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On Tuesday September 17, the Corpus City Council voted down a dangerous motion that would have required the Corpus Christi – Nueces County Public Health District to provide unconfirmed and unreliable data to people who want or need the COVID-19 vaccine.

TIP gave public comments to the City Council urging them to vote against this measure.

Their vote not only preserves the right of patients to receive scientifically validated health information about the vaccine, the mayor and council members recognized the unintended consequences this decision would have for other vaccines that protect people from infectious diseases, such as influenza and measles.

The result represents a victory for Texans who want to live in safe, healthy communities and see their local health departments as a trusted resource.

The Immunization Partnership thanks the Corpus Christi City Council for being on the side of science and protecting the health of children, individuals, and families. Their critical vote will ensure continued access to verifiable, evidence-based information about lifesaving vaccines.

Vaccine: X

Vaccines are considered one of the top 10 health innovations of the 20th century [1]. However, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a large and sustained decline in childhood vaccinations [2]. Furthermore, vaccine requirements for school, work, and public spaces have become a political flashpoint linked with anti-mandate sentiment [3]. These concerns about vaccines come during a time of political polarization in the US, often promoted by conservative media and leaders [4]. read more…

Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District trustees voted 6-1, Monday evening, June 17, 2024 to continue their assault on science education. They said they are representing the wishes of their constituents. Yet, 34 parents, students and teachers spoke in opposition, repeatedly saying they objected to the majority’s eagerness to make things like vaccines and climate change political, and objecting to the process that occurred behind closed doors. No one spoke in favor of the proposed changes.

Executive Director Terri Burke attended the school board meeting and recaps what happened.

Terri’s video statement about Cy-Fair ISD School Board Decision

HOUSTON, TX  — Today, Dr. Jennifer Molokwu, a member of the board of The Immunization Partnership (TIP) and Director of Cancer Prevention and Control at Texas Tech University Health Science Center El Paso, will present testimony at a hearing of the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services to speak in support of the interim charge prioritizing cancer prevention.

Referencing the billions of dollars that cancer costs the state of Texas, Dr. Molokwu will note:

“Fortunately, we can prevent many cancers with screenings, immunizations and other healthcare interventions readily available today. For example, the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has been proven to prevent HPV-associated cancers.

Any discussion of cancer prevention in Texas must directly address what we at The Immunization Partnership call the ‘cancer equity gap.’ HPV-related cancers attack Black and Latino women at a higher rate than their white neighbors. For example, Black women have a 60% higher incidence and twice the mortality rates of cervical cancer. Its incidence and mortality rates in the Rio Grande Valley are about 25% higher than the rest of the state and 55% higher than the remainder of the US.”

While HPV-related cancers are on the rise, particularly among men, many of these cancers are preventable through immunizations. As noted in Dr. Molokwu’s prepared testimony:

“Unfortunately, misinformation has shaken public confidence in some vaccines, like the cancer-preventing HPV vaccine, with fewer Texans availing themselves of this protection from HPV-associated cancers.

 The Immunization Partnership is ready to work with the Lieutenant Governor and the Texas Senate Health and Human Services Committee to support efforts to prevent cancer. We hope that immunizations’ current and future cancer-preventing potential will be included in that work.”

Our Full Statement

HOUSTON, TX (May 8, 2024) — Following reporting that Cypress-Fairbank ISD is eliminating educational material about immunizations from district curriculum, The Immunization Partnership’s Chief Strategy Officer Rekha Lakshmanan said in a media statement:

“Politicizing the science behind immunizations that protect our children’s health and save lives is outrageous. And it’s especially dangerous at a time when our public health systems are constantly on the defensive against deliberate misinformation. Whether in the Cypress-Fairbanks ISD or anywhere else in Texas, school boards have no business putting science education on the chopping block.”

Austin American Statesman

The last session of the Texas Legislature produced some of the country’s worst anti-vaccine bills in the country. Despite broad opposition, measures restricting employers’ rights and jeopardizing health care access for low-income children passed into law.

It is not an overstatement to say that public-health advocates like me do not often see eye to eye with Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick.

read more…

Read Full Statement

HOUSTON, TX (May 2, 2024) — Following a Texas Department of State Health Services budget hearing Wednesday, The Immunization Partnership Executive Director Terri Burke said in a statement to the media:

“For the past 20 years, as Congress has cut funding for public health across the country, our state government hasn’t stepped up to fill the widening gap. Texas now ranks 40th in funding for our local, regional and state health service. And as we heard during legislative budget hearings on Wednesday, the folks on the front lines are witnessing the consequences.

read more…

HOUSTON, TX (April 10, 2024) — The Immunization Partnership (TIP), a statewide nonprofit committed to a healthy Texas, is pleased to announce the full program line-up for its public health summit, The Intersection.

