Advice
New Bivalent Boosters Adds Protection from Omicron Variant Ahead of Predicted Surge
“Many in the community have expressed concerns that the vaccine was created too fast to be safe and reliable,” Brooks said, “The mRNA platform … that’s been around for 11 years or so; it was developed when we had SARS CoV-1 so a lot of people forget because it didn’t go pandemic and then MERS, which was Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome, which similar, so we use that mRNA platform.”
![Zccording to Dr. Oliver Brooks, Chief Medical Officer, Watts Healthcare, “unvaccinated people [account for] 2.4 times more cases, 4.6 times more hospitalizations, 8 times more deaths.”](https://www.postnewsgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/bivalent-boosters-featured-web.jpg)
Maxim Elramsisy | California Black Media
California has started administering updated COVID-19 booster shots after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved the use of new versions of boosters of the vaccine for people aged 12 and older.
The Western State Scientific Safety Review Workgroup independently reviewed the boosters and recommended that they be given to people who have already received primary vaccinations, regardless of the booster status.
The updated boosters will be “bivalent,” offering protection against the original coronavirus strains, as well as improved immunity to the currently dominant BA.4 and BA.5 strains, also known as the Omicron variants.
The Pfizer/BioNTech bivalent booster is available for people 12 years and older, while the Moderna bivalent booster is approved for those 18 years and older. The bivalent boosters have not been authorized for children under the age of 12.
“We are getting closer to an analogy with the flu vaccines,” Dr. Gil Chavez, Senior Medical Officer, Office of the State Epidemiologist, California Department of Public Health, said during a recent ethnic media sponsored COVID-19 panel discussion with other medical doctors and public health officials: Dr. Maggie Park, County Public Health Officer, San Joaquin County Public Health Services; Dr. Oliver Brooks, Chief Medical Officer, Watts Healthcare; and Dr. Eva Smith, Medical Director, K’ima:w Medical Center.
According to Chavez, “Whereas you know every year we have to get an influenza vaccine to ensure that we get the updated vaccine … with COVID-19, we are moving in the same direction where we believe that it will be important to have at least an annual booster.”
“The goal, and our hope, is to continue on a path of a low number of cases and prevent a surge in COVID cases this winter. That is why public health officials urge individuals to get the updated booster,” Chavez said.
Officials reiterate that, though boosters will prevent disease for some people, they are critically important to prevent people who contract COVID from getting seriously ill, to the point where they may be hospitalized and potentially die.
The vaccines are also an important tool for preventing “long COVID,” where symptoms such as headaches, brain fog, and fatigue can be prolonged for more than six months.
In July, a surge in infections driven by the highly transmissible BA.5 subvariant almost pushed Los Angeles County, for example, to reinstitute a universal indoor mask mandate.
“BA.5 has been the predominant circulating variant since July and is still and now accounting for about 87% of all newly diagnosed cases of COVID, with BA.4 pretty much accounting for the rest,” said Park. “I want to say that the rollout of this new booster is actually quite timely, as many models are predicting that we’re facing another COVID-19 surge this fall or winter and we need to be ready.”
While scientists believe many people infected in the most recent COVID surge will have natural immunity for some time, this type of protection begins to wane after around 90 days. So, even people who have had COVID in the past should consider getting a booster around 3 months after being infected.
In California, vaccine hesitancy persists. 72% of all people have received primary vaccinations, but only 58.8% of people eligible for boosters have received a booster.
This is worrisome because, according to Dr. Brooks, “unvaccinated people [account for] 2.4 times more cases, 4.6 times more hospitalizations, 8 times more deaths.”
Brooks shared a concept to combat vaccine hesitancy by responding to the common points of resistance in his patients, called the three C’s – complacency, confidence, and convenience.
Complacency afflicts those who think that COVID is over — or are fatigued and overwhelmed by the fact that, for the past couple of years, the virus has dominated many facets of life. Yet, it is still evolving to become more highly transmissible and more evasive of immunity from infection or vaccination. According to statistics from the Los Angeles County of Public Health, the Omicron variant killed people in all age groups at a higher rate than motor vehicle crashes.
People are concerned about the safety of the vaccines because of “misinformation that’s being perpetuated in our communities,” according to Park. “But with all the millions of doses that have been given in the United States and around the world today, we have so much information about them, and we do know that they’re safe,” she said.
“Many in the community have expressed concerns that the vaccine was created too fast to be safe and reliable,” Brooks said, “The mRNA platform … that’s been around for 11 years or so; it was developed when we had SARS CoV-1 so a lot of people forget because it didn’t go pandemic and then MERS, which was Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome, which similar, so we use that mRNA platform.”
