Tag Archives: vaccinations

Biden employer vaccine mandate back on

Posted on December 19, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

For now, at least. A federal appeals court panel on Friday allowed President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for larger private employers to move ahead, reversing a previous decision on a requirement that could affect some 84 million U.S workers. … Continue reading →

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Mayor Turner tests positive for COVID

Posted on December 19, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Get well soon. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced Friday he has COVID 19, putting him among a rising number of infections as the omicron strain of the virus begins to sweep the country. “I was not feeling well overnight and … Continue reading →

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Here comes omicron

Posted on December 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Ready or not. Houston is seeing early signs of another wave of COVID-19 infections, fueled in part by a fast-spreading omicron variant, as public health officials warn of a nationwide spike in cases as early as next month. The daily … Continue reading →

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Corbevax

Posted on December 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Very cool. A Houston-made COVID-19 vaccine will likely be approved for use in India by the end of the year, said Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director of Texas Children’s Hospitals Center for Vaccine Development. Hotez and his co-director, Dr. Maria Elena … Continue reading →

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Here comes omicron

Posted on December 7, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It was always just a matter of time. Texas has identified its first case of the omicron COVID-19 variant, a strain flagged as potentially more infectious than any that has come before it, including the delta variant responsible for surges … Continue reading →

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How’s that city push to get its employees vaccinated going?

Posted on December 6, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Not bad, actually. Nearly three months after Mayor Sylvester Turner signed an executive order requiring Houston’s 21,000 city employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine, receive a medical or religious exemption, or submit COVID-19 test results every two weeks, compliance with … Continue reading →

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Omicron may be coming, but delta is still here

Posted on December 5, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It’s still a big problem, in case we haven’t forgotten. Omicron’s arrival in the U.S. came as no surprise to federal health officials and will be met with similar anticipation in Texas, where experts believe it could show up in … Continue reading →

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Deer COVID

Posted on December 3, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

In case you were running low on things to feel anxious about. Scientists have evidence that SARS-CoV-2 spreads explosively in white-tailed deer and that the virus is widespread in this deer population across the United States. Researchers say the findings … Continue reading →

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Vaccine mandate for health care workers blocked

Posted on December 2, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I’d say this is getting ridiculous, but we’re well past that point. A federal judge on Monday blocked President Joe Biden’s administration from enforcing a coronavirus vaccine mandate on thousands of health care workers in 10 states that had brought … Continue reading →

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Harris County at “moderate” threat level again

Posted on November 29, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

For now. As with all things, for now. The COVID-19 threat level in Harris County was reduced Friday to moderate from significant as the local number of hospitalized patients and new cases met thresholds that guide the meter while a … Continue reading →

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COVID hospitalizations are (generally) down in (most of) Texas

Posted on November 28, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

For now. I think you always have to add “for now” to this sort of thing. As Texans head into the holiday season, there is much to celebrate when it comes to addressing the pandemic. But health experts say the … Continue reading →

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Biden tries again on the employer vaccine mandate

Posted on November 24, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Different appeals court this time. The Biden administration is asking the 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals to wipe away an order from another appeals court blocking its Occupational Safety and Health Administration vaccine mandate. Several lawsuits were brought challenging the … Continue reading →

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Texas sues over the health care workers vaccine mandate

Posted on November 18, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a trifecta. In Texas’ latest legal challenge targeting federal vaccination mandates, Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the Biden administration over its recent order requiring health workers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The Biden administration issued an emergency order, … Continue reading →

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HISD will consider lifting its mask mandate

Posted on November 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

After the holidays, depending on how things go. Houston ISD will consider changing its mask mandate policy after the winter break in the wake of expanded vaccine eligibility for youngsters and improving pandemic conditions in the city, Superintendent Millard House II said Monday. … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit extends hold on Biden employer vaccine mandate

Posted on November 14, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

The worst court in America keeps on keeping on. A federal appeals court kept its block on the implementation on the Biden administration rule that requires large companies to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for employees or carry out weekly testing starting in January. … Continue reading →

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Just a reminder, the COVID vaccine really will save your life

Posted on November 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Numbers don’t lie. New data from the Texas health department released Monday proves what health officials have been trying to tell vaccine-hesitant Texans for months: The COVID-19 vaccine dramatically prevents death and is the best tool to prevent transmission of … Continue reading →

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We wait on the Fifth Circuit

Posted on November 11, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

They have received briefs and held a hearing about whether to keep or lift their hold on the Biden COVID vaccine mandate for employers. A coalition of businesses argued in federal court Tuesday that they would suffer “irreparable harm” if … Continue reading →

