It’s Flu/COVID/RSV Season - Get Your Vaccines to Stay Healthy!

Have you noticed people are starting to get sick a lot around you? You’re not imagining it. As the COVID summer surge is starting to wane, the flu virus is starting to pick back up. We at ITV Healthbeat want to remind you to get your flu and COVID vaccines to prevent illnesses from spreading. If you have a young child or are elderly, consider also getting an RSV vaccine. 

It’s Time to Vote - A Deep Dive into the Healthcare-Related Ballots

In California, there’s only one week until the election. Ballots can be filled out and dropped off at ballot dropboxes around town. If you aren’t sure how to vote, CalMatters has a handy little quiz for you to figure out how you’re likely to vote based on the number of statements you agree with for the propositions. There are a number of healthcare propositions on the ballot, and we decided to take a bit of a deeper dive: 

Prop 3 makes an existing tax on high income earners permanent in order to continue funding of healthcare and education in California. The tax itself will not expire until 2031. The California Teachers Association has put this on the ballot, arguing that an expiration of the tax would lead to job losses, program cuts, and other reductions for education and healthcare. Opponents of the measure argue that California already has high income taxes, and that people would be further incentivized to leave California for lower-tax states.

Prop 38 would create an $8.4 billion bond for immunology research to fight cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and other illnesses that can be treated through immunotherapies.

Supporters are advocating for the funding because of President Trump’s attempts to cut funding for federal health science research. CalMatters has reported that the proposition appears to be written to primarily benefit one institute in particular, funded by billionaire Gary K. Michelson, who also wrote the proposition, and furthermore, that institute has currently only hired three employees so far. 

Prop 40 is the infamous billionaire’s wealth tax. It is a one-time 5% tax on the estimated 200 Californian billionaires, and the revenue is primarily earmarked for healthcare, with some going to education and food assistance. Opponents argue that the wealth tax will eventually be expanded to regular, non-billionaire citizens, and encourage billionaires to leave the state and do business elsewhere. Former Google co-founder Sergey Brin have poured over $100 million in spending against the proposition. Former Google CEO Larry Page is in the process of moving his residence to Florida to avoid the potential tax. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg cut a deal with his board to enable him to pay the proposed tax, and retain his majority voting shares as well as remain a resident of California for the next 8 years. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has said that he would pay the tax if passed, and that “paying the tax is a privilege”. Supporters argue that the funding is needed in order to mitigate the effects of HR 1, otherwise known as President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, which would enact over $1 trillion in cuts to federal healthcare spending, starting January 1, 2027. Supporters of Prop 40 oppose Prop 41, 42, and 43, as these propositions were all written by opponents of Prop 40 in order to nullify Prop 40 should it pass, and also to discourage additional taxes. 

Prop 41 would make it harder to pass new special taxes, by requiring a special audit before being placed for a vote. This proposal was placed on the ballot by opponents of Prop 40. If Prop 41 receives more votes than Prop 40, then Prop 40 would be nullified, even if it also passes. 

Prop 42 was also placed on the ballot by opponents of Prop 40, and would also nullify Prop 40 if it passes. Prop 42 would ban new taxes on personal property, such as ownership of investment accounts, business interests, etc, and is specifically written to prevent laws taxing wealth. 

Prop 43 is another tax-related proposition that would raise the threshold for raising local taxes on ballot initiatives from a simple majority to two-thirds. While not directly related to healthcare, it is another proposal designed to prevent bills like Prop 40 from being passed with a simple majority. 

Prop 44 would require community clinics to spend 90% of their annual revenue on patient care. It was placed on the ballot by Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, and argue that given the looming federal cuts under HR 1, it is imperative for clinics to spend less on executive pay and to prioritize patient care. Opponents, which include the California Democratic Party and the California Medical Association, claim that clinics are already heavily regulated under state and federal governments, and this additional legislation is unnecessary and costly to implement. 

ICYMI

• Moderna and Merck announced that their mRNA cancer vaccine targeting melanoma reduced the risk of death by 42%. 

• Measles cases continue to rise in the US, with the most devastating outbreak in Pennsylvania. 

• HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. continued his crusade against vaccines by unveiling an initiative to focus on vaccine injuries, which could have profound implications for the status of vaccines overall.

• US-backed hepatitis B vaccine trial on babies canceled after international outcry.  

Come Join Us to Talk About Medicare for All! 

We at Indivisible Tri-Valley Healthcare will be hosting an informational webinar on Medicare for All on December 6. If you would like to provide input on the webinar or support, please join us at our biweekly meeting via Mobilize.