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The new omicron variant booster shot may be a game changer in the fight against COVID-19. Until now, the current vaccine and boosters did not target omicron. The new booster shot is designed to be effective against omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5. The formula combines half of the original vaccine with protections that target the omicron subvariants....
San Jose schools ease COVID rules
Silicon Valley school districts are focusing on recovery this school year, while keeping an eye on lingering COVID-19 infections. Pandemic safety measures, including mask mandates, are being lifted as districts still try to track positive coronavirus infections. Schools are working toward a new normal while also reckoning with the pandemic’s effects on learning. Schools have followed...
San Jose mayor says sorry for COVID exposure
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo has tested positive for COVID-19, one day after he shook hands and spoke closely to a dozen people. “Mayor Liccardo began experiencing symptoms (Thursday) afternoon, and tested immediately,” Esmeralda Bautista, spokesperson for Liccardo, told San José Spotlight. “He learned he was positive and immediately left City Hall.” The positive test...
Silicon Valley water agency faces backlash over vaccine policy
Officials at Santa Clara County’s largest water supplier are on the defense after a whistleblower publicly accused the agency of retaliating against employees unvaccinated for COVID-19. An anonymous whistleblower calling himself “John Public” commented at a Valley Water meeting on June 28 and released a video on YouTube, which is no longer available, claiming the...
New COVID vaccine coming to Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County residents will soon have another COVID-19 vaccine option that may be more amenable to those who remain unvaccinated. The two-dose shot, produced by Maryland drugmaker Novavax, is the nation’s first so-called protein vaccine. The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved its use for unvaccinated adults ages 18 and older. Compared to...
Long COVID poses risk for Silicon Valley: ‘It’s very debilitating’
Brandie Parshall caught COVID-19 in December 2020. One month later, she started experiencing debilitating malaise, chronic fatigue, heart issues and brain fog. In June 2021, she started being treated for long COVID symptoms, seeing Stanford specialists at the Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome Clinic. Long COVID is when symptoms persist for more than four weeks after infection,...
Contagious COVID variant puts Santa Clara County on alert
COVID-19 infections are on the rise in Santa Clara County again, and officials are urging residents to mask up—even in some outdoor settings. In recent days, the county has reported more than 1,000 new daily COVID infections, officials said, noting the actual tally is likely much higher due to underreported test results. The current seven-day...
Should your child get a COVID vaccine? Santa Clara County officials answer FAQs
After years of anxiously awaiting their turn, parents can now give their infants the COVID-19 vaccine — but many questions remain about getting the jab. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week approved vaccinations for children ages six months to 5 years old, but some parents remain unsure. Questions range from side effects to...
Santa Clara County preps COVID shots for infants and young children
The youngest population in Santa Clara County could soon get vaccinated for COVID-19. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday authorized both the Moderna and Pfizer shots for children as young as 6 months old—making nearly every person in the U.S. eligible for vaccination. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still have to...
San Jose employees keep COVID masks on as infections rise
San Jose employees must continue wearing masks in city facilities until July 1, with positive COVID-19 infections increasing around Santa Clara County. The city announced the mandate during the first week of May when new variants of the coronavirus were identified and infections began ticking up. Spokesperson Carolina Camarena said the city extended the order again...