community,” said Epstein.

Cascos Martial Arts Studio has been in business for more than 50 years. Owens and his wife Mary have taught the community the art of self-defense together. “When COVID happened, we were hit with social distancing regulations in our small space,” explained Owens. “We went from having a couple hundred students to a few.”

After the check presentation, Owens invited attendees to see his training in action. For him, teaching the art of self-defense has included naming his moves and techniques after cultural icons like Martin Luther King, Jr. and other activists.

Owens says he bridged the innate rhythms and movements of African American culture with the techniques of Asian martial arts. However, upon traveling the world, Owens noticed many of the moves were less fluid.

“Often the moves are more frigid, and our influence has added more fluid movements,” said Owens as he moved, mimicking some boxing movements and fancy footwork.

“We want to ensure Owens is in business for years to come,” said Pastor Raymond Lankford, president of the Oakland Private Industry Council.

Owens also demonstrated how women and the elderly can protect themselves from theft, injury, or even being trafficked. 2022 statistics noted that of the 1500 people reported missing, over half were African American.

“We have to teach our young people these techniques. We can all support small businesses and expand services throughout the community,” added Owens who plans to add a mobile service to his business.

Oakland Post

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Activism

Business Owners Talk Future of Economic Development in Oakland at Downtown Event

The city of Oakland is taking steps to streamline permits for businesses to entice them to stay and bring new projects to the city. Additionally, the city is committing $200 million for affordable housing, which is “unprecedented in the city of Oakland” says Councilmember Nikki Fortunato-Bas, who was also at the event. “We have committed to supporting our community, supporting our local businesses and really showing that we can work together for safer communities,” Fortunato-Bas emphasized in an interview with the Post.

Published

1 year ago

December 11, 2023

Oakland Post

Improving downtown blight like the graffiti on this building façade in Oakland is one area business owners hoped would bring more foot traffic to the area. Photo by Magaly Muñoz.

By Magaly Muñoz, Post Staff

Developers and business owners in the Bay Area came together for the “Oakland Structures” event hosted by San Francisco Business Times to discuss economic development projects in Oakland last Thursday.

Mayor Sheng Thao opened up the event as the keynote speaker, sharing her experiences from her first year in office and the measures her administration has taken to address the key issues plaguing the city.

Thao inherited the largest deficit Oakland has ever seen- $360 million- and came into her position as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic were hitting the city hard. The once bustling city has faced difficulties as people transitioned to hybrid or work-from-home jobs, which has caused foot traffic to slow down and businesses to lose clientele.

“I refuse to stop until we get our businesses back up and running at full capacity, and make sure that people feel safe, not just safe in the commercial corridors, but safe everywhere,” Thao said.

Thao shared that the economic development in Oakland is slowly, but surely, growing as new companies bring their business to downtown. PG&E has recently been among the bigger corporations that’s settled in Oakland, bringing 7,000 jobs with them, which will not only open up potential opportunities for Oaklanders, but also increase foot traffic for businesses in town.

Thao acknowledged several initiatives that have already been implemented to give the city a boost, including Five After Five, a cost-effective parking program; Activate Oakland grants, which gives businesses up to $15,000 to host events that will bring the community to downtown; and the film initiative to encourage filmmakers and TV shows to shoot their projects in Oakland.

“We have committed to supporting our community, supporting our local businesses and really showing that we can work together for safer communities,” Fortunato-Bas emphasized in an interview with the Post.

As the holiday season approaches, Fortunato-Bas urges the community to shop and dine locally, all the way from the Fruitvale to Grand Lake, areas she represents, as this will help boost and support these businesses.

During a panel with investors and business owners who have new projects breaking ground as early as 2024, a pressing question emerged among the attendees and panelists was “Is Oakland the right city to maintain and bring in businesses?”

Real estate developer Riaz Taplin, CEO and founder of Riaz Capital, said that people need to want to come back to the office and revitalize the commercial corridors of the city, but also that businesses need the support of the government sector to thrive.

He feels as though new entrepreneurs who are starting out in Oakland today do not have the advantage that many, like himself, did pre-COVID, where they could just walk into a city office and be helped on how to get the right permits because everything and everyone was so accessible.

More people would feel enticed to come back downtown if they felt that they were safe, so public safety needs to be high on the list of priorities for the city, Taplin said, emphasizing issues such as litter, vandalized business fronts and homeless encampments.

“Something needs to happen to make Broadway a place people want to go,” Taplin said after sharing a story about downtown Alameda being the busiest area with the most foot traffic out of Oakland and San Francisco.

Another panelist, Oakland Roots president Lindsay Barenz, shared that although Oakland is struggling to keep sports teams, the time is now to invest in those projects to keep the sports culture in the city.

“A sports team can be a critical component to that [a place where people enjoy living],” Barenz said.

She emphasized that the Oakland Roots see themselves as significant to the culture of Oakland as institutions like the zoo, museum, and Fairyland. She believes that the morale boost that a sports team can provide is what Oakland needs.

When asked to give a headline of what is to come in Oakland in the next five to 20 years, Taplin said, “Clean it and they will come.”