State and local health agencies are having to cut programs and staff to make up the loss and more cuts could be coming.

State health officials added four more counties to what they consider “outbreak areas” and advise those visiting or living in those counties to consult measles vaccination guidance for those areas.

The Galveston County Health District (GCHD) has confirmed the first positive case of Avian Influenza (H5N1) in Galveston County.

The committee’s chair also raised concerns about the state’s possible departure from a federal system to share data about maternal deaths.

Crews from Union Pacific have started another round of testing in Houston’s Fifth Ward to determine whether or not the area contains dangerous chemicals for its residents.

The facility has 240 single-person rooms, a basketball gym and outdoor courtyards. It’s part of a $2.5 billion overhaul of the state’s mental health hospital system.

The person had contact with infected cattle, state health officials said. It's the second recorded human case in the U.S.

Syphilis rates in Texas continue to climb, alarming healthcare workers who see the highest increases among pregnant people and newborns. A shortage of treatment is complicating efforts to combat it.

The infectious disease doctor has been at the helm of the department in an interim capacity since the fall, replacing longtime commissioner Dr. John Hellerstedt following his retirement.

Texas agencies say they are being hammered by a historic staffing crisis, particularly when it comes to those in the trenches serving the state’s most vulnerable populations.

Lawmakers say they need the latest pregnancy-related death data to more precisely address the problem during the legislative session. But delays means they won’t see it until after the session ends.

Dr. John Hellerstedt, who has led the Texas Department of State Health Services since 2016, will retire at the end of the month. Dr. Jennifer Shuford, the chief state epidemiologist, has been named his interim replacement.

While there are currently 780 confirmed monkeypox cases statewide, Texas cities are bracing for an increase in infections.

By the end of August, local universities will be welcoming students back, living in close quarters.

Kids ages 6 months to 4 years became eligible for the vaccine last month. Experts say a number of factors could be hampering parents from getting their kids vaccinated.

For some parents of kids under 5 who want to vaccinate them, the wait has been excruciating, fraught with delays and close calls. Others are hesitant to have their young children vaccinated.

With the Texas case reported Tuesday, about 35 cases have now been identified across 14 states and Washington, D.C., this year, according to the CDC.

“The situation in Texas is that it probably won’t reach the peak [for cases] until the second half of January,” a top researcher said.

Officials added 36 to the estimate of lives lost in the disaster, which knocked out power in much of the state. Some experts place the toll even higher.

The governor asked the federal government for help opening test sites in Bexar, Cameron, Dallas, Harris, Hidalgo and Tarrant counties.

Five of the department’s regional infusion centers have run out of sotrovimab, the only antibody treatment known to be effective against the new variant.

Abbott’s office says vaccines are the best defense to the pandemic, however, the governor has rarely spoken about vaccines in recent months other than to push back against mandates. He did not respond to a question about whether he got the booster.

Most local officials insist they still have testing capacity at their public testing sites, but Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins said demand has outpaced supply.

Hospitalizations related to the virus remain low in the state, but the number of people testing positive is rising and once again fueling worries about the struggling health care system’s ability to weather a new surge.

So much is unknown about the new COVID-19 variant: the severity of the illness it causes, whether it can resist vaccines and natural antibodies and whether it’s more contagious than the delta variant that has burned through Texas and the U.S. for months.

A surge in COVID-19 cases from the West is impacting El Paso.

The advice local doctors and the Department of State Health Services are giving parents and legal guardians regarding the COVID-19 vaccine for children is to schedule appointments in advance.

A Travis County judge temporarily blocked the state from listing delta-8 as a Schedule I drug, which effectively made it illegal. The cannabis extract became popular because users say it produces the “high” effect of marijuana.

The federal farm bill in 2018 made the substance legal because of its low THC content.

Student and staff COVID-19 cases declined after districts reported their highest levels in January since the pandemic began. But the data is incomplete and likely an undercount.

Preliminary data shows 99.5% of COVID-related deaths in Texas were among unvaccinated people, according to the Department of State Health Services.

The latest, most transmissible coronavirus variant is spreading rampantly in countries with low vaccination rates, and health experts are bracing for impact in Texas.

