(Santa Ana, CA) - The OC Health Care Agency’s 2021-2022 Biennial Ocean, Harbor & Bay Water Quality Report is now available online and provides a yearly analysis of bacteriological water quality data over a 22-year period for Orange County’s ocean recreational waters. The report also incorporates historical data during the 35-year period from 1987-2022.
 
Yearly data and trends are included that represent the period from 2000-2022 since California Assembly Bill 411 (AB 411) regarding bacteriological water quality has been in place to ensure ocean water quality meets standards to protect public health. Major findings of the report include:

• A total number of 85 sewage spills were reported to the Water Quality Team in 2022, which was well below the 33-year average of 184 spills per year. One spill carried over from 2021 to 2022.
• In 2022, 4% of the 85 sewage spills reported resulted in ocean, harbor and bay water closures representing a total of three ocean water closures for the year.
• Blockages in pipelines have been responsible for an average of 72% of all beach closures since 1999. The major causes of pipeline blockages during this period include the infiltration of roots (31%), buildup of grease (25%), and unknown sources (22%).
• Rain advisories are issued when bacterial levels are elevated and can cause illness to swimmers, surfers and divers. In 2022, twelve rain advisories were issued resulting in a total of 46 rain advisory days for the year.

The full report, which includes details related to sewage spills as well as ocean, harbor and bay water closures, was prepared by the OC Health Care Agency’s Environmental Health Water Quality Team and is available at https://ocbeachinfo.com/wp-content/uploads/OC-Ocean-Water-Quality-Report-2021-2022.pdf.
 
The Water Quality Team is responsible for protecting the public from exposure to ocean and bay waters that may be contaminated with sewage or may cause illness along Orange County’s coastal areas. To learn more, visit www.ocbeachinfo.com.

Languages Available:

• Chinese
• Korean
• Spanish
• Vietnamese

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Twenty-eight acute hepatitis A virus (HAV) infections have been confirmed in San Diego County residents with symptom onset between January 10, 2023, and May 4, 2023. Ages of the cases ranged from 29–67 years (median=45). Twenty-two cases (79%) have been hospitalized and one death has occurred. Eighteen of the 28 cases (64%) are persons experiencing homelessness (PEH), and 14 cases (50%) reported illicit drug use. Only 4 (14%) patients reported travel outside of the county. No common food, beverage, or drug sources have yet been identified. Case investigations are ongoing and epidemiologic curve and case numbers are updated weekly on the County of San Diego’s website.

Orange County has not seen an increase in HAV cases so far in 2023 and have not identified any cases related to the San Diego event. Hepatitis A is reportable in Orange County within one (1) working day of identification. To report a case, health care providers/facilities should call OCHCA Communicable Disease Control Division at 714-834-8180 or fax records to 714-560-4050. More info...

(Santa Ana, CA) – In preparation for summertime when many Orange County (OC) residents increase time spent at a favorite beach or pool, the OC Health Care Agency (HCA) encourages residents to attend Water Safety Challenge events on Saturday, May 20 at many local pools and beaches to make drowning prevention a key part of water activities.
 
At the Water Safety Challenge events, families will rotate through a series of stations designed to teach water safety skills. These include CPR, safe water rescue, and in-water skills for kids such as floating on their backs, treading water, swimming to the side of the pool, and more. These and other activities allow parents to evaluate a child’s swimming ability along with their strengths and weaknesses in the water.
 
Children and parents will also be instructed on the “ABCs” of water safety which are:

• Active Adult supervision
• Barriers around pools and spas
• Classes on swimming and CPR.

“Drowning is a leading cause of death for children under age five in Orange County,” said Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, County Health Officer and Chief of Public Health Services. “Knowing the ABCs of water safety and other drowning prevention tips will help residents more easily remember ways to keep their children and loved ones safe around pools and beaches.”   

The HCA along with the OC Drowning Prevention Coalition DrowningPreventionOC.org and the Jasper Ray Foundation https://jasperray.org/ sponsor the Water Safety Challenge and drowning prevention efforts in Orange County. Drowning consistently remains the leading cause of death for children 1-4 years of age, and among the top-five leading causes for those under the age of 18 years, both in Orange County and California. Each year, near drowning incidents also result in life-long disabilities. Drowning is also a risk for older adults, specifically those 50 and older, with drowning incidents among this age group more likely to result in fatalities.
 
Water Safety Challenges are being held in Anaheim, Huntington Beach, Mission Viejo, Orange and Tustin. For more information on locations and times, please visit https://drowningpreventionoc.org/water-safety-day-events/.

Languages Available:

• Chinese
• Korean
• Spanish
• Vietnamese

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(Santa Ana, CA) — Orange County has been awarded a $1.4 million grant from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to identify and mitigate lead-based paint hazards in households, whether the properties are owner-occupied or rented. Owners of residential homes and rental units are encouraged to learn more and to apply for the lead removal service, which will be done at no cost to the property owner. Since there is no safe level of lead exposure, it is important to identify and remove any trace of lead in homes. 

