Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Gabbard Revokes Security Clearances of 37 Current, Former US Intelligence Members

19 hours ago

Trump Escalates Attacks Against the Smithsonian Institution

20 hours ago

California Republicans File Suit Seeking to Block Newsom Redistricting Plan

21 hours ago

Revised Congressional Maps Target Valadao, Boost Gray in the Valley

23 hours ago

Dollar Slips as Traders Wait on Jackson Hole

24 hours ago

Tesla Drivers Can Pursue Class Action Over Self-Driving Claims, Judge Rules

1 day ago

Trump Eyes Reclassification to Make Cannabis Easier to Buy and Sell

2 days ago

America’s Wildfire Fighters, Unmasked in Toxic Smoke, Are Getting Sick and Dying

2 days ago

US Offers Up to $50,000 Bonus for New ICE Deportation Officers

2 days ago
COVID Vaccine Is Getting the Job Done in Fresno and Around the World
TLBBHMAP3-U010ALB5ANM-348f959abae2-512-300x300-1
By Jim Jakobs, Digital Producer
Published 5 years ago on
January 14, 2021

Share

Though it’s not concrete evidence of the COVID-19 vaccine’s effectiveness, the data shows a sharp drop in the number of employees calling in sick at Community Medical Centers since a vaccine became available.

And those results are being replicated from Visalia to Sacramento to Israel.

In fact, UC Davis Health in northern California believes its staff is nearing “herd immunity.”

On Dec. 23, CMC had 474 employees either in self-isolation or suffering firsthand from COVID-19. At that time, the Fresno-based healthcare system wasn’t reporting data on how many workers had been vaccinated.

On Wednesday, the number of employees unavailable because of the coronavirus was 281 — a 40% drop.

Keep in mind, CMC began its first round of COVID-19 vaccinations on Dec. 18. Through Wednesday, it had vaccinated 4,933 of the system’s frontline workers.

CMC workforce snapshot Jan. 13, 2021. Nearly 5,000 workers have been vaccinated. (CMC Facebook)

Kaweah Delta Medical Center

Kaweah Delta Medical Center in Visalia is seeing a similar trend.

On Dec. 21, 231 employees were impacted by COVID-19. As of Monday, that number had declined to 157 — a 32% decrease.

Moreover, Kaweath Delta has seen a decline in COVID-impacted employees for three straight weeks.

Kaweah Delta Medical Center posts an online chart showing COVID-19 impact on the workforce. (www.kaweahdelta.org)

UC Davis Health: 50% Decline in Employees Reporting COVID-19

“We have already seen a nearly 50% decline in employees reporting COVID-19 since we started vaccinations, and we are on the cusp of creating herd immunity inside our walls.” – UC Davis Health CEO Dr. David Lubarsky

UC Davis Health in the Sacramento region has 14,000 employees, 1,000 students, and 1,000 faculty members.

GV Wire℠ obtained a copy of an internal memo that CEO Dr. David Lubarsky sent to staff on Friday, Jan. 8.

“UC Davis Health’s rate of vaccination continues to be far ahead of most other health systems and employees are reporting only minimal and expected side effects,” wrote Lubarsky. “We have already seen a nearly 50% decline in employees reporting COVID-19 since we started vaccinations, and we are on the cusp of creating herd immunity inside our walls.”

12,000 of the system’s 13,000 staff members had received at least their first vaccine doses Lubarsky told the New York Times. In recent weeks, the number of employees with COVID peaked at 135. This week, he said, that number is in the 20s.

Fresno Board of Supervisors Want To Know

Fresno County Supervisor Buddy Mendes asked interim county health officer Dr. Rais Vohra on Tuesday about the effectiveness of the vaccine so far.

“When will you know how effective the vaccine is with the healthcare workers?” asked Mendes.

Vohra says the data will come in a couple of different ways.

“First, the hospitals themselves are doing very aggressive testing and screening of their healthcare workers,” said Vohra, pointing to recent staffing numbers showing fewer employees out sick or isolating. “We expect it (will continue) to go down because the healthcare workforce is getting more and more vaccinated.

“Secondly, I think at the national level, we’re going to need research on antibody levels.”

Vohra said that initial studies have started but on a very small scale.

Israel’s Real-World Stats Can Be Globe’s Guide

Israel released data Tuesday by the Health Ministry showing that the vaccine significantly cut down infection levels among sample sizes even before full protection kicks in after the second of two doses, the Times of Israel reported.

A Health Ministry official announced that the vaccine curbs infections by some 50% 14 days after the first of two shots is administered. She said that the data is preliminary, and based on the results of coronavirus tests among both those who have received the vaccine and those who haven’t, who are are serving as a de facto control group.

Separately, two of Israel’s four healthcare providers announced their own figures, which diverged somewhat from the Health Ministry’s data: Maccabi cited a 60% reduction in infections while Clalit reported a smaller reduction.

Clalit’s innovation chief Ran Balicer, who also chairs the government’s expert advisory team on dealing with the pandemic, said that those who received vaccines have normal infection rates until immunity appears to kick in after about two weeks.

