COVID PM: Tell us about any unusual side effects + state will wait till June 15 for mask loosening

Quick Take:

Burgundi Thure, Owner of Sew Rose, provides a one-stop home decorating service for her clients, including creating...

Hello, everyone, and Happy Monday.

While I came through my second-dose malaise in good shape and pulled off a normal-ish if somewhat unspectacular weekend, I’ve been hearing from some others who have faced strange and disconcerting side effects even from their first shot of Moderna.

One healthy friend in her late 20s developed an uncomfortable viral skin rash over much of her body. Her doctor explained that it could involve an immune system hiccup related to the vaccine. It has certainly left her with extra anxiety about what the second shot might have in store.

I also heard from another healthy friend in his late 40s who recently got hit six or seven days after his Moderna No. 2 with an aggressive sore throat and body aches and fever.

We just can’t be certain what our body chemistry will deal us or why.

Have you or those you know had any similar side effects? Hit reply and share. Rest assured this is a safe place for discourse and commiseration.

And now to today’s top virus/vaccine/masking developments…

On the masking front

California will wait until June 15 to adopt new CDC mask guidelines: Californians fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can go mask-free in most indoor settings starting June 15 — which also is the target date for reopening the state’s economy, officials announced Monday. More from our LA Times content partners on that here.

Many experts say to keep masks on, as pushback to CDC guidance intensifies: A growing number of health experts who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 said they’ll keep their masks on in public settings as federal officials acknowledged that new relaxed mask recommendations issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention need clarification. More from the Times here.

On the vaccine front

A woman gives a thumbs up after getting a vaccine in her kitchen as part of a Glendale program to vaccinate people at home.

How do you persuade someone to get vaccinated? Tips for a productive conversation: Helping people overcome vaccine hesitancy will get us back to normal faster. How to have a productive conversation that can lead to changing someone’s mind here via the Times.

For teenagers, vaccinations are a ticket to freedom. Some parents still not sure: Nearly every phase of California’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout has been met with a mixture of enthusiasm and angst. But few groups have been as eager — or as concerned — as the latest to wrestle with the availability of vaccines: parents. More from the Times on that here.

On the pandemic life front

Police respond to the scene where a man was shot in Watsonville on Thursday night. — Credit: Watsonville Police Department

Homicides surge in California amid COVID shutdowns of schools, youth programs: California endured a brutal spike in homicides in 2020 across large swaths of the state, registering the largest year-over-year increase in victims in three decades. Experts cite as one significant factor a rise in gang violence fueled by pandemic shutdowns of schools, sports leagues and programs for at-risk youth. Kaiser Health News examines that here.