Households that may qualify for the lead hazards removal must meet certain criteria: 

• The residence must be in Orange County and built before 1978. 
• The residence must have a child under six years of age or a pregnant person who might be exposed to lead living there.  
• The family must meet low-income status.

For more information, and to apply for the no cost service, families and property owners may check the Azure Community Development website at https://www.azuredevelopmentco.com/ or contact the company at info@azuredevelopmentco.com or (323) 477-1160. The HUD grant was awarded to Azure Community Development.

Azure Community Development collaborates with the OC Health Care Agency’s (HCA) Childhood Lead Poison Prevention Program (CLPPP) (https://ochealthinfo.com/lead) to implement a Lead Hazard Reduction Program (LHRP) in Orange County. The company will also partner with the Laborers’ International Union of North America - Local 300 (LiLUNA) to make homes lead-safe.

Lead-based paint, dust or soil can be found in older homes and is a health hazard, especially for children. Lead poisoning can cause a lifetime of negative health impacts. The LHRP provides for the remediation of identified lead hazards in the interior and exterior of qualified homes and to protect the health of families living in the residence, at no charge to the property owner.

Press Release in Chinese 
Press Release in Korean
Press Release in Spanish
Press Release in Vietnamese

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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 and hepatitis C, with additional testing based on individual risk. Both recommendations call for universal testing of all pregnant individuals with each pregnancy. More info...

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, they are working closely with CDC and FDA to address urgent requests. More info...

(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 of the Monovalent (original) mRNA COVID-19 vaccines is no longer authorized.   
 
According to the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the simplification is supported by available data and field experience as evidence shows that most people in the US above 5 years of age, have antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 from prior vaccination but because of waning of this protection over time, the bivalent vaccines are critical to boost protection.
 
"This is a welcomed development, making COVID-19 vaccination administration easier for both health care providers and clients," said Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, OC Health Care Agency’s (HCA) Chief of Public Health Services and County Health Officer. "Individuals who never had any COVID-19 vaccines as well as those who had previous vaccines can now be vaccinated with the same bivalent boosters, making access and administration less complicated."

In addition to eliminating the monovalent 2-dose vaccine, the revised EUA includes several updates, specifically:

• Individuals 65 years of age and older who have received a single dose of a bivalent vaccine should receive one additional dose at least four months following their initial bivalent dose. 
• Most individuals with certain kinds of immunocompromise who have received a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine should receive a single additional dose of a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine at least 2 months following a dose of a bivalent COVID-19 vaccine, and additional doses may be administered at the discretion of, and at intervals determined by, their health care provider. However, for immunocompromised individuals 6 months through 4 years of age, eligibility for additional doses will depend on the vaccine previously received. 
• Most unvaccinated individuals should receive a single dose of a bivalent vaccine, rather than multiple doses of the original monovalent mRNA vaccines. 
• Children 6 months through 5 years of age who are unvaccinated should receive either a two-dose series of the Moderna bivalent vaccine (6 months through 5 years of age) OR a three-dose series of the Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent vaccine (6 months through 4 years of age). Children who are 5 years of age may receive two doses of the Moderna bivalent vaccine or a single dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent vaccine. 
• Children 6 months through 5 years of age who have received one, two or three doses of a monovalent COVID-19 vaccine should receive a bivalent vaccine, but the number of doses that they receive will depend on the vaccine and their vaccination history. Read more about the importance of infant immunization here.

The CDC's recommendations for use of (monovalent) Novavax COVID-19 and Johnson & Johnson ‘s Jansen COVID-19 vaccines were not affected by the change in recommendations.
 
As COVID-19 continues to be a risk for many people, the HCA strongly encourages individuals to stay current with vaccination as available data continues to demonstrate that vaccines prevent the most serious outcomes of COVID-19 such as severe illness, hospitalization and death. As the protection from COVID-19 vaccination wanes over time, people who are over 65 years of age or immunocompromised, may consider getting a booster vaccine if they received their last dose more than four months or two months ago, respectively.
 
For individuals who cannot or will not receive an mRNA vaccine, alternatives to mRNA COVID-19 vaccines remain available as the CDC's recommendations for use of (monovalent) Novavax COVID-19 vaccines were not affected by the change in recommendations.
 
The HCA will continue to update guidance in cooperation with state and federal partners. In order to ensure Orange County residents have the information needed, the HCA responds to community inquiries through the Agency’s Health Referral Line at 1-800-564-8448, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
 
For more information on COVID-19 including resources, case counts, vaccination, and testing in Orange County, visit ochealthinfo.com/covid.

 

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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 doses for certain populations.  On April 19, 2023, CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met and reviewed COVID-19 vaccine safety and efficacy data. The CDC updated its Interim Clinical Considerations for the Use of COVID-19 Vaccines Currently Authorized in the United States on April 22, 2023. More info...