Monkeypox vaccine in short supply

Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Thursday, July 28th.

Appointments to receive the monkeypox vaccine in San Diego are all booked up. More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….

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If you’re planning to head north on State Route 125 toll road this weekend, you’ll need to plan for some detours.

In Chula Vista, the northbound 125 will be closed from East H Street to State Route 54, including the H Street and San Miguel Ranch Road on-ramps.

Also closed will be the northbound 125 connector to eastbound and westbound State Route 54.

The road is being closed so new toll equipment can be installed.

The closures will take place starting tomorrow (Friday) at eight p-m, through Monday at six a-m.

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The Chula Vista Police Department's drone program is at the center of a debate over privacy versus public safety.

Now, the City’s Technology and Privacy Advisory Task Force wants to hear from the community regarding whether the city has enough privacy protections in place.

Two meetings are being held this week, and Chula Vista residents are encouraged to attend.

The second meeting is tonight (Thursday) from six to 7-30 p-m, at the Otay Ranch branch library.

The first meeting was held yesterday (Wednesday).

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More than 200 migrants were detained near Imperial Beach during the past week for allegedly attempting to enter the United States illegally.

Border Patrol agents encountered 123 migrants on Saturday… which officials say was the largest migrant group encountered locally since November.

On Tuesday, 101 more migrants were found inside a drainage tube at the international boundary.

The Border Patrol said smugglers used a blow torch to cut through bars in the tube… which allowed the migrants to cross through.

The migrants arrived from 13 different countries, according to Border Patrol officials..

The majority of them are from Brazil.

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From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now. Stay with me for more of the local news you need.

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Hours after announcing plans for monkeypox vaccination clinics later this week... San Diego County ran out of appointments.

Inewsource reporter Danielle Dawson covers the difficulties facing the county as the virus continues to spread.

DAWSON: On Monday, San Diego County Health and Human Services announced the allocation of 800 doses of the smallpox vaccine, JYNNEOS, for its second monkeypox vaccination effort since cases were first identified back in June. All appointments were claimed as of Tuesday morning. DAWSON: Though the county prioritized specific risk factors for appointment scheduling, public health experts and advocates are frustrated over the outbreak’s connection with sexual and gender identity, since it has the capacity to infect anyone. As chief of infectious diseases at UC San Diego Dr. David Smith explains, the outbreak has more to do with global waning immunity from smallpox viruses. SMITH: I was not vaccinated for smallpox, but people who are older than me were and the smallpox vaccine protects against monkeypox, so that decrease in that immunity has allowed monkeypox to probably spread from person to person. DAWSON: A county spokesperson said that there are currently no plans to host another vaccination event. For KPBS, I’m inewsource reporter Danielle Dawson.

inewsource is an independently funded, nonprofit partner of KPBS.

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Turning a life-changing moment into a learning experience.. yesterday, a San Diego man met the rescuers who helped save his life.

KPBS reporter Matt Hoffman has the story.

Fire medical 477 what city is your emergency? San Diego. Please come, I think my husband is having a heart attack! It’s a phone call no one wants to make -- but one that North Park resident Annette Cline knew she had to.. Last December, Her husband Steve suddenly went into cardiac arrest and stopped breathing. The 9-1-1 dispatcher helped calm Annette’s nerves. He told her to start chest compressions, something Annette had never done before– one, two, three, four, good keep that rate up and keep counting out loud Minutes later San Diego fire rescue crews and Falck paramedics arrived and took Steve to the hospital. He was put in a medically induced coma, and woke up a few days later. WEDNESDAY he and Annette met their rescuers.. Including dispatcher Chris Cook who they credit with helping save Steve’s life. Annette Oh my gosh thank you so much you’re welcome that’s what we’re here for Steve You walked her right through it and saved my life saved my brain Steve and Annettee are writing a book about their ordeal titled ‘then december 4th i died’ -- part of it includes a call to action for people to learn how to perform CPR. MH KPBS News.

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U-C San Diego students have a lot at stake in the housing crisis.

There's an acute shortage of homes both on and off campus.

But some see an opportunity in University City, just east of U-C-S-D.

The city's Planning Department is preparing to update that neighborhood's zoning to allow for more density.

KPBS metro reporter Andrew Bowen says many students have a lot to say about those plans, but are frustrated with a system that seems designed to exclude them.

