In The News
Commentary: Inoculate Yourself Against Bad Information Regarding Vaccines
The COVID-19 vaccines are safe. They are effective. They have been tested on diverse cohorts of people. And no one manufacturer’s vaccine is better than another’s. Unfortunately, due to a constant drumbeat of misinformation, nearly a third of all Americans still say they don’t want to get vaccinated, or that they only want to get … Read More
Community COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics Update
Dear Neighbors, With so many things moving in the right direction, I am writing to update our Hoag community about what is happening regarding COVID-19 and vaccine distribution. I am pleased with the news that Orange County has transitioned out of the most restrictive purple tier and into the red tier on the state’s risk … Read More
Newport Beach Opens up its First Community Vaccine Clinic for Seniors at Oasis
As the effort to vaccinate residents throughout Orange County continues, Newport Beach stepped up Tuesday afternoon to help fill the gap for residents who can’t make it to vaccine super points-of-dispensing sites. The city held its first community vaccine clinic at the OASIS Senior Center in partnership with Hoag Presbyterian Hospital, which allocated about 300 … Read More
Hospital Chaplains Embrace New Role During the Pandemic: Caring for Caregivers
Before entering the room of a COVID-19 patient, the Rev. Peggy Kelley dons personal protective gear — both physical and spiritual. She pulls on a sterile gown and places a face shield over her mask. She pumps Purell into her gloved hands and holds them over her chest, checking in with her heart. With a … Read More
Oral and Sublingual COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate Formulations Present Positive Safety Data
California-based ImmunityBio, Inc. announced it had met the safety requirements for the first 12 participants in its Phase Ib human adenovirus (hAd5)-based T-cell COVID-19 vaccine trials in sublingual and oral formulations. Based on the findings of these trials, the optimal combination of administration route and dose will be determined and entered into the Phase II/III … Read More
Huntington Beach and Local Hospital Team Up to Get Vaccine into Vulnerable Arms; Look for Similar Shot-a-Thons in Your Town
In the year-long fight against coronavirus, this seemingly simple event capped a milestone for hundreds of Huntington Beach residents: On Friday, March 5, they lined up in a hospital parking lot for their second doses of the Pfizer vaccine. But it wasn’t as simple as it looked. Many who got their shots Friday came from … Read More
OC Officials Hope County Will Enter Red Tier By St. Patrick's Day
Orange County Wednesday continued to show declining trends in cases of COVID-19, giving county officials hope of graduating to the less-restrictive red tier of the state’s coronavirus reopening system by St. Patrick’s Day. The county reported 160 new COVID-19 cases, raising the caseload to 246,980, and 14 more fatalities, raising the death toll to 3,966. … Read More
ImmunityBio, NantKwest Get OK to Expand Covid Vaccine Trial
The Covid-19 vaccine candidate being developed by two of billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong’s companies moved a step closer to deployment last month as the Food and Drug Administration approved expansion of their Phase 1 clinical trial. Culver City-based ImmunityBio Inc. and frequent partner company NantKwest Inc. of El Segundo have been developing a Covid vaccine using … Read More
OC Surpasses Statewide COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts
Orange County is rolling out COVID-19 vaccines at a faster pace compared to much of the state, and Southern California. The county is providing vaccine doses at a rate of 132 per 1,000 residents, versus about 127 per 1,000 residents statewide, according to California Department of Public Health data. Those figures could in fact be … Read More
We are Reaching the Finish Line, but COVID-19's Terrain Remains Steep
Almost a year ago, I wrote to the community advocating for calm in the face of great fear and misinformation. Hoag had successfully treated the first known COVID-19 patient in the state, and our infection prevention department was working around-the-clock with federal, state and county health leaders to learn more about the novel coronavirus, how … Read More