West Hollywood To Host Coronavirus Vaccine Panel Discussion

Press release from the City of West Hollywood:

February 19, 2021

The City of West Hollywood is responding to community needs and is providing regular updates during the coronavirus (COVID-19) emergency. As Los Angeles County continues to develop the vaccination rollout, the City of West Hollywood is taking extensive steps to ensure residents and community members are educated and informed.

On Tuesday, February 23, 2021 at 6 p.m. the City of West Hollywood will present a COVID-19 Vaccine Panel Discussion with experts in the fields of medicine and public health, as well as members of the community who participated in vaccine clinical trials. To participate, please register in advance by Zoom at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_olNXKDPTTQuzGsH7oZrOSg. This virtual event is free to attend. A link to the Zoom event, including a call-in number for those unable to join online, will be emailed to participants who are registered prior to the event.

The virtual panel will feature: Dr. Richard Riggs, Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center; Teresa M. Dean, M.D. at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center; Evan M. Zahn, M.D. at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center; Paul Simon M.D., M.P.H., and Director of the Division of Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health; as well as vaccine trial participants Karriann Farrell Hinds, Austin Cyr, and Amanda Laplen. The purpose of the panel is to provide information about the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine, to provide an update about the vaccine rollout in Los Angeles County, and to provide information about anticipated next steps during the coming months.

The availability of a COVID-19 vaccine brings hope to many people who have been struggling with this public health crisis for the past year. Experts predict that at least 75 percent to 85 percent of the population must get vaccinated to reach true herd immunity — the point at which most of the population is immune to the virus and it begins to subside. The vaccine rollout has been slow due to limited supply and the lack of a coordinated Federal plan from the former presidential administration. However, the Biden Administration has announced that enough doses of the vaccine have been secured to vaccinate hundreds of millions of people in the coming months, and appointments will start to open at a faster pace.

“We know community members have many questions and some concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine,” said City of West Hollywood Mayor Lindsey P. Horvath. “I encourage everyone to watch this expert panel in order to ease your fears about getting vaccinated when it is your turn. Science tells us that the only way to defeat this insidious disease and stop the more contagious variants from taking hold is to get as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible in order to stop the spread and save lives.”

“We already know COVID-19 is disproportionately impacting Black and brown communities and it’s critical that we, as a city and as leaders, do all we can to break down those systemic barriers while also promoting public health and how we can, and will, overcome this pandemic together,” said City of West Hollywood Councilmember John M. Erickson. “With ever-changing updates to this rollout, it’s crucial that we provide people with the accurate information necessary to ensure they are empowered to set and receive an appointment to get vaccinated.”

The Biden Administration has promised to drastically accelerate the vaccination rollout and to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines are distributed equitably. Los Angeles County Department of Public Health officials are also committed to ensuring equitable distribution of the vaccine and have developed a phased system of tiers that details its vaccination plan. Los Angeles County is currently actively vaccinating healthcare workers, staff, and residents at skilled nursing facilities and long-term care facilities, and LA County residents who are 65 and older. It is anticipated that the next tier of this phase (Education and Childcare, Emergency Services, Food and Agriculture) will begin soon. After this tier, the State plans to transition to age-based eligibility, allowing California to scale up and down quickly, while ensuring vaccinations are distributed to disproportionately impacted communities.

Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been shown to be safe and very effective in large studies that involved a diverse mix of people. These vaccines are said to have 95 percent efficacy in preventing severe COVID-19 disease. While the vaccine stops people from getting seriously ill, it is not yet clear if it stops them from spreading COVID-19 to other people. It is also not yet known how long immunity lasts. So, even if vaccinated, people must still wear a face covering, physically distance, and avoid gathering in large groups.

For more information about the COVID-19 Vaccine Panel Discussion, and to submit questions in advance, please contact the City of West Hollywood’s Community & Legislative Affairs Supervisor Andi Lovano at (323) 848-6333 or at alovano@weho.org. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, please call TTY (323) 848-6496.

For up-to-date information about Los Angeles County’s vaccine program, visit www.VaccinateLACounty.com. Los Angeles County residents may also call toll-free (833) 540-0473 between 8 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. seven days a week. For current details about phases/tiers, visit the LA County Public Health website at http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/acd/ncorona2019/covidvaccinedistribution.

The City of West Hollywood has declared a local emergency in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Individuals are advised to stay at home as much as possible and limit close interactions to those in your household. When in public, community members should maintain your space with social (physical) distancing of at least six feet, and cover your face. Public Health officials recommend that everyone, even those who are vaccinated, to continue to follow physical distancing and infection control directives and wear a clean face covering that securely covers both your nose and mouth when in in public.

West Hollywood City Hall is currently closed to the public and has suspended all in-person transactions. Most public City buildings and facilities remain closed. City Hall remains accessible for business and essential services with transactions to be conducted by phone (323) 848-6400 and via the City’s website at www.weho.org.

City of West Hollywood coronavirus updates are available at www.weho.org/coronavirus and the City encourages community members to follow @wehocity on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram and turn on notifications. For up-to-date news and events, follow the City of West Hollywood on social media, sign up for news updates at www.weho.org/email, and visit the City’s calendar of meetings and events at www.weho.org/calendar.

For reporters and members of the media seeking additional information about the City of West Hollywood, please contact the City of West Hollywood’s Public Information Officer, Sheri A. Lunn, at (323) 848-6391 or slunn@weho.org.

This press release was produced by the City of West Hollywood. The views expressed here are the author’s own.