“We are excited to bring this program together and to present it to Texas’ community of public health professionals, care providers and stakeholders,” said TIP Executive Director Terri Burke. “The health issues in Texas are reflective of what’s happening across the country, and they’re not isolated. That’s what The Intersection is all about.”

In addition to keynote speaker Daniel E. Dawes, J.D., an award-winning author and leader in the health-equity movement, The Intersection will feature an impressive and diverse group of thought leaders who will speak to Texas’ public health through issues of equity, philanthropy, storytelling, faith and advocacy.

read more…

HOUSTON CHRONICLE

Nonmedical vaccine exemptions continued to hit record levels among Texas schoolchildren last year amid state lawmakers’ attempts to weaken immunization requirements further.

Texas native and veteran journalist will weave current events into an engaging presentation on how to take action and create better, healthier communities

HOUSTON, TX (Jan. 31, 2024) — The Immunization Partnership (TIP), a statewide nonprofit committed to a healthy Texas, is proud to welcome San Antonio native and award-winning ABC News correspondent John Quiñones as its 2024 dinner speaker.

Quiñones is the host of “What Would You Do?,” a program that puts the TV viewer in the place of action. He will weave broadcast clips from the show into an engaging presentation about the significance of current events and how to affect change. read more…

Hosted by The Immunization Partnership (TIP), the two-day summit will focus on the many intersections in public health to create change

HOUSTON, TX (Jan. 18, 2024) — The Immunization Partnership (TIP), a statewide nonprofit committed to a healthy Texas, announced Daniel E. Dawes, J.D., as the keynote speaker for its inaugural health summit, The Intersection, to be held June 6-7 in San Antonio at the Westin Riverwalk.

read more…

THE TEXAS TRIBUNE
Experts argue other assertions made in the lawsuit filing are completely unsubstantiated, such as one claiming that vaccinated people were more likely to die from COVID-19, which Texas health data disputes.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton accused drugmaker Pfizer of fear-mongering and lies about the effectiveness of its COVID-19 vaccine, which the company insinuated would end the pandemic, according to a lawsuit Paxton announced Thursday.

“In a nutshell, Pfizer deceived the public,” reads the 54-page lawsuit, filed in a Lubbock state district court. read more…

The Immunization Partnership Videos
HOUSTON, TX, Nov. 30, 2023 — Vaccines save lives. That’s why The Immunization Partnership (TIP), a statewide nonprofit committed to a healthy Texas, announced today they are releasing new empowering videos. These videos get the word out that vaccines save lives, preventing up to 3 million deaths every year by protecting people from nearly 20 different diseases. read more…

KXAN Austin
When Texas lawmakers return for the third special legislative session Monday, they’re set to reconsider an effort to ban private employers from requiring their workers to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

During an announcement Thursday, Gov. Greg Abbott included that as part of the four agenda items that he set to guide the legislators’ work once they return to the Capitol. In addition to prohibiting COVID-19 vaccine mandates for private employers, Abbott also directed them to take up legislation that would create an education savings account system and new criminal penalties related to border security. read more…

AMBIGUOSLY BLIND
On this World Meningitis Day, The Immunization Partnership is proud to share a thought-provoking podcast episode featuring our Chief Strategy Officer, Rekha Lakshmanan, in collaboration with Ambiguously Blind. read more…

KXAN AUSTIN
When Texas lawmakers return for the third special legislative session Monday, they’re set to reconsider an effort to ban private employers from requiring their workers to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

During an announcement Thursday, Gov. Greg Abbott included that as part of the four agenda items that he set to guide the legislators’ work once they return to the Capitol. In addition to prohibiting COVID-19 vaccine mandates for private employers, Abbott also directed them to take up legislation that would create an education savings account system and new criminal penalties related to border security. read more…

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
My husband can’t watch soccer games anymore, and for a year I wondered if the COVID-19 vaccine was to blame.

