Tag Archives: flu

Lots of people will not get that latest COVID shot

Sadly not a big surprise. We could move this at the margins, but not as long as any part of government is in Republican control. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends new covid-19 booster vaccines for all — … Continue reading

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Time for your next COVID shot

I’m ready. The U.S. approved updated COVID-19 vaccines Monday, hoping to rev up protection against the latest coronavirus strains and blunt any surge this fall and winter. The Food and Drug Administration decision opens the newest shots from Moderna and … Continue reading

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Our wastewater COVID tracking is a big deal

Nice to be recognized as a leading innovator. The practice of using plumbing to track and prevent disease isn’t new. A series of cholera outbreaks in the mid and late 1800s prompted many cities, including London, Boston, and Chicago to install sewer systems in … Continue reading

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FDA approves RSV vaccine

Good. After a 60-year scientific quest, the world has its first vaccine to protect against respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV – and more are on the way. On Wednesday, the US Food and Drug Administration approved Arexvy, made by GSK, … Continue reading

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Egg smuggling

We live in strange times. As the price of eggs continues to rise, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials are reporting a spike in people attempting to bring eggs into the country illegally from Mexico, where prices are lower. The jump in … Continue reading

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FDA suggests annual COVID booster

I like the idea of this, which is to make COVID shots simpler and thus hopefully more likely to be taken, but it seems to be more nuanced than that. The US Food and Drug Administration wants to simplify the … Continue reading

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COVID rates tick down again in Houston

Always a good headline to read. COVID-19 data from the Texas Medical Center this week suggests the current wave may be subsiding, though experts urge caution as a new, highly infectious variant continues to circulate. The average number of daily … Continue reading

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New year, new omicron variant

Stay safe out there. A new omicron COVID-19 variant is spreading fast across the United States and beginning to make inroads in Houston, where the positivity rate continues to rise. The new strain, XBB.1.5, was first detected on the east … Continue reading

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It’s winter surge time again

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, though I think you already suspected this. COVID-19 cases are rising across Texas two weeks after the Thanksgiving holiday, echoing last year’s surge of the omicron variant. There are more than 18,000 positive … Continue reading

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I regret to inform you that “tripledemic” is a word

The good news is that we may avoid it here in Houston. A collision of three respiratory viruses — COVID-19, influenza and RSV — may not hit Houston as severely as other parts of the country, experts say, but pediatric … Continue reading

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Beware of RSV

Worrying. Two common respiratory viruses continue to keep Houston pediatric hospitals unusually busy this time of year, with both the flu and RSV seeing a second surge following a rise in cases over the spring and summer, respectively. Before the … Continue reading

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Is this just the calm before the next COVID wave?

Things look good now, at least in the Houston area, but COVID never sleeps. As the U.S. heads into a third pandemic winter, the first hints are emerging that another possible surge of COVID-19 infections could be on its way. … Continue reading

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The wastewater is looking good now

In terms of COVID levels, anyway. The COVID-19 viral load in Houston’s wastewater has sunk to its lowest point in seven months as the city puts the latest wave, driven by the highly contagious omicron subvariant BA.5, in the rear … Continue reading

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Fifth Circuit upholds dismissal of Methodist vaccine mandate lawsuit

Good. A federal appeals court on Monday upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit challenging Houston Methodist’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, which last year thrust the hospital into the national spotlight as the first healthcare system in the U.S. to require the … Continue reading

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Don’t forget your flu shot

The flu is going to be back this year. Don’t fall for it. After a historically light flu season in 2020, experts warn an influenza resurgence is looming this fall and winter. “I would expect a more intense influenza season, … Continue reading

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Methodist anti-vaxxers appeal lawsuit dismissal

As expected. A group of Houston Methodist employees who sued the hospital system over its COVID-19 vaccine requirement have appealed a ruling dismissing the case. Over the weekend, U.S. District Judge Lynn N. Hughes tossed the lawsuit, calling it “reprehensible” … Continue reading

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Lawsuit over Methodist Hospital vaccination mandate tossed

That was quick. A federal judge has tossed a lawsuit against Houston Methodist over its policy to terminate workers who refuse to get the COVID vaccine, calling it “reprehensible” that plaintiffs compared the requirement to those made under Nazi Germany. … Continue reading

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Will Methodist fire its unvaccinated workers?

In two weeks, if they haven’t gotten vaccinated, the answer is Yes. Dozens of cheering supporters gathered outside the Houston Methodist Baytown campus Monday evening as several medical workers who refused to get a COVID-19 vaccine ended their last shifts … Continue reading

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Houston Methodist tells its employees to get vaxxed or else

I’m okay with this. Four out of five Houston Methodist employees are vaccinated against COVID-19. The sliver who are not will be suspended or fired if they refuse the shot, according to company policy. The hospital required managers to be … Continue reading

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No flu

I would never say that there was any such thing as a silver lining to the COVID pandemic, but it is true that basically nobody died from the flu this year because of masking and social distancing. What medical officials … Continue reading

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The weather effect

Maybe a little bit of hope. We’ll see. Communities living in warmer places appear to have a comparative advantage to slow the transmission of coronavirus infections, according to an early analysis by scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The … Continue reading

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Please get a flu shot

It’s always a good idea, even if it’s more effective in some years than in others. The flu vaccine may not be very effective this winter, according to U.S. health officials who worry this may lead to more serious illnesses … Continue reading

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Some things you can vaccinate against

Saying dumb things isn’t one of them. As the council considered a proposal Wednesday to accept $3.1 million in federal funding for childhood immunizations, Councilman Jack Christie voiced his opposition to the measure, apparently conflating it with flu vaccinations. “I’m … Continue reading

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