vaccinations

The annual summer COVID wave hasn't peaked yet, and flu season is on the way, but this year brings new options to fight back. From a prophylactic pill you can take after exposure to COVID to a faster-made mRNA flu shot, Dr. Jason Bowling of UT Health San Antonio breaks down the new options.

President Trump signed an executive order earlier this month to limit the vaccine schedule to 11 immunizations. Trump directed officials to review the timing and sequencing of vaccinations. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), heavily criticized the decision, warning that it lacks scientific backing, creates unnecessary hurdles for parents, and leaves children vulnerable to preventable diseases.

A new CDC report on the 2025 West Texas measles outbreak reveals that 90% of those hospitalized in the first two months were children, and four of the five hospitalized adults were pregnant.

Just one year after the worst measles outbreak in the country began in West Texas, public health officials said the U.S. could lose its measles elimination status. Public health leaders from North Texas and Lubbock warn declining vaccination rates could increase risk of future measles outbreaks.

A nationwide surge in pertussis cases has resulted in the deaths of infants in several states across the country this year, from Kentucky to Oregon. A UT Health San Antonio infectious diseases specialist explains how parents can protect their children from the disease.

The death from bird flu of a person in Washington is a reminder that avian flu is circulating widely during flu season, increasing the potential for the emergence of a bird flu strain that can spread easily between humans.

This year's version of H3N2 has experts on alert. It's a mutated version, subclade K, that may weaken the vaccine's protection, but makes getting vaccinated more important than ever.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is changing how federal agencies handle vaccine recommendations. Some parents are hurrying to get kids their shots, fearing future changes could limit access.

A new county has joined the outbreak list this week. The Department of State Health Services confirmed four outbreak-linked cases in Fannin County. Fannin is next door to Lamar County, where the state confirmed five new measles cases this week.

There were no new measles outbreak cases to report in Texas in the last week, and the number of counties on the Texas active outbreak list has dropped to two.