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People still support mask mandates

Posted on November 10, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

One more tidbit from the UT/Trib poll for October. A majority of Texas voters support requiring masks at schools and indoor public places and allowing businesses to require their employees to be vaccinated, according to a new University of Texas/Texas … Continue reading →

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The employer vaccine mandate is here (and on hold)

Posted on November 7, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Here are the details. Deadline is Jan. 4: The first rule, issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, covers companies with 100 or more employees, applying to an estimated 84 million workers. Companies must ensure that their workers are … Continue reading →

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More kids are getting their COVID shots

Posted on November 4, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

So good to see. The possibility of the parties, vacations and family gatherings energized six families who attended the COVID-19 vaccination event on Wednesday inside Memorial Hermann, the morning after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officially expanded eligibility to kids … Continue reading →

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NAACP tells athletes to steer clear of Texas

Posted on November 2, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

At least someone is willing to take a stand. The NAACP is urging professional athletes who are free agents to boycott Texas over recent restrictive voting and abortion laws as well as policies stopping local governments from enacting coronavirus containment … Continue reading →

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Of course Texas sues over federal vaccination mandates

Posted on November 1, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

On brand. Always on brand. Attorney General Ken Paxton, on behalf of the state, sued the Biden administration on Friday over its coronavirus vaccine mandate for federal contractors. The federal requirement, which is set to take effect Dec. 8, calls … Continue reading →

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Get your kids ready for their COVID shots

Posted on November 1, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

At long last. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday authorized the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on children ages 5-11, marking a long-awaited milestone in the nearly two-year fight against the deadly virus that experts say … Continue reading →

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The culture wars always come for the school boards

Posted on November 1, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Everything old is new again. Across Texas this year, school board meetings have burst into heated ideological fights over mask mandates, vaccines, and lessons on racism labeled as “critical race theory,” bringing a new level of rancor to volunteer boards … Continue reading →

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Caught between a mandate and a madman

Posted on October 27, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I have sympathy for the schools. Many Texas universities — which collectively hold billions of dollars in federal contracts — are wrestling with how to navigate the Biden administration’s mandate that all federal contractors be vaccinated by Dec. 8 in … Continue reading →

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The Lege may fail to enshrine Abbott’s max anti-vaxx order into law

Posted on October 19, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

One bit of good news. Legislation intended to block any Texas entity, including hospitals and private businesses, from mandating COVID-19 vaccines for employees has stalled out in the Senate with less than two days left in the third special legislative … Continue reading →

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SCOTx puts San Antonio ISD’s vaccine mandate on pause

Posted on October 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Ken Paxton finally gets what he wants. The Texas Supreme Court temporarily halted San Antonio Independent School District’s staff vaccine mandate on Thursday, a day before the deadline for all employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The ruling comes two … Continue reading →

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More on the Abbott max anti-vaxx order

Posted on October 14, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Businesses will face a choice that they would rather not have to face. Companies doing business in Texas face new and complicated challenges after Gov. Greg Abbott this week banned COVID-19 vaccine mandates for all entities in the state — … Continue reading →

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Abbott goes max anti-vaxx

Posted on October 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

He really wants us dead. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday issued another executive order cracking down on COVID-19 vaccine mandates — this time banning any entity in Texas, including private businesses, from requiring vaccinations for employees or customers. Abbott … Continue reading →

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The kids are all right

Posted on October 10, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

This is the best thing you’ll read today. Patrick Kisindja spends his days combating vaccine hesitancy. Sometimes he calls people, other times he drives to their homes to explain the science behind the shot. Then, in the afternoon, Kisindja drives … Continue reading →

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More proof that vaccine mandates work

Posted on October 8, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

In the end, most people just get the damn shots. The rest is sound and fury. Protests, lawsuits and national media coverage surrounded Houston Methodist Hospital in June when it became the country’s first major health system to require a … Continue reading →

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No vax needed to see a Rockets game

Posted on October 8, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

No, thanks. The Rockets will not have any entry or seating restrictions beyond those required by NBA health and safety rules this season, according to Rockets president of business operations Gretchen Sheirr. The team does provide an option for fans … Continue reading →

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The Delta surge is killing younger people

Posted on October 7, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

So many avoidable deaths. About two weeks later, sometime in August, the [woman in the San Antonio intensive care bed] died. She was in her mid-40s. She is among more than 9,000 Texans who have died from COVID-19 in August … Continue reading →

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Don’t forget your flu shot

Posted on October 5, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

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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