Vaccines

State Law Banning Refusal of Care to Certain Unvaccinated Patients Takes Effect - 11/18/2024

Starting Sept. 1, a new state law prohibits clinicians caring for patients enrolled in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to refuse health care services based on their vaccination status.

TMA Testifies on a Flurry of Public Health, Insurance Bills - 11/18/2024

As of the March 10 bill filing deadline, state lawmakers had introduced more than 9,000 pieces of legislation, establishing a new record and teeing up the Texas Medical Association’s busiest session yet.

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.

Vaccine Grants Improve Patient Access - 06/17/2024

One of many ways the Texas Medical Association fights to bridge gaps in care, the Vaccines Defend What Matters program has announced its first round of 2024 grantees, who address pressing immunization needs while reaching underserved communities.

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.

Education Board Approves Curriculum Standards on HPV Vaccines - 12/14/2023

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.

Widening the Net: New RSV Preventions Can Reduce Seasonal Burden of Disease - 12/04/2023

These new preventive treatments for RSV can help reduce seasonal burden of disease.

FDA Approves New RSV Vaccine, COVID-19 Booster - 10/19/2023

Physicians will have a new vaccine in their arsenal to help protect against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a timely development as cold, flu, and COVID-19 illnesses tend to converge and ramp up this time of year and become difficult to differentiate.

Focus on Tarrant County: Volunteer Opportunities Can Boost Membership - 08/17/2023

During National Immunization Month, we put the spotlight on Tarrant County Medical Society Alliance (TCMSA), which has played a huge role in ensuring local residents have access to vaccinations. With the support of the TMA Foundation, TCMSA helped form the Immunization Collaboration of Tarrant County (ICTC) more than 20 years ago and continues to support its work.

Patient Care Protected: Vaccines, ImmTrac2 Modernization - 08/04/2023

Texas physicians started this year’s legislative session with a simple strategy on vaccines: defend existing protections and push for a long-overdue technological upgrade to ImmTrac2, the state’s vaccination registry.

Parents, Act Now: Pneumococcal Vaccines Protect Kids From Dangerous Diseases - 08/04/2023

Texas physicians have a message for parents getting ready to send their kids to daycare or school – make sure your children are up to date on their pneumococcal vaccine. The vaccine prevents infectious diseases that spread easily through a cough or sneeze in crowded settings.

Physician-Led Results: Vaccine Protections - 06/20/2023

While the goal of upgrading the state’s vaccine registry was overshadowed by efforts to undermine existing vaccine laws, TMA successfully fended off nearly 40 bills that threatened to erode access to routine childhood vaccinations or damage the state’s robust vaccine infrastructure.

Talk to Patients About: Vaccines for Older Adults - 03/01/2023

This material is designed to help you talk to your patients and help them understand the benefits of vaccines.

The Unwinding: What the End of the PHE Means for COVID Vaccines, Testing, and Treatments - 02/01/2023

The COVID-19 crisis spurred an unprecedented combination of public health initiatives and funding, much of it made possible by the public health emergency (PHE) declared by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in January 2020. When the PHE expires, what will happen to crucial vaccines, testing, and treatments?

Order Multiple COVID Vaccine Categories in New VAOS Process - 01/31/2023

A new process in the state Vaccine Allocation and Ordering System (VAOS) will significantly reduce the amount of data entry required from physician practices when ordering COVID-19 vaccines.

Many Adults Don’t Know They Should Get COVID Booster, CDC Survey Says - 01/31/2023

A lot of U.S. adults aren’t getting the COVID-19 bivalent booster, and a recent survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) helps explain why: Most likely, they don’t know about it, don’t know they’re eligible for it, or don’t think they need it.

Texas on Guard Following Ohio Measles Outbreak - 01/19/2023

A recent outbreak of measles among unvaccinated children in Ohio prompted the Texas Department of State and Health Services to issue a health advisory with guidance for physicians and other health care professionals should they encounter the disease.

As Flu and RSV Drop Omicron Subvariant Poses Unknown Threat - 01/18/2023

A flu and respiratory syncytial virus season that began early and intensely already may have peaked, but other illnesses, including the XBB.1.5 omicron subvariant of the COVID-19 virus, remain threats.

Pfizer COVID Vaccine Available in Single Doses to Improve Outreach, HHS Announces - 12/05/2022

Physicians eager to combat COVID-19 continue to look for ways to make the vaccines easier for patients to access. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently took an important step in that direction by offering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to physicians in single-dose vials for patients 12 and older, says Dallas infectious disease specialist Trish Perl, MD, a member of the Texas Medical Association’s COVID-19 Task Force.

Flu and RSV Patients Filling Up Texas Hospitals - 11/08/2022

Two viral respiratory diseases – influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) – have made an unwelcome early appearance this fall, causing cases to rise sharply weeks earlier than normal across the U.S.

Talk to Patients About: Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) - 09/06/2021

The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) is the early warning system for vaccine safety in the U.S. While it’s important for identifying vaccine side effects, the data it collects can be misunderstood.

DSHS Asks Vaccine Administrators to Prepare for COVID-19 Boosters - 08/19/2021

Following the federal government’s announcement of its plan to offer booster shots for the Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is asking those who are providing those vaccines to review their inventories, and identify and contact patients “who fall within the suggested booster schedule.”