Virus Trifecta Spreads. Children and Pandemic Protections. Hunger in Los Angeles.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12
PROGRAM # 9851 12:00 PM PT

Virus Trifecta Spreads.

As we enter another holiday winter season, COVID-19 and other viruses are spreading widely and things are getting worse. Cases of coronavirus, flu and respiratory syncytial infections are rapidly rising in communities around the country. What to do in anticipation of the holiday gatherings? Who should worry most about this new surge? What to know about the updated vaccine? What to do if testing positive?

Guest: Dr. Ilan Shapiro, Medical Affairs Officer, AltaMed, Los Angeles, CA.

Children and Pandemic Protections. More children were able to gain health insurance during the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to a federal law that gave states extra money to ensure that children, parents and others enrolled in Medicaid had stable coverage during the public health emergency. Those pandemic protections are about to expire next spring and the number of uninsured children could rise back up again.

Guest: Leonardo Cuello, Researcher and Professor, Georgetown University, Washington, DC.

Hunger in Los Angeles. The crisis of food insecurity in Los Angeles was made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially among Latino and Black families. In response, county authorities are launching an aggressive action plan aiming to transform the region’s food system and help the nearly 1 in 4 households that have experienced food insecurity in the past year. What are the steps of the plan?

Guest: Efrain Escobedo, Vice President of Public Policy at the California Community Foundation, Los Angeles, CA.

Photo: cdc.gov

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