Influenza

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.