East County News Service

Sept. 27, 2025 (San Diego County) -- Health insurance can feel confusing and daunting, and typically is expensive.

But Covered California, the state’s Affordable Care Act Marketplace, offers a less stressful way to shop for and compare plans, and works with all the major health insurance companies to negotiate the lowest possible prices for coverage, helping reduce costs and increase options for consumers throughout California.

Covered California is the state’s health insurance marketplace, where Californians can find affordable, high-quality insurance from top insurance companies, and is the only place where individuals who qualify can get financial assistance on a sliding scale to reduce premium costs.

By Ana B. Ibarra and Kristen Hwang, CalMatters 

This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters

Photo:  Amaya Palestino, 6, receives a COVID-19 vaccine at one of St. John’s Well Child and Family Center mobile health clinics in Los Angeles on March 16, 2022. Photo by Alisha Jucevic for CalMatters

September 23, 2025 (Sacramento) - In anticipation of restrictive federal immunization rules, state health officials issued their own vaccination guidelines on Wednesday, recommending that all Californians 6 months and older who want protection from the COVID-19 virus get this season’s updated vaccine.

• Promote awareness of suicide as a public health issue;
• Share resources and information to help people who may be struggling;
• Encourage open conversations about suicide and mental health;
• Remember those who have been lost to suicide;
• And highlight the importance of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

By Seraphina Eberhardt

Photo: "Cannabis Understands - 2017" by Jurassic Blueberries is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

September 4, 2025 (San Diego) -- New data shows a concerning trend: today’s high-potency cannabis products are linked to sharp increases in youth mental health crises, hospital visits, and addiction. On July 16, community members gathered for an important briefing hosted by the San Diego Imperial Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) and the International Academy on the Science and Impact of Cannabis (IASIC).

By Paul Levikow

September 3, 2025 – (East County) The governors of California, Oregon and Washington today announced they will launch a West Coast Health Alliance aimed at recommendations about immunizations, in response to recent cuts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

California Governor Gavin Newsom, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, and Washington Governor Bob Ferguson issued a joint statement saying the alliance is “in response to recent federal actions that have undermined the independence of the CDC and raised concerns about the politicization of science.” The governors say they are beginning the process to provide evidence-based unified recommendations to their residents regarding who should receive immunizations and to help ensure the public has access and credible information for confidence in vaccine safety and efficacy. 

This action prompted other top CDC officials to resign in protest, while Kennedy hires a replacement who has no medical background. 

By G. A. McNeeley 

September 3, 2025 (Washington D.C.) -- The Trump Administration is facing bipartisan pushback over the firing of Susan Monarez, the Director of The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which prompted dozens of staff members to walk out in protest on Thursday, August 28, according to The Guardian. 

Hundreds of employees and supporters lined the sidewalks outside of the agency’s Atlanta headquarters for a “clap out” rally to honor the senior leaders who resigned in protest of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s anti-vaccine attacks on the agency and public health at large, according to MSNBC. 

Source:  San Diego County Fire

August 28, 2025 (Kearny Mesa) — The San Diego County Fire Protection District has upgraded a lifesaving tool to their advanced life support (ALS) ambulances and its jointly operated county helicopters with the deployment of 35 new Zoll AutoPulse NXT Resuscitation Systems.

Health experts slam action as irresponsible, putting Americans’ health at risk 

By G. A. McNeeley 

Photo: mRNA vacines help prevent diseases such as COVID-19; cc via Bing

August 17, 2025 (Washington D.C.) -- Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services, recently announced that the government would cancel at least $500 million of federally funded mRNA vaccine development, which could potentially affect the United States’ preparedness for future pandemics. It also stands to crush enthusiasm for technology that has been seen as a potential promise for cancer vaccines, HIV vaccines, and more, according to ABC News. 

Kennedy also pulled back recommendations around the COVID-19 shots, fired the panel that makes vaccine recommendations, and refused to offer a vigorous endorsement of vaccinations even as a measles outbreak worsened, according to NPR. 

