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CMS Ups Seasonal Flu Vaccine Payment - 09/09/2024

On Aug. 1, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services increased payments to physicians for influenza vaccines and updated which codes physicians should use when billing for the service during the 2024-25 flu season.

Science: Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism; Physicians Fight to Reassure, Immunize - 08/09/2024

Physicians repeat it over and over: Vaccines like the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine do not cause autism; they are safe and effective. Yet the decades-old false claim that vaccines do cause autism has convinced millions of parents not to give their children potentially lifesaving shots and could lead more to opt out, according to Texas physicians.

CDC: Drinking Raw Milk Doesn’t Protect Against Avian Flu - 08/07/2024

The spread of the A(H5N1) virus, or avian flu, has forced the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to warn people away from drinking raw milk contaminated with the virus as a way to acquire antibodies against the disease. The unsupported practice significantly increases risk of illness. Read more.

Long COVID Definition Created to Help Physicians, Patients - 08/01/2024

To better understand and manage “long COVID”, physicians must first be able to define the condition – so far impossible with no set parameters or qualifications. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recently moved to rectify that problem as a committee of experts created a consensus definition.

Evidence of Zika Infection Found in More Than 250 Texas Mothers - 07/22/2024

Officials have identified 265 Texas women who had evidence of a Zika infection while pregnant, a new report from the Texas Department of State Health Services says.

TMA Grants to Help Your Practice Improve Local Vaccination Rates - 07/16/2024

Apply for a grant. Vaccines Defend What Matters (formerly Be Wise – Immunize) is TMA’s integrated, multimedia public health education and advocacy effort to overcome vaccine hesitancy and increase vaccination rates in Texas. 

Physicians Sound Alarm to Curb Rising Congenital Syphilis Rates - 05/16/2024

Texas physicians are raising the alarm as cases of congenital syphilis, a dangerous illness for fetuses and newborn babies, are surging. Texas has the fourth highest congenital syphilis case rate in the nation, with cases skyrocketing 148% from 2017 to 2022, according to Texas Department of State Health Services data.

The Great Masquerader: Congenital Syphilis Plagues Texas - 05/06/2024

Since beginning her career at the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) in 2017 as the infectious disease medical officer, Jennifer Shuford, MD, has been closely monitoring syphilis.

TMA Vaccination Grants Connect Hard-to-Reach Patients; Apply by May 1 - 03/28/2024

Dozens of patients in the Lubbock area are up to date on their vaccinations thanks to a local impact grant from the Texas Medical Association, which has opened the latest 2024 application cycle for vaccine outreach programs until May 1.

Mumps: Virus Causes Puffy Cheeks and Sometimes, Serious Complications - 03/27/2024

The bottom line: Mumps is a viral contagious disease. People know mumps for patients’ swollen cheeks and jaw, but patients also suffer fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, and loss of appetite. Outbreaks occur every year in the United States and Texas. The MMR vaccine protects people against this disease.

New 24/7 Hotline to Assist in Treatment for Infected Newborns - 02/23/2024

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio recently debuted a 24/7 telehealth help line to assist pediatric infectious disease specialists in treating neonatal illnesses, namely congenital syphilis, whose rates continue to rise in Texas.

Measles: Updated Information and Resources Available to Fight Rising Cases - 02/21/2024

As measles cases continue to rise in Texas and across the U.S., the Texas Medical Association and Texas Hospital Association have created a document to help physicians and other health care professionals combat the highly contagious respiratory illness. The document provides the latest recommendations for diagnosing and reporting measles, immunizations, infection prevention and control, and post-exposure prophylaxis and exclusion.

Pregnant? Make Sure You’re Vaccinated to Protect Yourself, Baby From Disease - 02/21/2024

Vaccinations before and during pregnancy are important to protect both mother and baby. Three vaccinations are recommended: flu, Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis), and MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella).

Talk to Patients About: Measles - 02/20/2024

Few Americans today remember when measles was deadly. But before the measles vaccine was introduced in 1963, the disease killed about 2.6 million globally each year. By 2016, vaccination programs cut that number to about 89,000.

DSHS Introduces Interactive Respiratory Illness Dashboard - 02/08/2024

The Texas Department of State Health Services has developed an interactive dashboard to help physicians across the state combat respiratory illness during its peak season, which typically runs from October through May in Texas.

TMA FAQ Addresses Child and Maternal RSV Treatments - 01/19/2024

With respiratory syncytial virus season well under way, complicated by a temporary shortage of a new treatment, the Texas Medical Association has compiled a frequently-asked-questions document to help inform physicians on available preventive treatments for mothers and infants at risk of the illness.

Apply for a Grant to Help Promote Vaccines - 12/14/2023

More than ever, medicine needs its soldiers to promote the safety, efficacy, and importance of vaccines.

Sickle Cell Disease Care Targeted in State, Federal Efforts - 12/06/2023

Physicians could see improvements in their ability to care for patients with sickle cell disease as moves by the state and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services aim to standardize and improve treatment for the disease and expand access to care.

Build Immunization Awareness During August - 09/11/2023

If you weren’t already aware, August is National Immunization Awareness Month. As a physician, you’re aware of how important vaccines are for public health. But some of your patients might not know or understand the benefits of getting vaccinated. Whether you’re talking to parents of young children, senior citizens, or anyone in between, TMA’s Be Wise – Immunize has some tools you can use.

Update: Ten Measles Cases Reported in Texas - 09/11/2023

Ten cases of measles have been reported in Texas this year, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) said in a statement Wednesday. The 10th case is an adult who was visiting Guadalupe County from the Philippines, where there is an ongoing measles outbreak, the statement said. 

Using Social Media to Curb HPV on Campus - 09/11/2023

With funding help from the TMA Foundation, the association’s philanthropic arm, more than 100 students at Angelo State University in San Angelo and Tyler Junior College in Tyler received free HPV shots at their schools’ health fairs March 5 and 7.

Talk To Your Patients About: Mumps - 09/11/2023

The March issue of Texas Medicine highlights mumps, which spreads easily through sneezing and coughing, or just touching infected surfaces. A vaccine, first introduced in 1967, reduced U.S. cases by 99 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Talk to Your Patients About: Tetanus - 09/11/2023

The April issue of Texas Medicine highlights tetanus, which causes painful spasms that typically occur in jaw muscles but can wrack the entire body, and can be fatal.

Talk to Your Patients About: Meningococcal B - 09/11/2023

Texas Medicine recently highlighted Meningococcal B, a bacterial infection that can affect the blood, brain, and spinal cord with lasting effects like learning difficulties, hearing loss, or limb amputation. The Meningococcal B vaccine is relatively new, having won Food and Drug Administration approval in 2014.

Texas is No. 1 in “Hotspots” For Vaccine Exemptions - 09/11/2023

Houston, Fort Worth, Plano, and Austin are among the cities in the nation with the highest number of kindergartners who have not received vaccinations because of nonmedical reasons, according to the study published this week in the journal PLOS Medicine.