Related Stories

COVID-19 Vaccines Report, Jan.15, 2021: CDC Provides Vaccine Allergy Recommendations - 01/15/2021

The latest COVID-19 vaccine news as of Jan. 15, 2021

Talk to Patients About: What Is ImmTrac2? - 01/14/2021

ImmTrac2, Texas’ revised immunization registry, is designed to help people keep their vaccine records in order. Texas residents who sign up can have their immunization records stored for free, allowing physicians, schools, and other authorized people to see which shots a person has received and which ones they’ve missed.

Talk to Patients About: Flu Shot Myths - 01/05/2021

It’s no secret that many patients don’t take the annual vaccine for influenza as seriously as their physicians would like. During the 2019-20 flu season, just over half of Americans 6 months or older – 51.8% – got their flu shots, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That was up 2.6% from the previous season.

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy - 01/04/2021

Physicians have proven ways to respond to patients’ reluctance on vaccines.

Improve Access to Immunizations - 12/17/2020

Vaccinations are important, safe, and effective. They defend our families, our community, and our economy from infectious diseases. The COVID 19 pandemic clearly illustrates what can happen when a vaccine does not exist to ward off a deadly infectious disease.

Texas Physicians Get First Doses of COVID-19 Vaccine - 12/17/2020

Fast, smooth, relatively painless. That’s the way Texas Medical Association President Diana L. Fite, MD, described her experience as part of the state’s first batch of essential health care workers to receive initial doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine.

New TMA Ads Remind Texans of the Importance of Vaccines - 12/03/2020

In a new ad campaign that debuted during the Democratic National Convention, TMA reminds Texans of the many ways vaccinations protect us. A second ad will run Thursday, Aug. 27, during the closing night of the Republican National Convention.

Operation Distribution: Physicians Key in COVID-19 Vaccines Distribution - 12/02/2020

Even though COVID-19 vaccines are closer than ever to use by the general public, many questions remain about how they will be distributed to Texas physicians – and how they’ll be received by Texans. That’s why TMA in October weighed in on the state’s distribution plan with recommendations to help ensure COVID-19 vaccines are not only distributed effectively and efficiently, but also seen as trusted tools in the fight against the illness.

Talk to Patients About: Why COVID-19 “Parties” Are a Bad Idea - 11/30/2020

Most people have gradually adjusted to the day-to-day changes caused by COVID-19, such as washing hands frequently, wearing masks, and social distancing. But others have looked for strategies to get around the hassles caused by the pandemic. In some cases, this has included deliberately trying to contract the potentially deadly illness through “COVID parties,” events designed to expose people to someone with COVID-19.

State Board Finalizes Medically Accurate Health Education Standards - 11/23/2020

Thanks to an organized push by the Texas Medical Association and its physician members, the State Board of Education last week approved new Texas curriculum standards that include more comprehensive and medically accurate instruction on multiple health-related topics.

Effectively Counseling Patients Amid the Anti-Vaccination Movement - 11/20/2020

Primary care physicians are at the frontline of the annual battle against influenza. Many patients arrive at their clinician’s office with erroneous information about the vaccine and have already decided to refuse their flu shot before they walk through the clinic doors. In response, practices and providers across the country have amplified their efforts.

Talk to Patients About: ACIP - 11/20/2020

Two federal agencies oversee the way vaccines reach the U.S. public. But only one of them guides physicians on the best way to use those vaccines. That agency is the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a branch of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates the way private companies develop and produce vaccines.)

State Board Could Remove Vaccine Education From Public Schools - 11/17/2020

There is still time to tell your state education board member to reject any amendments to the immunization language in the draft Health Education TEKS, and to ensure future generations of Texas children are informed on the importance of vaccines to overall health.

Talk to Patients About: Vaccine Testing - 10/30/2020

The COVID-19 vaccines currently under production are expected to reach the public faster than any previous vaccine. But no matter how quickly a vaccine is produced, it still must pass a series of rigorous scientific tests before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will license it for public use.

More than Ever, Flu Shots are Critical to a Healthy Texas - 10/30/2020

2020 has been a hard year. The COVID-19 pandemic has killed our loved ones, made many Texans sick, and upended our lives. Now we’re facing another big threat – flu season.

Vaccination Social Media Toolkit - 09/30/2020

The Texas Medical Association’s Be Wise – ImmunizeSM program has created a variety of shareable social media assets to help you convey that vaccinations for children and adults are important, safe, and effective. Please click on the links below to save and share to your social media pages.

What Does Be Wise — Immunize Offer for Physicians? - 09/28/2020

Be Wise can help you implement or enhance vaccination practices in your office with our vaccination toolkits and continuing medical education courses; educate about vaccines in your office, in the media, or at public gatherings such as parent-teacher associations and civic organizations; and more!

Education Board Approves Curriculum Standards on HPV Vaccines - 09/15/2020

The State Board of Education has approved health education standards that would require public schools to teach the importance of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines beginning in seventh grade.

Talk to Patients About: Texas School Vaccines - 09/07/2020

Regardless of whether education takes place virtually or in-person, Texas school vaccination rules remain in effect for the 2020-21 school year, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. All Texas public schools (and most private schools) and colleges require students to have certain shots before they can attend classes at the beginning of a school year.

Encourage School Vaccinations with Prewritten Letters to the Editor - 08/20/2020

To help you spread the word to families who might have missed or avoided vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Texas Medical Association’s Be Wise – Immunize program and the Texas Pediatric Society have created four prewritten letters to the editor you can send to your local newspaper.

Schools Can Exclude Students with Vax Opt-Outs In an Epidemic, TMA Says - 08/20/2020

If school districts during an epidemic want to exclude students who have declined vaccinations for reasons of conscience, both the law and public health considerations are on their side, the Texas Medical Association has told Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Urge Texans to Get Flu Vaccine Early, Officials Say - 08/06/2020

With flu season on the horizon – and the COVID-19 pandemic expected to continue – Texas physicians should strongly encourage patients to receive a flu vaccination as early as possible.

How to Boost HPV Vaccination Rates During COVID-19 - 07/20/2020

Vaccinations for human papillomavirus (HPV) have plunged since COVID-19 hit Texas in March, but a new virtual project will help Northeast Texas physicians explore strategies for changing that trend. HPV Cancer Free Texas will provide seven monthly one-hour Project ECHO video conferences for CME credit to discuss best practices and evidence-based tools that encourage patients to get HPV vaccinations.

TMA Partners to Boost HPV Vaccination Rates - 07/15/2020

To help improve HPV vaccination rates, the Texas Medical Association joined with a coalition of more than 40 other organizations Tuesday to announce a renewed statewide immunization campaign to prevent HPV-related cancers.

Talk to Patients About: Why Will It Take So Long for a COVID-19 Vaccine? - 07/10/2020

Of all the solutions to the COVID-19 pandemic, a vaccine is the most attractive. With just one shot, people could transform the disease from a global disruptor to an easily manageable public health problem. But vaccines can’t be whipped up overnight.