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Texas Expands Tobacco Cessation Services - 04/05/2024

With the help of a $2 million funding increase approved by state legislators in 2023 and backed by the Texas Medical Association, the Texas Department of State Health Services will expand its tobacco cessation services, giving physicians additional resources to help patients struggling with nicotine addiction.

E-Tobacco Protocol Integrates Intervention Into EHRs - 11/13/2023

Amid high rates of e-cigarette use in adolescents and young adults, and following TMA’s legislative wins on nicotine cessation and prevention, physicians now have a seamless way to help patients quit, using their electronic health records. Read more.

Here’s Everything You Need to Spread the Word About Flu Vaccines - 09/06/2023

Today is Texas Influenza Awareness Day, which the Texas Department of State Health Services designated to stress the importance of every Texan over 6 months old receiving a seasonal flu vaccine. The Texas Medical Association’s Be Wise – Immunize program has created several tools and resources you can use to get the word out today and throughout flu season.

Here’s What Medicare Pays for Flu Shots This Season - 08/23/2023

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently published 2019-20 payment rates for personal flu vaccines and their administration. The effective dates for these rates are Aug. 1, 2019, to July 31, 2020.

Patient Care Protected: E-Cigarette Regulation and Taxation - 08/04/2023

State lawmakers gave tobacco-control advocates – among them Texas physicians – a big victory by allocating a nearly $4.3 million increase for nicotine cessation and prevention efforts.

Doctors Say Vaccinations Key to Preventing a Deadly Flu Season - 06/28/2023

Look out: Here comes flu season. Even though the flu is an annual occurrence, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) branded the 2017-18 flu season as one of the worst in recent years.

Physician-Led Results: E-Cigarette Regulation - 06/20/2023

Texas’ new budget includes a big funding increase for tobacco cessation and prevention efforts. While a tax on e-cigarettes did not survive this session, lawmakers approved a crackdown on e-cigarette marketing to minors.

Flu, RSV Outbreaks Worsen as “Tripledemic” Threatens - 12/02/2022

Texas Medicine Today recently reported that influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, and other respiratory ailments are poised to overwhelm hospitals and clinics. The big question then was, would this problem get worse?

Take 15 Seconds to Encourage Flu Vaccinations - 11/11/2022

What if 15 seconds was all it took to educate and encourage your patients about getting their flu shots? TMA has added two new 15-second videos to its Vaccines Defend What Matters (VDWM) resources to help.

Upcoming Flu Season, Vaccine Hesitancy Could Intensify as Side Effects of Pandemic - 09/27/2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has shaped recent flu seasons, and there’s reason to believe this trend will continue.

Graphic Warnings on Cigarette Packs Face Ongoing Legal Challenge - 09/09/2022

A court order – once again – has upheld enforcement of the Food and Drug Administration’s rule that cigarette packs must contain more colorful and graphic health warnings. The new deadline for implementing the rule, per the court order, is Oct. 6, 2023.

TMA Backs Proposed FDA Bans on Flavoring in Cigars, Cigarettes - 07/22/2022

The Texas Medical Association recently gave enthusiastic approval to proposed federal rules designed to crack down on flavored tobacco products, a move Texas physicians say is long overdue.

FDA’s Juul Ban a Partial Win in Fight Against E-Cigarettes - 06/28/2022

The importance of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) recent order for electronic cigarette maker Juul Labs Inc. to stop selling or distributing products “cannot be overstated,” said Pasadena pediatrician Lindy Upton McGee, MD, an assistant professor

Houston Includes E-Cigarettes in Anti-Smoking Ordinance - 05/04/2022

The Houston City Council scored a big win for public health when it voted unanimously to add e-cigarettes to the city’s ordinance on smoking in public places, says Pasadena pediatrician Lindy Upton McGee, MD, an assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine.

Expect a More Serious Flu Season – and Test Accordingly, DSHS Says - 04/05/2022

In 2021, precautions that people took against COVID-19 – like masking and social distancing – helped create an unusually light flu season, says Jennifer Shuford, MD, chief state epidemiologist at the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). In 2022, Texas probably will not be as lucky.

Avoid the Yuletide Flu Tide: Emphasize Flu Shots With Your Patients - 11/30/2021

The last influenza season may have been light, but don’t let that prompt you to take this season lightly when consulting with your patients about flu shots.

Remind Families to Vaccinate Against Pertussis, Flu as Holidays Approach - 11/16/2021

As families reunite this holiday season, perhaps for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Texas Medical Association leaders say it’s time to remind them that infants need protection, too, from a public health threat that long predates the coronavirus: pertussis, or whooping cough.

Tobacco Control Coalition Requests Prevention Funds - 10/04/2021

Telling state leaders “there has never been a more important time to help tobacco users quit,” Texas Tobacco Control Partners – a coalition that includes the Texas Medical Association – is asking for a $6 million boost to state funding for tobacco-use prevention and cessation.

FDA Delays Decision on the Sale of Juul, Other Popular Vaping Products - 09/29/2021

Texas physicians should be disappointed that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently postponed a long-awaited decision on whether products by Juul – which make up 40% of the e-cigarette market – should remain in the hands of consumers, says Pasadena pediatrician Lindy McGee, MD.

ACIP Flu Guidelines: Vaccinate Young Children as Soon as Possible - 09/21/2021

When it comes to preventing influenza, particularly in the middle of a pandemic, the key takeaway among this year’s recommendations from the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) involves vaccines and timing, says Alan Howell, MD, an infectious disease specialist in Temple and a member of the Texas Medical Association’s Committee on Infectious Diseases.

Senate Committee Unanimously Passes Bill to De-Fuse Youth E-Cigarette Use - 03/31/2021

A Senate committee unanimously passed a bill today that would establish a framework for taxing e-cigarettes by requiring a person to obtain a permit from the state before selling those products.

Six Ways Lawmakers Can Help Prevent Youth Nicotine Addiction - 03/11/2021

The Texas Medical Association and the Texas Public Health Coalition are asking lawmakers to strengthen Texas’ laws aimed at keeping tobacco and e-cigarettes out of the hands of Texas youth.

Texas Needs More Action to Curb Tobacco Use, Health Organizations Say - 06/26/2020

While praising recent restrictions on smoking, e-cigarettes, and vaping products, a coalition of Texas health organizations called on state lawmakers to do even more to keep children from using those products.

Health Organizations Praise E-Cigarette Investigation - 03/12/2020

The Texas Medical Association, along with numerous state health organizations, applauded Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s recent announcement of a multi-state investigation into the marketing and sales practices of JUUL Labs, which makes popular e-cigarette devices.

Sparking a Conversation on Vaping - 02/28/2020

A panel of lawmakers and physicians participated in a state Parent Teacher Association (PTA) town hall event at the Texas Capitol on Tuesday. The panel discussed the vaping health epidemic; issues with implementation of a state law passed last year that raised the minimum age to use or purchase tobacco products – including vaping devices – to 21; and the need for support to help students quit.