NEWS GLEAMS | U.S. Approves Updated COVID-19 Vaccine, Nonprofit Finance Director Sentenced for Embezzlement

A roundup of news and announcements we don't want to get lost in the fast-churning news cycle!

by Vee Hua 華婷婷

U.S. Approves and Recommends Updated COVID-19 Vaccine for Fall

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have approved an updated COVID-19 vaccine for fall. Marking a change from the way previous COVID-19 vaccine boosters were implemented on a rolling basis, the new vaccines are recommended as an annual booster, similar to the flu vaccine.

The Washington State Department of Health's Vaccine Locator offers a tool for residents to find vaccination locations near them. It cites the following recommendations for the new 2023—2024 mRNA COVID-19 vaccines:

• Children 6 months—4 years old who are unvaccinated are recommended to receive three doses of the updated mRNA Pfizer or two doses of the updated mRNA Moderna.
• Children 6 months—4 years old who were previously vaccinated are recommended to receive one or two doses of an updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (timing and number of doses to administer depends on the previous COVID-19 vaccine received).
• Anyone 5 years old and older regardless of previous vaccination is recommended to receive one dose of an updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccine at least two months since the last dose of any COVID-19 vaccine.

Ongoing COVID-19 metrics for King County are still updated every Wednesday on a Public Health — Seattle & King County dashboard. Current levels are described as low, with 38.9 reported cases per 100,000 people. Trends show an increase from 19.6 to 38.9 over the past four months, though hospitalizations have remained steady at 2.7 people during that time period. However, because of at-home testing and the unlikelihood that all with symptoms or positive tests will report them, it is likely the numbers show a degree of undercounting.

Reporting via The New York Times' The Daily podcast shares that the new boosters are unlikely to prevent individuals from attaining COVID-19 in a significant way, but will greatly reduce any severe symptoms.

Former Finance Director of Country Doctor and Community Passageways Sentenced for Embezzlement

Last week, Susana Tantico — a former finance director of the local nonprofits Country Doctor Community Health Centers and Community Passageways — was sentenced to 41 months in prison for embezzling over $3 million from the two organizations. The stolen funds, according to a press release, were used for gambling, vacations, luxury spending, and home mortgage payments.

The majority of funds were stolen from Country Doctor, a series of health centers that serves low-income individuals and immigrants; it was founded by the Black Panthers and other community activists in 1971. Tantico worked there from 1999 and became its finance director in 2011. A press release from the Justice Department notes that $2.3 million was stolen from the nonprofit between December 2016 and June 2020; records prior to that period were not available.

In 2020, she went to work at Community Passageways, an organization that creates alternatives to youth incarceration and attempts to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline. There, she used more than $485,000 for gambling and $21,000 to pay her home mortgage, and she altered bank records to hide the offenses; in total, she stole nearly $893,000 from Community Passageways.

Its founder, Dominique Davis, told the court, "This was rough, this betrayal of trust. It almost ruined our whole organization. We barely survived this. We were made out to be villains."

Following her prison sentence, Tantico will have an additional three years of supervised release and must repay $3,121,572. Thus far, she has returned $60,000 from the sale of her home. The case, which was prosecuted in federal court, was investigated by the FBI.

'The Right to Read' Film Screening in Renton Promotes Youth Reading

The Right to Read, a documentary directed by Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Jenny Mackenzie and executive produced by Levar Burton, shares the stories of an NAACP activist, a teacher, and two American families who are focused on fighting for young people's right to read.

The film, which is now screening across the country, comes at a time when educational practices are being challenged due to book bans and pushback against critical race theory.

According to statistics on The Right to Read's website, "56% of Black 4th graders, 50% of Hispanic 4th graders, and 57% of American Indian/Alaska Native 4th graders are reading 'below basic.'" Similarly, "52% of 4th graders eligible for free and reduced-price lunch are reading below basic levels," which points to a potential correlation between the two.

A free screening will take place on Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. in the Carco Theater in Renton. Registration is not required, but more details are on King County Library System's website. Reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities is available by request; simply email Access@KCLS.org at least seven days before the event.

The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with the film director; Tanisha Brandon-Felder, Shoreline School District director of Equitable Leadership, Pedagogy and Family Engagement; and Karen Kline, National Board Certified teacher in library media with over 25 years of experience working in school libraries.

📸 Featured Image: Photo via Daniel Chetroni/Shutterstock.com

The South Seattle Emerald™ website contains information and content supplied by third parties and community members. Information contained herein regarding any specific person, commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the South Seattle Emerald™, its directors, editors, or staff members.