In The Media

Denise Payan
Spectrum News 1, April 23, 2024

State-funded diaper resource could end soon

"According to the National Diaper Bank Network, the number of families unable to afford diapers has increased dramatically between 2023 and 2010. According to the organization’s study, 47% of families reported diaper needs in 2023, up from about 33% in 2010." (Denise Payan)
Suellen Hopfer
The Orange County Register, April 23, 2024

The true cost of vaccine misinformation: A vulnerable nation

"As a health communications researcher specializing in vaccine hesitancy, the last few years in my field have been paradoxical. Vaccinations played a large part in ushering us into the post-pandemic world, yet a “misinfodemic” against vaccines persists. … recognition of World Immunization Week – taking place annually during the last week of April – I want to highlight the collective action needed to improve vaccine uptake to protect people of all ages." (Suellen Hopfer)
Michael Kleinman
House Beautiful, April 20, 2024

Is It Safe to Burn a Backyard Fire Pit Once a Week?

"Wood fires generate smoke, which contributes to air pollution and the fine particles contribute to lung and heart disease. People who have respiratory problems such as asthma, COPD, or emphysema are more likely to be at risk from health effects related to fire pit emissions." (Michael Kleinman)
Andrew Noymer
Verywell Health, April 8, 2024

Should You Worry About Rising Mpox Cases?

"The reason for the uptick in cases is unclear. A few factors could be at play: the disease is endemic, identification rates are lower, and vaccination rates have been declining. Mpox tends to stay in social networks rather than the population at large because it requires skin-to-skin contact and not airborne transmission." (Andrew Noymer)
Andrew Noymer
The Orange Country Register, April 3, 2024

Why do so few in Southern California get updated COVID vaccinations?

"Most egregiously, its official guidance is not to let a positive COVID at-home test result keep us from going to work or school, as long as we are asymptomatic. Yet some people are advised to re-up their vaccines every four months. While new guidance on a cadence of every-four-months vaccines for 65+ may make sense in light of data on fading antibodies, it’s not going to do anything to help vaccine uptake. " (Andrew Noymer)
Gabrielle_Gussin
Drugs.com, April 1, 2024

Regional Decolonization Aids Multidrug-Resistant Organism-Related Outcomes

"The success of SHIELD-OC [Shared Healthcare Intervention to Eliminate Life-threatening Dissemination of MDROs in Orange County] in reducing MDRO carriage, infections, hospitalizations, and associated costs and deaths led to a regional NH incentive program supported by CalOptima, the sole Medicaid provider" (Gabrielle M. Gussin)
Jun Wu
Yahoo!News, March 30, 2024

Toxic air linked to low-weight and pre-term births

"There haven’t been many studies that look at industrial emissions and pregnancy outcomes in this area, where there are also higher Black populations. Air toxins also have been shown to be related to increased risk of birth defects, but the data for the birth defects are harder to get." (Jun Wu)