- Social:
UCLA
Professor of health policy and management, and pediatrics at UCLA; former director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
PROFILE
Jonathan Fielding
Guest
FROM Jonathan Fielding
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Unifying Health Services in a County Divided Los Angeles County provides health services to hundreds of thousands of people. The annual cost is $8 billion. Some years ago, mental health, public health and medical services were divided into three separate departments. Now, the Board of Supervisors has voted unanimously to bring them back together again. We speak with proponents and opponents of the change.
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E. Coli and Antibiotics German health officials said today that the deadliest E. coli outbreak in recorded history did not start with vegetable sprouts from an organic farm in northern Germany after all. In the past month, the European outbreak has sickened more than 2300 people, mostly in Germany. Twenty-two people have died. Earlier this week, officials backed away from the claim that it originated in Spanish cucumbers. Should southern Californians be worried? How can people make sense of conflicting messages about the cause?
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Whooping Cough Makes a Comeback in California First, California's officially declared epidemic of Pertussis , or Whooping Cough, is the worst such outbreak since the 1950's. It's an awful, sometimes deadly, disease that can suffocate infants who cough so hard they can't catch their breath. And it's highly contagious. Since the 1940's vaccinations have reduced the deaths from Whooping Cough almost to zero. Public health officials are urging parents to vaccinate their children, but in California, parents can easily opt out by signing what are called "personal belief waivers." We hear more from investigative reporter Christina Jewett, LA County Public Health Director Jonathan Fielding and To the Point producer Katie Cooper, who spoke with several parents in Santa Monica.
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USC Journalists and Swine Flu Victims Los Angeles County's Department of Health said today that an unexpected shortage has left it with 810,000 doses of swine flu vaccine compared to the 5.5 million people who fall within high-priority groups. Meantime, LA and Fresno are only two California counties making public the death certificates of swine flu victims. Many others are withholding them in apparent violation of state law. That story, which has been reported by KCET-TV and the Los Angeles City News Service, originated with " Neon Tommy ," the online journalism project of USC's Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism.
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Swine Flu Closes Schools but Spares Lives In Orange, Riverside and San Diego Counties, reports of kids infected with H1N1 virus have led to school closings. In Los Angeles County, 11 cases have been confirmed , but most schools are open. Jonathan Fielding is County Director of Public Health.
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The Swine Flu, Here and in Mexico Governor Schwarzenegger says there's no need for alarm, but he's declared a flu emergency , promising state support for local health agencies. In Los Angeles County, the Director of the Public Health Department says an outbreak is "inevitable." In Mexico City, 150 are believed to have died from the flu. Restaurants and cafes are now serving takeout food only. Schools are closed and public gatherings are restricted.
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Public Health, Childhood Vaccines and Autism Last month, a special three-judge federal panel declared that vaccines against childhood diseases did not cause autism in some children. One judge said he had “deep sympathy and admiration” for the families involved, but that he, “must decide this case not on sentiment, but by analyzing the evidence.” Nevertheless, the number of parents who believe there is a connection is on the increase. Yesterday, the Los Angeles Times reported that in California, “hundreds of elementary schools are at risk for outbreaks of childhood diseases eradicated in the US years ago.”
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Alcohol and Foreclosures in California One person dies every hour in this state from alcohol use. The total economic cost is $38 billion. That's $1,000 a year per resident with much of it paid by taxpayers, according to a new study by the Marin Institute, which calls itself an industry watchdog.
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Pet Food-Related Deaths Higher than Reported by FDA Two years ago, 75 dogs died from liver failure due to a fungus found on Diamond Pet Foods. Last week, the Food and drug Administration said 14 dogs and cats have died of kidney failure due to the rat poison in foods supplied by Menu Foods of Ontario, Canada. Menu Foods says 16 have died. Meantime, 60 million pet-food containers have now been recalled--with 95 different labels. While the FDA has confirmed 14 deaths, a network of veterinarians says today there have been more than 100. Are expensive pet foods any different than cheap ones? How much do federal, state and local governments regulate a $16 billion industry? We hear from a network of 30,000 veterinarians.
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