One vaccine paused, however California nonetheless transferring towards opening
Good morning, Bay Area. It’s Wednesday April 14th and the Bay Area is grappling with yet another unexpected shortage. Here’s what you need to know to start your day.
Vaccination clinics across California suspended use of the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine Tuesday, following recommendations from federal health officials, after six women developed rare blood clots after vaccination, including one who died.
Cases of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis combined with a low platelet condition that can lead to excessive bleeding have not been directly linked to the vaccine and appear to be extremely rare. This equates to six reported cases of approximately 7 million doses used in the United States.
The length of the recommended break depends on what officers learn over the next few days, said Dr. Janet Woodcock, Acting Commissioner for the Food and Drug Administration. “We expect it will be a matter of days.”
Despite the hiatus, Governor Newsom says California is still on track to reopen June 15. The J&J vaccine currently only accounts for 4% of the state’s vaccine supply.
• Bay Area health professionals say blood clot cases are “extremely rare” but worrying.
• Have you received the J&J vaccine in the last three weeks? Experts say watch out for a severe headache, stomach or leg pain, or shortness of breath.
• Santa Clara County Receives Vaccine, Opens Shots To Everyone 16 Years Old, And Joins San Francisco, Alameda, and Contra Costa Counties.
• A third of Bay Area residents plan to reduce commuting after a pandemic, surveys show.
• 4/20 in SF is officially canceled: Officials urge cannabis enthusiasts to glow from their homes again this year.
• Are you going to Sacramento or Tulare to get vaccinated? Read this before looking outside of your county.
Around the bay
Jen Fedrizzi / Chronicle Special
• • Boba deficiency: The Bay Area and the rest of the United States may soon run out of tea bubbles. More from Chronicle Food: The pandemic could force West Oakland’s mission-powered grocery store to close if sales plummet.
• • “This does not resolve this issue”:: California’s fracking ban and other oil production methods are dying in the Senate.
• • Fallout in Windsor: Sonoma regulators are stripping permission for the mayor of Windsor to reside in the Golden Gate Bridge District. From Esther Mobley: For wine country insiders, the Foppoli winery is more known for its hot tub parties than for its pinot noirs.
• • NFL Draft 2021: Who is your ideal 49ers QB draft pick? Answer these questions and find out.
Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle
• • Challenge accepted: Mayor London Breed wants San Franciscians only to shop at local small businesses in May as the pandemic has hit small businesses hard – Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight are taking them in.
Appointment calendar
When the San Francisco International Film Festival was canceled last April due to the pandemic, it was also the premiere of “Lost Landscapes of Oakland” by filmmaker Alex Cruse and musician Fantastic Negrito. Now it will finally hit the big screen as part of the 63rd SFFilm Festival, which runs until April 18, albeit differently than originally planned.
Read more about G. Allen Johnson’s found footage documentation.
More from the datebook:
• The Chronicle’s art critic Lily Janiak reviews “The Waste Land,” the Oakland Theater Project’s drive-in adaptation of the TS Eliot poem.
• Check out these 8 Bay Area arts and entertainment events this week including the SFMOMA Virtual Art Bash and the San Francisco Greek Film Festival.
• Sign up for the weekly Datebook newsletter for more news, events, and reviews on art and entertainment.
The Bay Briefing was written by Taylor Kate Brown, Anna Buchmann, and Kellie Hwang and sent to readers’ email inboxes on weekday mornings. Sign up for the newsletter here and contact the authors at taylor.brown@sfchronicle.com, anna.buchmann@sfchronicle.com and kellie.hwang@sfchronicle.com.