Tag Archives: vaccinations

How to deal with anti-vaxxers

Posted on March 14, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a big problem. Certain that they are right, struggling to find ways to get their message across, public health officials are exasperated by their inability to convince more U.S. parents to vaccinate their children. “I think we’re all kind … Continue reading →

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Abbott waffles on vaccinations

Posted on February 14, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Come on, dude. Weighing in on a national debate, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott made clear this week that he supports laws that include exemptions to requirements that parents vaccinate their children. “Abbott recognizes the public health benefits of vaccines and … Continue reading →

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Improving infections disease response

Posted on February 13, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This is an Ebola-inspired bill, but not an Ebola bill. So say the stakeholders, anyway. Months after three people in Texas were diagnosed with Ebola, several key state lawmakers on Wednesday proposed ways to prepare the state for the next … Continue reading →

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Ending exemptions for vaccines

Posted on February 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Hear, hear. A Texas Republican is taking aim at a provision in state law that allows parents with personal or religious objections to vaccines to opt their children out of school immunization requirements. State Rep. Jason Villalba, R-Dallas, said Friday … Continue reading →

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Measles

Posted on February 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

We haven’t had an outbreak in Texas. Yet. Measles has replaced Ebola as the infectious disease threat of the moment, but the only recent case in Texas occurred in Fort Worth in mid-January and was unrelated to the current outbreak … Continue reading →

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It’s skunk vaccination time

Posted on January 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Again. Fresh from victories over rabies strains in the coyote and gray fox, Texas [launched] its annual aerial assault on one of the state’s top remaining carriers: skunks. The state health department Wednesday [began] dropping 1.4 million doses of edible … Continue reading →

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Please get a flu shot

Posted on December 15, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

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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We really need to do better on vaccinations

Posted on July 7, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Cherise Rohr-Allegrini, PhD, MPH and self-proclaimed “crunchy granola hippie”, writes in the Rivard Report about how we are letting infectious diseases regain a foothold. In 1998, the World Health Organization declared that measles would be eradicated worldwide by 2007. In … Continue reading →

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Vaccinating skunks

Posted on March 1, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

To prevent rabies, of course. Texas, which has long campaigned for family pets to be vaccinated against rabies, is now attacking from the sky one of the state’s foulest carriers of the disease: skunks. Skunks would obviously put up quite … Continue reading →

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Teaching creationism in Texas

Posted on January 20, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Zack Kopplin reports on some unconstitutional behavior by a national charter school operator that has several campuses in Texas. When public-school students enrolled in Texas’ largest charter program open their biology workbooks, they will read that the fossil record is … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: For Christie

Posted on October 19, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron endorses freshman CM Jack Christie in At Large #5. At-Large council members act as a sort of minister without portfolio. While district council members focus on constituent issues, at-large members can set their own agendas. The previous incumbent … Continue reading →

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Pertussis

Posted on September 1, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Not good. State health officials warn that Texas is on track to see the highest number of whooping cough cases it has registered in 50 years if occurrences of the disease continue at the current rate. As of this week, … Continue reading →

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The HPV vaccine

Posted on March 31, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This story about HPV and its vaccine is from a couple of weeks ago, but it needs to be read. The vaccine that blocks a sexually transmitted infection that causes cervical, oral and other cancers was hailed as a home … Continue reading →

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Some things you can vaccinate against

Posted on January 20, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

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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Eradicating rabies

Posted on January 15, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Did you know that the state of Texas has been funding a program to wipe out rabies in foxes and coyotes by dropping vaccines for it from airplanes. It’s called the Texas Oral Rabies Vaccination Project, and it’s been a … Continue reading →

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