Many people are also contending that the shots don’t work, as they are still getting infected. Park said, “People say[ing] ‘My friend is fully vaccinated and boosted but she’s still got COVID,’ and to that, I say yes, but is she still alive? And yes, of course, she is. We never promised that the vaccinations would mean you wouldn’t get COVID … what we know is that your chance of getting COVID decreases with vaccines, but the decrease is even greater when it comes to your chance of being hospitalized or dying.”
As for convenience, vaccines are now available at locations across the state with relative ease of access and at no charge. There are no anticipated supply constraints, so there are no groups that are being given priority. Those seeking vaccines or boosters can book an appointment at Myturn.ca.gov.
Activism
Life After Domestic Violence: What My Work With Black Women Survivors Has Taught Me
Survivors sometimes lack awareness about the dynamics of healthy relationships, particularly when one has not been modeled for them at home. Media often minimizes domestic abuse, pushing the imagery of loyalty and love for one’s partner above everything — even harm.

By Paméla Michelle Tate, Ph.D., California Black Media Partners
It was the Monday morning after her husband had a “situation” involving their child, resulting in food flying in the kitchen and a broken plate.
Before that incident, tensions had been escalating, and after years of unhappiness, she finally garnered enough courage to go to the courthouse to file for a divorce.
She was sent to an on-site workshop, and the process seemed to be going well until the facilitator asked, “Have you experienced domestic abuse?” She quickly replied, “No, my husband has never hit me.”
The facilitator continued the questionnaire and asked, “Has your husband been emotionally abusive, sexually abusive, financially abusive, technologically abusive, or spiritually abusive?”
She thought about how he would thwart her plans to spend time with family and friends, the arguments, and the many years she held her tongue. She reflected on her lack of access to “their money,” him snooping in her purse, checking her social media, computer, and emails, and the angry blowups where physical threats were made against both her and their children.
At that moment, she realized she had been in a long-suffering domestic abuse relationship.
After reading this, you might not consider the relationship described above as abusive — or you might read her account and wonder, “How didn’t she know that she was in an abusive relationship?”
Survivors sometimes lack awareness about the dynamics of healthy relationships, particularly when one has not been modeled for them at home. Media often minimizes domestic abuse, pushing the imagery of loyalty and love for one’s partner above everything — even harm.
After working with survivors at Black Women Revolt Against Domestic Violence in San Francisco, California, I have learned a great deal from a variety of survivors. Here are some insights:
Abuse thrives in isolation.
Societal tolerance of abusive behavior is prevalent in the media, workplaces, and even churches, although there are societal rules about the dos and don’ts in relationships.
Survivors are groomed into isolation.
Survivors are emotionally abused and manipulated almost from the beginning of their relationships through love-bombing. They are encouraged or coerced into their own little “love nest,” isolating them from family and friends.
People who harm can be charismatic and fun.
Those outside the relationship often struggle to believe the abuser would harm their partner until they witness or experience the abusive behavior firsthand.
Survivors fear judgment.
Survivors fear being judged by family, friends, peers, and coworkers and are afraid to speak out.
Survivors often still love their partners.
This is not Stockholm Syndrome; it’s love. Survivors remember the good times and don’t want to see their partner jailed; they simply want the abuse to stop.
The financial toll of abuse is devastating.
According to the Allstate Foundation’s study, 74% of survivors cite lack of money as the main reason for staying in abusive relationships. Financial abuse often prevents survivors from renting a place to stay. Compounding this issue is the lack of availability of domestic abuse shelters.
The main thing I have learned from this work is that survivors are resilient and the true experts of their own stories and their paths to healing. So, when you encounter a survivor, please take a moment to acknowledge their journey to healing and applaud their strength and progress.
About the Author
Paméla Michelle Tate, Ph.D., is executive director of Black Women Revolt Against Domestic Violence in San Francisco.
Activism
A Student-Run Group Is Providing Critical Support Services to Underserved Residents
During his three years volunteering at the program, Resource Director Zain Shabbir, says he noticed that many of the people who come in do not know how to navigate social services support systems, particularly online. This knowledge deficit, Shabbir says, is due to age or limited exposure to technology.

Part 2
By Magaly Muñoz
Resource Director Zain Shabbir is a jack-of-all-trades at the Suitcase Clinic, a student-run resource center that provides health and other services to underserved residents of Berkeley and surrounding areas.
Shabbir was once a clinic director. Now, he manages the General Clinic, floating around when case managers need assistance. And he has big plans for a new initiative.
During his three years volunteering at the program, Shabbir says he noticed that many of the people who come in do not know how to navigate social services support systems, particularly online. This knowledge deficit, Shabbir says, is due to age or limited exposure to technology.