Maccabi reported that the rate of infection decreased from about 40 out of 100,000 people in the first 12 days after vaccination to about 15 per 100,000 on days 13 to 21 — a 60% reduction.

It’s unclear exactly why the figures vary, but one factor appears to be the fact that Maccabi included vaccinated people of all ages in its study, while Clalit didn’t.

[activecampaign form=25]

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Fresno Police Arrest 12 Drivers at DUI Checkpoint

DON'T MISS

Israel Approves Settlement Plan to ‘Erase’ Idea of Palestinian State

DON'T MISS

Considering TK for Your Child? Take a Peek Inside One Ideal Classroom Scenario

DON'T MISS

Trump Calls on Fed Governor Cook to Resign

DON'T MISS

Tulare County Authorities Arrest 17-Year-Old Gang Member in Terra Bella Stabbings

DON'T MISS

Tech Stocks Pressure Wall Street as Caution Sets in Ahead of Fed Meet

DON'T MISS

Most Americans Believe Countries Should Recognize Palestinian State, Reuters/Ipsos Poll Finds

DON'T MISS

Fresno Supervisors End Lease for Free Needle Exchange Clinic

DON'T MISS

Porterville Police Make DUI Arrest, Issue 13 Citations in Weekend Checkpoint

DON'T MISS

Trump Claims Powell ‘Hurting’ the Housing Industry in Latest Attack on Fed Chair

UP NEXT

Israel Approves Settlement Plan to ‘Erase’ Idea of Palestinian State

UP NEXT

Considering TK for Your Child? Take a Peek Inside One Ideal Classroom Scenario

UP NEXT

Trump Calls on Fed Governor Cook to Resign

UP NEXT

Tulare County Authorities Arrest 17-Year-Old Gang Member in Terra Bella Stabbings

UP NEXT

Tech Stocks Pressure Wall Street as Caution Sets in Ahead of Fed Meet

UP NEXT

Most Americans Believe Countries Should Recognize Palestinian State, Reuters/Ipsos Poll Finds

UP NEXT

Fresno Supervisors End Lease for Free Needle Exchange Clinic

UP NEXT

Porterville Police Make DUI Arrest, Issue 13 Citations in Weekend Checkpoint

UP NEXT

Trump Claims Powell ‘Hurting’ the Housing Industry in Latest Attack on Fed Chair

UP NEXT

Everything Tennis Fans Need to Know About the 2025 U.S. Open

Trump Calls on Fed Governor Cook to Resign

21 minutes ago

Tulare County Authorities Arrest 17-Year-Old Gang Member in Terra Bella Stabbings

26 minutes ago

Tech Stocks Pressure Wall Street as Caution Sets in Ahead of Fed Meet

33 minutes ago

Most Americans Believe Countries Should Recognize Palestinian State, Reuters/Ipsos Poll Finds

35 minutes ago

Fresno Supervisors End Lease for Free Needle Exchange Clinic

15 hours ago

Porterville Police Make DUI Arrest, Issue 13 Citations in Weekend Checkpoint

15 hours ago

Trump Claims Powell ‘Hurting’ the Housing Industry in Latest Attack on Fed Chair

16 hours ago

Everything Tennis Fans Need to Know About the 2025 U.S. Open

16 hours ago

Madera County Warns of Contagious Canine Virus Outbreak

17 hours ago

ESPN Won’t Air Spike Lee’s Docuseries on Colin Kaepernick, Citing ‘Creative Differences’

17 hours ago

Fresno Police Arrest 12 Drivers at DUI Checkpoint

Twelve people were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence during a Fresno police checkpoint on Saturday, Aug. 16, authorities ...

2 minutes ago

2 minutes ago

Fresno Police Arrest 12 Drivers at DUI Checkpoint

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and a woman hold a map that shows the long-frozen E1 settlement scheme, that would split East Jerusalem from the occupied West Bank, on the day of a press conference near the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, August 14, 2025. (Reuters File)
9 minutes ago

Israel Approves Settlement Plan to ‘Erase’ Idea of Palestinian State

Inside a Concord California TK Classroom
13 minutes ago

Considering TK for Your Child? Take a Peek Inside One Ideal Classroom Scenario

Federal Reserve Governor Lisa D. Cook speaks at the Economic Club of New York in New York City, U.S., June 25, 2024. (Reuters File)
21 minutes ago

Trump Calls on Fed Governor Cook to Resign

A 17-year-old Porterville gang member was arrested on attempted murder charges after multiple people were stabbed in Terra Bella, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office said. (Tulare County SO)
26 minutes ago

Tulare County Authorities Arrest 17-Year-Old Gang Member in Terra Bella Stabbings

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., August 19, 2025. (Reuters/Brendan McDermid)
33 minutes ago

Tech Stocks Pressure Wall Street as Caution Sets in Ahead of Fed Meet

Palestinians inspect the site of an overnight Israeli strike on a house, in Gaza City, August 20, 2025. (Reuters/Dawoud Abu Alkas)
35 minutes ago

Most Americans Believe Countries Should Recognize Palestinian State, Reuters/Ipsos Poll Finds

15 hours ago

Fresno Supervisors End Lease for Free Needle Exchange Clinic

Search

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Send this to a friend