HOUSTON – Texas health officials have expanded coronavirus vaccine eligibility requirements starting this week. In a tweet last week, officials at the Department of State Health Services said anyone 50 and older will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine beginning Monday as part of the state’s Phase 1C rollout. People 50+ will be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine beginning March 15. Texas will continue to protect those at the greatest risk of COVID-19 hospitalization and death. Get more information about vaccine appointments and waitlists at Click2Houston.com/vaccine.

BELLAIRE, Texas – One of the hardest-hit groups during the pandemic has been seniors. With the vaccine rollout, many of them who have been cooped up for the last year are venturing out. According to the Department of State Health Services, 25% of seniors in Texas have been fully vaccinated. Ad“This is somewhat of a celebration of being able to get out and do things, social things, after a year of being stuck home,” said Becky Hayes. “For my single friends, for my widowed friends, I think it’s been very difficult because they’re alone,” said Becky Hayes.

RICHMOND, Texas – Preregistration for the COVID-19 has closed following Fort Bend County Judge KP George’s announcement that the county received a supply of 5,850 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine from the Department of State Health Services Thursday. The county scheduled appointments for those who are currently preregistered with the Fort Bend County Health & Human Services. “I am glad to announce that Fort Bend County Health & Human Services (FBCHHS) received a supply of 5,850 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine today and will begin scheduling appointments for those who are currently Preregistered with us,” George said in a written release. Please follow updates on fbchealth.org.”Anyone with questions regarding preregistration, the COVID-19 vaccine or COVID-19 information in general, is asked to call the county’s Vaccination Hotline at 832-471-1373. “This is the way the process occurs, and we will move forward.”The state designated Ft. Bend County as a vaccine hub.

HOUSTON – More coronavirus vaccine hubs have been designated in the Houston area. Texas is also ordering 500,000 second doses, officials said. Health officials released a list Saturday showing several more hubs had been established in the Houston area. “We are planning to open at least four locations as soon as these vaccines become available,” said Fort Bend County Judge KP George. “If you live in Fort Bend County, please be patient.

HOUSTON – The Texas Department of State Health Services says some healthcare workers are growing frustrated since they’re not affiliated with large institutions to receive the vaccine for coronavirus. Click here for clarification on who is in Phase 1A and Phase 1B. Guidance on Vaccinating Phase 1A and 1B Populations“As COVID-19 vaccine begins to be distributed more widely in Texas, the opportunity to vaccinate additional individuals will increase. The state-issued guidance to move down the priority list from frontline workers to essential workers and people 65 and older. We anticipate continuing to offer to all in the initial 1a tier even as we move into vaccinations for tier 1b.

HOUSTON – The Department of State Health Services has given entities the go-ahead to begin vaccinating people eligible for Phase 1B, after vaccinating as many willing members of Phase 1A. According to McCarthy, almost 10,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine have been administered at Memorial Hermann as part of Phase 1A. “1A was really first-line medical responder’s, not just the doctors in hospitals but their clinic staff and EMS providers,” McCarthy said. “What the state has said is we don’t have to wait until we have every 1A individual classified as long as we are still getting them vaccinated,” McCarthy said. McCarthy said Memorial Hermann could open up for Phase 1B as early as next week but said they are still working on how those eligible will be identified.

The percentage of positive COVID-19 tests in May as Texas reopened was higher than previously reported, according new changes in the way the state calculates the positivity rate. Greg Abbott repeatedly pointed to the state’s positivity rate, even as the number of new cases and deaths continued to rise. The following week, the governor downplayed a new single-day record in new COVID-19 cases by again pointing to the positivity rate. The state’s reported seven-day average positivity rate under the old method jumped from 4.27% at its lowest point in late May to 17.4% at its peak in mid-July. Disclosure: The University of North Texas, Texas A&M University and UT Health have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.

HOUSTON – For the first time, Texas surpassed 2,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations Tuesday with the official tally reaching 2,056, according to the Department of State Health Services. Perhaps more importantly, the number of hospitalizations in our area has seen a steady rise. The seven-day moving average for Texas Medical Center hospitalizations has been moving upward, with little relief since May 17. The availability of ICU beds and ventilators remains manageable, at the moment, according to a Baylor College of Medicine Doctor who is among those that study the metrics. The, of course, concern about that is what’s tomorrow going to bring,” said Dr. Stacey Rose, a Baylor College of Medicine assistant professor in infectious diseases.