August 14, 2025 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH 

• RFK Jr. pulls $500 million in funding for vaccine development (AP)
• Rabbits with horns in Colorado are being called “Frankenstein bunnies.” Here’s why.
• What to know about chikungunya virus amid new outbreak in China (Good Morning America)

SCIENCE & TECH

• Scientists slam Trump administration climate report as a ‘farce’ full of misinformation  (MSN)
• The iPhone Update That Could Wreck Political Fundraising (Free Press)
• In reversal, Defense Department will continue providing crucial satellite weather data( NPR)
• Why a NASA satellite that scientists and farmers rely on may be destroyed on purpose (NPR)
• A New List Reveals Top Websites Meta Is Scraping of Copyrighted Content to Train Its AI (DropSite)
• Amazon Agrees to a $1 Billion Discount as Tech Titans Rush to Cut Deals With Trump (NOTUS)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

East County News Service

August 8, 2025 (San Diego) -- County public health officials have confirmed the first case of measles in the region this year in a teenage resident who had recently traveled overseas.  Anyone who visited Rady Children’s Hospital’s emergency room or the Scripps Clinic Torrey Pines Urgent Care on August 6 or 7,

July 29, 2025 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• FDA might ban fluoride supplements. Dentists are upset.  (Time Magazine)
• Simple home test for endometriosis developed (Newsweek)
• 5 million above-ground pools recalled after deaths reported in 6 states (Fox 5)
• Treatments From Llama Brains Can Help People With Schizophrenia  (Newsweek)
• How US adults feel about legal abortion 3 years after Roe was overturned, according to AP-NORC poll (AP)
• Kennedy considering firing members of preventive services task force (NBC)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• Nearly 4,000 NASA employees opt to leave agency through deferred resignation program (NPR)
• Trump’s EPA says climate pollution doesn’t endanger people  (NPR)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

July 14, 2025 (San Diego's East County) -- Our Health and Science Highlights provide cutting edge news that could impact your health and our future.

HEALTH

• Major medical associations sue Kennedy, Trump administration health leaders for Covid-19 vaccine changes (CNN)
• Supreme Court preserves Obamacare coverage of preventive healthcare (Politico)
• Gates Foundation commits $1.6B for global vaccine effort after US cuts funding (10 News)
• Trump administration restores funds for HIV prevention following outcry (LA Times)
• Measles on the rise in California: More cases so far this year than all of 2024 
• 'Where's our money?' CDC grant funding is moving so slowly layoffs are happening (NPR)
• Many forget the damage done by diseases like whooping cough, measles and rubella. Not these families (AP)
• RFK Jr. singled out one study to cut funds for global vaccines. Is that study valid?  (NPR)
• US has reclosed its southern border after a flesh-eating parasite is seen further north in Mexico (AP)
• Northern Arizona resident dies from plague  (AP)

SCIENCE AND TECH

• Defense Department will stop providing crucial satellite weather data (NPR)
• Elon Musk's AI chatbot, Grok, started calling itself 'MechaHitler'  (NPR)
• Trump says he has a TikTok buyer. Here are the players who have been vying to buy the app (CNN)

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

Pesticide spraying set for July 14 and 15 in more La Mesa neighborhoods

By Miriam Raftery

July 11, 2025 (La Mesa) – Concern over West Nile virus in the La Mesa and Rolando areas has ramped up, after County Vector control tested nearly 2,000 mosquitos in 165 batches in these areas.

West Nile virus found in 37 batches of mosquitos tested in Roland and La Mesa

 “In this area, 37 batches have tested positive for West Nilie virus, Gig Conaughton, communication specialist for San Diego County, told East County Magazine.

The positive tests were in La Mesa and the San Diego portion of Rolando.

Mosquitos were also tested in Lemon Grove, with no West Nile virus detected there.

Spraying dates and locations

Pesticide spraying will be done Monday and Tuesday, July 14 and 15, between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m.in the La Mesa areas shown on the map at left and at the County's Adult Mosquito Control site.