Dr. Jerry P. Abraham, a steadfast advocate for equitable access to public health and healthcare delivery, was installed as the 152nd president of the Los Angeles County Medical Association (LACMA) on August 18, at The Langham Huntington in Pasadena.
As a vaccines advocate, I am excited The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) extended the authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to ages 12 to 15 and that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) vaccine safety review panel and the Western States Scientific Safety Review Workgroup recommended that the vaccine is safe and effective in protecting this age group against severe illness, hospitalization and death. The Pfizer vaccine has already been safely administered to millions of California adults, including more than 30 percent of 16–17-year-olds.
With California set to do away with most of the state’s COVID-19 restrictions and prepare to fully reopen on June 15, some Black leaders and medical professionals are taking stock of the pandemic’s impact on Black communities.