AP: The ease of access is really good. AB: Andrew Parlier shows me around UCSD's newest housing development for grad students, just across the I-5 freeway from the main campus. The PhD candidate in applied ocean science has lived here since 2019. AP: It's really easy to get to campus, and to get to food and things like that as well. And with the new trolley line opening, which has been wonderful, the blue line has been amazing to be able to get downtown. AB: Student housing is in high demand, and the waitlist keeps getting longer. And off-campus housing isn't any easier. Parlier says more students are being forced into longer and longer commutes to find housing they can afford. That's why he wants the city Planning Department to zone for as much high-density housing in University City as possible. AP: We need to find ways to be friendly with the climate and reduce our emissions at the same. High-density housing, public transit, alternative transit modes achieve that. AB: Parlier is the lone student representative on the University Community Planning Group, a volunteer body where the Planning Department does most of its outreach. He says the group, and attendance at its meetings, is dominated by homeowners… like Linda Beresford, who had this to say at a meeting in March. LB: Allowing transient UCSD students to have as much say as people who have invested here is not a true representation of resident desires. LC: I think it's important for students to have a say in it. We're not transient. AB: Leana Cortez is a junior at UCSD who's been organizing her classmates to get more engaged in the zoning debate. She says the stakes for students dealing with the housing shortage are high: A national survey recently found 17% of college students have been homeless in the past year. And almost half of them face housing insecurity. LC: We're talking about people surfing people's couches. They might secure housing for three months, but where are they going to go after that? These are problems that students have to face while having all their studies and all their extracurriculars, and they shouldn't have to do that. AB: Cortez says it's hard work trying to get students more involved in the planning process. And there are structural barriers to participation. Students who live on campus aren't allowed to vote in planning group elections. And, she says, she's never seen the planning group do anything on campus. LC: There's just not enough outreach to begin with for people to even know that they can get engaged. And when people are interested and they want to join these spaces, they are faced with that negativity. AW: Students have a critical viewpoint and a role to play in the process. AB: Andy Wiese sits on the University Community Planning Group and runs the meetings focused on how much new housing should be allowed. He says he does his best to promote civility and active listening in meetings. And the folks who don't want students around will have to get used to them. Many students stick around after graduation. And even when they don't… AW: … People like them will be here. And more of them will be here. And their views represent what we can imagine to be the concerns of their peers to come. AB: Still, Wiese doesn't always agree with students. For example, he opposed a proposal to allow medium-density townhomes in parts of south University City, where the current zoning allows only low-density detached homes. He fears that will displace existing residents. AW: To the extent that that proposal looked like a displacement proposal, I think that it was ill considered. AB: Cortez says south University City is a wealthy area, and homeowners there are not at risk of displacement. LC: It's not like we're tearing people’s houses down. We're just trying to make sure that there’s enough space for everyone to live here. AB: The city expects to have a draft of the new University City Community Plan sometime next year. Andrew Bowen, KPBS news.

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Coming up.... A meeting to discuss the Friendship Park border wall plans. We’ll have that story and more after the break.

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For years, Friendship Park was a place for families to reunite with loved ones separated by the border.

But those reunions haven’t happened in over two years… and the wait could be even longer due to border wall construction.

KPBS reporter Tania Thorne says park advocates met with the Border Patrol yesterday, (Wednesday) to try to get some answers.

Customs and Border Protection says construction will begin in September on new 30-foot walls inside the park. John Fanestil with Friends of Friendship Park says it's unclear how those walls will include access for families separated by the border to reunite at the park. He thinks local stakeholders should be included in the conversation. This is the kind of consultation that was supposed to happen, by the way, during this recent. freeze on construction projects” in a statement, Customs and Border Protection says there will be a pedestrian gate… and that the agency will “identify opportunities to provide the public with access once it is operationally safe to do so.” TT KPBS News.

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Ground was broken yesterday (Wednesday) on a major project on the Chula Vista bayfront.

KPBS reporter Jacob Aere says it's expected to bring jobs and tourism into San Diego's South Bay.

The Gaylord Pacific Resort and Convention Center is the cornerstone project of the 535-acre Chula Vista Bayfront. The project is expected to have a large economic impact on the South Bay and the San Diego region … with hopes of attracting visitors from throughout California and beyond, says Port of San Diego Commissioner Ann Moore. “Once it's done it's supposed to create at least 4000 permanent jobs. And it's going to put about a billion dollars of money into the regional economy.” The hotel is currently projected to open in 2025. The first phase of construction will include the 1,600-room hotel and convention center, a new park and roads, a parking structure and supporting public infrastructure. Jacob Aere, KPBS News.

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Maya Gabeira is a two-time Guinness World Record holder for big wave surfing, and seven-time World Surf League Big Wave Award winner.

But since 20-20 she’s also been working on another title… Author.

Her latest children’s book, ‘Maya and the Beast’ is a beautifully illustrated story of empowerment and conquering fear.

Maya Gabeira joined KPBS’S Jade Hindmon to talk about her journey as a surfer and writer.

What inspired you to become a writer?

Maya and the Beast, follows a young, asthmatic girl who dreams of surfing big waves. What life experiences as a surfer did you pull from to write her story?

In 2020 you rode the biggest wave surfed by anyone – a first for women in professional surfing. Why is this such a passion for you?

Speaking of challenges…What challenges do you face as a woman breaking records in a male dominated sport?

Both writing and surfing take an enormous amount of focus… what do you find more challenging of the two and why?

You wrote Maya and the Beast for young audiences… what do you hope they take away from this story?

That was Guinness World Record holder for big wave surfing and author, Maya Gabiera, speaking with KPBS Midday Edition host Jade Hindmon.

Maya will be in San Diego next week for a Warwicks book event at the La Jolla Riford Library.

That’s next Friday, August 5th at 4-30 p-m.

You can find more information about that event is on our website, K-P-B-S-DOT-ORG.

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That’s it for the podcast today. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. I’m Debbie Cruz. Thanks for listening and have a great day.