In July, Pan said he volunteered at a vaccine clinic in Sacramento where medical personnel had trouble talking with patients and answering their questions because anti-vaxx protesters were butting in with a bullhorn.Īs a public official, he’s used to such behavior. He has worked to make it more difficult for parents to avoid getting routine childhood vaccinations for their kids, and he’s had it with people who not only refuse to get the COVID-19 vaccine for themselves but are spreading false information to dissuade others as well. Richard Pan (D-Sacramento), a pediatrician and longtime vaccine champion. Violations would be punishable by up to 6 months in a county jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.
If passed, it would prevent protesters from obstructing, intimidating or harassing people at vaccination sites.
That protest gave rise to California’s Senate Bill 742. Medical personnel administered 5,740 shots that day, at the low end of its usual range of 5,700 to 7,700 doses.
Perhaps the most notable example of this occurred in late January, when a group of 40 to 60 demonstrators showed up at Dodger Stadium and forced the Los Angeles Fire Department to close the main entrance for about an hour.Īt the time, the stadium was one of the largest mass vaccination sites in the country. Some protests at vaccination sites have threatened to prevent people who wanted the shots from getting them. “It’s obvious these vaccinations are a sign of segregation, and that’s a form of tyranny,” said the man, who identified himself as Craig from Huntington Park. “It should be my body, my choice,” she said.Īnother protester brandished posters that disparaged the vaccine. Despite reams of evidence that they’re safe and effective, Kotas said she doesn’t believe the shots will actually protect her from getting COVID-19. One of them was Sharon Kotas, a Santa Clarita resident who said she expects to get fired from her job with the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services for refusing to get vaccinated. Hundreds of people exercised that right over the weekend, gathering near the Santa Monica Pier to vent their opposition to COVID-19 vaccines and the growing momentum toward mandating them in various aspects of public life. Our country wouldn’t be here without them, and “the right of the people peaceably to assemble” is enshrined in the very first amendment to the U.S. There’s nothing more American than a protest. Track California’s coronavirus spread and vaccination efforts - including the latest numbers and how they break down - with our graphics.ĭoes the 1st Amendment protect disinformation about vaccines? By the numbersĬalifornia cases, deaths and vaccinations as of 4:50 p.m. “If only that were the case for everyone,” she writes. The patients she sees who have been vaccinated rarely progress beyond Stage 1. If this sounds like a situation you’d rather avoid, she has some simple advice: “Get vaccinated.” “I’ve been at this for 17 months now,” Gallardo writes. Someone from the medical team will be there to hold your hand until your breathing stops. The breathing tube will be removed and the ventilator shut off. Stage 7: If your family decides you have no chance to recover, they’ll have a final FaceTime call with you. Because you’ve been sedentary you may develop a clot, which could cut off blood flow to vital organs or result in a heart attack or stroke. Your kidneys can’t keep up with all the drugs you’ve received, so you may require dialysis. Tubes are inserted into your chest cavity to clear out the air that has leaked there.
Stage 6: Now your medical team has its hands full dealing with the consequences of your COVID-19 treatment. But community hospitals like Gallardo’s don’t have them, and you might not be stable enough for a transfer to one that does. These machines will oxygenate your blood for you, bypassing your lungs so they might have a chance to heal. Stage 5: If several days on a ventilator have not turned things around for you, doctors may try to get you on an ECMO machine. But first, if you’re lucky, you’ll be able to call your loved ones in case it’s their last chance to hear your voice. Stage 4: Still unable to get enough oxygen into your body, you are sedated, then paralyzed, so a tube can be threaded into your airway and connected to a ventilator.