So, he teaches clients the basics of using email, writing in word documents, and backing up files to their phones.
Shabbir shared a story about an interaction he had with a woman who came in seeking help to create a template to message property owners and realtors as she was seeking housing. Until that point, the woman was composing separate messages to each listing she was interested in, and that process was taking up too much of her time. With Shabbir’s help, she created a standard template she could modify and use for each housing inquiry or application.
He’s also hoping to use the technology to help people create resumes to find jobs.
“[The intent] is to help people find work in the city or wherever they live — or help them find housing. As most are probably aware, the two really go together because for housing, you need income verification, and for a job you need housing,” Shabbir said.
Having a warm place to go and a hot meal may seem basic buy it is critical for people who are struggling, clinic leaders say.
Mark, a frequent attendee of the Tuesday clinic, told the Oakland Post that he’s been receiving services from the program for nearly 25 years.
Mark said he was able to receive a referral to dental care through the Clinic, which he’s been using for about 20 years now. He also utilized the chiropractor, a service that is no longer offered, for pain and aches he acquired over the years.
Many program participants say they visit the clinic now for services provided by Berkeley medical students, who rely on osteopathic care rather than traditional methods. Osteopathic medicine is a medical philosophy and practice that focuses on the whole person, rather than just symptoms.
Executive director Nilo Golchini said that many clinic patients tend to appreciate and trust this type of medicine over mainstream practices because of sub-standard care they have received in the past because they are homeless or poor.
Acupuncture is also an extremely popular station at the Clinic as well, with participants saying it “soothes and calms” them.
Attendees of the clinic are generally in happy spirits throughout the hours they’re able to interact with fellow residents. Some even participate in arts and crafts, moving from table to show their friends their new creations.
“It’s a program that’s going strong,” said Golchini. “There’s a space for everyone” who wants to volunteer or receive services, and they’ll keep going as long as the community needs it.
The Suitcase General Clinic is open every Tuesday from 6:30 to 9:30pm. Women’s and Youth Clinics are held every Monday from 6 to 9pm.
Activism
2024 in Review: Seven Questions for Frontline Doulas
California Black Media (CBM) spoke with Frontline Doulas’ co-founder Khefri Riley. She reflected on Frontline’s accomplishments this year and the organization’s goals moving forward.

By Edward Henderson, California Black Media
Frontline Doulas provides African American families non-medical professional perinatal services at no cost.
This includes physical, emotional, informational, psychosocial and advocacy support during the pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum period. Women of all ages — with all forms of insurance — are accepted and encouraged to apply for services.
California Black Media (CBM) spoke with co-founder Khefri Riley. She reflected on Frontline’s accomplishments this year and the organization’s goals moving forward.
Responses have been edited for clarity and length.
Looking back at 2024, what stands out to you as your most important achievement and why?
In 2024, we are humbled to have been awarded the contract for the Los Angeles County Medical Doula Hub, which means that we are charged with creating a hub of connectivity and support for generating training and helping to create the new doula workforce for the medical doula benefit that went live in California on Jan. 1, 2023.
How did your leadership and investments contribute to improving the lives of Black Californians?
We believe that the revolution begins in the womb. What we mean by that is we have the potential and the ability to create intentional generational healing from the moment before a child was conceived, when a child was conceived, during this gestational time, and when a child is born.
And there’s a traditional saying in Indigenous communities that what we do now affects future generations going forward. So, the work that we do with birthing families, in particular Black birthing families, is to create powerful and healthy outcomes for the new generation so that we don’t have to replicate pain, fear, discrimination, or racism.
What frustrated you the most over the last year?
Working in reproductive justice often creates a heavy burden on the organization and the caregivers who deliver the services most needed to the communities. So, oftentimes, we’re advocating for those whose voices are silenced and erased, and you really have to be a warrior to stand strong and firm.
What inspired you the most over the last year?
My great-grandmother. My father was his grandmother’s midwife assistant when he was a young boy. I grew up with their medicine stories — the ways that they healed the community and were present to the community, even amidst Jim Crow.
What is one lesson you learned in 2024 that will inform your decision-making next year?
I find that you have to reach for your highest vision, and you have to stand firm in your value. You have to raise your voice, speak up and demand, and know your intrinsic value.
In a word, what is the biggest challenge Black Californians face?
Amplification. We cannot allow our voices to be silent.
What is the goal you want to achieve most in 2025?
I really would like to see a reduction in infant mortality and maternal mortality within our communities and witness this new birth worker force be supported and integrated into systems. So, that way, we fulfill our goal of healthy, unlimited birth in the Black community and indeed in all birthing communities in Los Angeles and California.
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