His first stroke happened a few days after a COVID vaccination. It flummoxed everyone: He had no previous health problems, and the vaccine he got wasn’t associated with stroke. As a health researcher and vaccine proponent, I had a hard time making sense of it. read more…

BEAUMONT ENTERPRISE
Despite the nearly nine-month reprieve from large spikes in COVID-19 cases, many Texans remain angry and frustrated by a pandemic that is mostly in our rearview mirror.

COVID-19 left a wide wake: one in 300 people lost their life, many in our own families; school closures affected our children; social isolation exacerbated the ongoing mental health crisis; and economic hardships continue. In short, COVID-19 touched everyone, leaving many bitter and discouraged. read more…

FT WORTH STAR TELEGRAM
A Texas Senate committee passed a bill Wednesday that public health advocates in the state have identified as one of the most worrisome anti-vaccine bills being considered during this legislative session.

The legislation, Senate Bill 1024, would significantly curb the ability of the state health department, school districts, cities and counties to require or promote vaccines of any kind. Although the bill specifically focuses on the COVID-19 vaccine, the bill also contains provisions that could affect future vaccines that don’t exist yet. read more…

TELEMUNDO AMARILLO
Una organización a favor de la vacunación hizo una parada en Amarillo el martes, para abogar por las vacunas.

La organización se llama La Alianza para Inmunizaciónes y su misión es proteger nuestro estado de texas contra enfermedades. read more…

MYHIGHPLAINS.COM
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, immunizations for some children are declining and a local pediatrician said he is seeing the same trend.

Dr. Anders Leverton, a pediatrician at Texas Tech Physicians, said about 90% of his families are getting their kids’ scheduled shots, while the other 10% are either getting an alternative schedule or no vaccinations at all. read more…

RICE UNIVERSITY
Vaccines Cause Adults, a collaboration between Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy’s Center for Health and Biosciences (CHB) and The Immunization Partnership, is a public information campaign to promote research-driven, factual information about vaccines. The goal is to promote vaccine access and equity as well as advance vaccination as a crucial public health strategy through summarizing data-driven research into clear, accessible information.

DALLAS MORNING NEWS
Parkland Health’s new mobile children’s vaccination clinic will soon be rolling out to schools in Dallas County neighborhoods with low immunization rates. Students with consent forms from their parents will be escorted from class to the vehicle so they can receive their shots.

It might not be the most enticing invitation to skip class, but it could be one of the best things to happen to a child. And it’s an initiative that should be replicated across the state. Schoolchildren in Texas are required to be vaccinated against a slew of infectious diseases, yet vaccination rates keep sinking, even as diseases we had eradicated are making a comeback. read more…

HOUSTON CHRONICLE
At first you don’t worry. After all, every kid gets a fever. Only a pediatrician of a certain age would even know to look in the back of your baby’s mouth for the classic white spots.

Then the miserable malady becomes all too obvious.

Three to five days after being infected with measles, an angry rash of red spots covers your child — face, shoulders, chest, back, legs — while their temperature spikes to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Mercifully, most kids recover from measles. If unvaccinated, though, one in five is hospitalized and one in a thousand gets brain inflammation and convulsions so violent to bring about permanent deafness or intellectual disability. read more…

TEXAS OBSERVER
In the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccines have become more of a life-saving necessity—and yet more controversial. These days, so-called “anti-vaxxers” are using the pandemic as a political base to attack requirements for long-established vaccines that have helped keep generations of Americans safe from crippling or potentially fatal childhood diseases like polio and the measles. Already U.S. vaccine resisters have created pockets of opportunity for outbreaks of diseases, like measles. In Texas, anti-vaccine advocates convinced the Legislature years ago to allow nonmedical exemptions for public school vaccine requirements. And more public health rules are under attack, which worries vaccine advocates like Dr. Julie Boom, a pediatrician at Texas Children’s Hospital who has studied the effectiveness of vaccines and serves on the board of The Immunization Partnership, and Rekha Lakshmanan, the nonprofit’s chief strategy officer. They joined the Texas Observer’s Lise Olsen in conversation. read more…

DALLAS MORNING NEWS
Texas is home to some of the best universities in the world. Our scientists are second to none. Cutting-edge medical research is happening in Texas right now that is literally saving lives and changing the world for the better.

But some of our elected officials responsible for protecting the health of all Texans appear distrustful of these highly respected doctors and scientists. For those of us who work every day to protect Texans against disease and pandemics, the report recently released by chairwoman Lois Kolkhorst of the Texas Senate Health and Human Services Committee is disappointing. read more…