public health

Commentary

Vaccine mandates are essential to state’s recovery

Requiring students and workers to vaccinate against COVID 19 will help California return to pre-pandemic normalcy, save lives and avoid long-COVID injury.

By

Guest Commentary

• April 11, 2022

Commentary

Evolving pandemic science has outpaced need for vaccine mandates

A slate of five bills in the California Legislature requiring vaccination for COVID is discriminatory and unnecessary as the pandemic wanes.

By

Guest Commentary

• April 8, 2022

Alameda County health workers prepare syringes with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine during a distribution clinic at St. Rose hospital in Hayward on Jan. 27, 2021. Photo by Anne Wernikoff, CalMatters

WhatMatters

Strict COVID vaccine bills could face uphill battle

Vaccine bills, including one to pull state funding from law agencies that oppose public health orders, are facing headwinds.

By

Emily Hoeven

• April 7, 2022

Commentary

Health care is essential to ending homelessness

California’s political leaders need to prioritize health care in plans to end homelessness – it cannot be an afterthought if we expect housing programs to succeed.

By

Guest Commentary

• April 1, 2022

Commentary

We need to rebuild California’s public health workforce

To bring COVID under control and address other ongoing public health emergencies, we need a well-trained army of public health workers.

By

Guest Commentary

• March 29, 2022

Health

Millions of Californians at risk of losing health coverage when federal COVID programs end

Expiration of two COVID-19 emergency programs means Californians could lose their Medi-Cal insurance or find Covered California unaffordable.

By

Ana B. Ibarra

• March 4, 2022

Governor Gavin Newsom speaking at press conference

Health

Newsom’s ‘new strategy’ would force some homeless, mentally ill Californians into treatment

The governor’s new proposal would require all 58 counties to participate in the program to assist people with serious mental illnesses and substance use disorders.

By

Jocelyn Wiener

• March 3, 2022

Commentary

Public health issues call for significant investment

We cannot wait for the next pandemic or public health crisis to emerge; we still face a host of other public health issues.

By

Guest Commentary

• March 3, 2022

Parents and supporters protest school mask mandates in front of San Marcos High School in San Marcos on Feb. 22, 2022. Photo by Eduardo Contreras, The San Diego Union-Tribune

WhatMatters

School mask wars far from over

Starting today, the California mask mandate ends for the unvaccinated in most indoor settings in counties that allow it.

By

Emily Hoeven

• March 1, 2022

George Dowell is vaccinated against COVID-19 at Umoja Health pop-up clinic in Oakland on Feb. 2, 2022. Photo by Marissa Leshnov for CalMatters

Coronavirus

COVID-19 has turned deadlier for Black Californians, who have the state’s lowest vaccination rate

California's African Americans are dying from COVID at a higher rate now. And they make up a disproportionate and growing share of the death toll for middle-aged Californians.

By

Kristen Hwang

• February 25, 2022

Public Health