UNICEF and the World Health Organization recently issued a sobering report that revealed the percentage of children worldwide who received routine wellness vaccinations experienced the greatest decline in three decades. This dangerous trend extends to Texas — and it is threatening the remarkable progress our state has made to protect our children from preventable disease.
In Texas, routine wellness vaccination rates in children and teens have fallen since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Understandably, issues related to the pandemic, such as decreased access to healthcare offices during the lockdown, presented obstacles. But the percent of Texas seventh-graders who received their pertussis (whooping cough) and meningitis vaccinations for the 2021-22 school year decreased by more than 5%, compared to the last school year prior to the pandemic. Tdap vaccinations, basic vaccinations that protect Texas kindergarteners against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, are down by 3%. We’ve also seen a 3% drop in measles and mumps vaccinations, and just under 3% decline in polio vaccinations also among children starting kindergarten.
At first glance, 3% and 5% may not sound like big numbers. But considering that there are currently more than 5 million students enrolled in public schools in Texas, those few percentage points represent dramatic impact.
Misinformation about vaccines is everywhere. It is understandable that many parents are confused. But parents need the facts about the power of vaccines to protect their kids.
Wellness vaccines have a long, proven track record that reassures parents and caregivers. Today, outbreaks of measles, meningitis and pertussis occur so much more infrequently because of wellness vaccines, including “back to school” vaccines. Parents and caregivers are the key to reversing the current trend — and they can do so by taking children for their routine childhood vaccinations.
As our students return to school, we have an opportunity to reverse the trend and get back on track. Routine vaccination prevents lethal illness and saves lives.
The best way to keep our kids “Texas tough” is to keep them healthy. The best way to keep kids in school and on track to learn is to keep them healthy — mentally and physically.
The good news is that we’ve got a way to do that. Yes, we face pandemic fatigue and the challenges that accompany it. We are constantly bombarded with politically charged misinformation about vaccines, but the statistics regarding our children’s falling vaccination rates are sobering. If we’re not vigilant, a disturbing trend may be on its way to a school near you.
Terri Burke
Executive director
Immunization Partnership
Houston
Some
people
Some people love labels. Some people enjoy name-calling. Labeling helps some people tidy up a world that confuses them and name-calling lets them relegate others into neat, hateable boxes.
Some people label themselves “Christian” or “patriot”— perhaps because it makes them feel more righteous and brave and better than other people.
But some people who claim to follow Jesus are in thrall to a man who embraces none of the teachings of Jesus. Some people have even pledged to kill in service of that man.
Some people purport to have full faith that “God will provide.” Yet many believe they need all manner of firearms to protect themselves. Some people know the teachings of Jesus to “love thy neighbor as thyself,” yet they hate and fear others and would begrudge the less fortunate a crumb from the table of their feast.
Some people forget that we are all created by the same creator, with hopes and dreams and people we love. Some people prefer to think that God is very small and loves only those who believe exactly as they do and that the creator of everything is not big enough to embrace all religions and all people.
Some people would force a 10-year-old girl to give birth to her rapist’s baby because they believe that life is God’s greatest gift. However, they will not lift a finger to help get assault weapons banned, even as hundreds of innocent children have been slaughtered while doing nothing more than going to school.
Some people who claim to love this country support politicians who will destroy it for their own gain.
Some people will listen only to propaganda outlets masquerading as “news” channels.
No wonder some people are confused.
Some people should change the channel.
Cory Raymond
McAllen
Flores ad
critiqued
Why are Mayra Flores’ supporters “beating a dead horse” in their most recent TV commercial? Again, the National Resources Defense Council has stated that “both the Obama and Trump administrations concluded that the Keystone XL pipeline would not have lowered gasoline prices. NRCD and its partners also found the majority of the oil would have been sent overseas ….” Also, the American Petroleum Institute did not challenge the Biden administration’s statement that there are 9,000 leases that have not been explored. “Leases … require companies to either produce oil and/or gas … or (be) returned to the government … generally in the first 10 years.”
An Associated Press article (Aug. 12) stated, “(A)s economies around the world recovered from the shock of the pandemic, and reopened — slowly at first, then more rapidly. Demand for energy outstripped supply, pushing prices higher … Then … Russia’s invasion of Ukraine caused oil prices to spike and they remained high through June.” “High energy prices contributed to inflation (with the Federal Reserve raising interest rates with fears of recession and) slower growth … (which) pushes down oil prices.” “Some analysts think the high prices (of gas) have led drivers to cut back.”
So, Mayra fans, it is Economics 101 — demand drops in pandemic, prices go down. Demand picks up after pandemic, prices go up. Now, the oil industry is catching up and prices are going back down because of greater supply. The “liberals” in Washington have nothing to do with it and Mayra has done nothing to help or hinder.
I just wish her supporters would be honest with the public. I also wish this information could reach as many people as the commercial.
Gerard Pahl
Edinburg
Selective
outrage
Funny how Mrs. Coronado tries to depict what are or aren’t American values. I would like to ask if she thinks fun-loving Americans should not demonstrate outside the property of a Supreme Court judge, but fun-loving Americans should try to attack the FBI building or make threats against its agents for doing their job and retrieving U.S. property from Donald Trump’s home. Or if a fun-loving national news network like Fox should post a fake picture of a judge with a criminal who signed the warrant to raid Trumps home?
Fox’s posting that fake photo put the judge’s life and his family in danger.
No, Mrs. Coronado, no Supreme Court justice or any kind of judge should be put through this. So, Mrs. Coronado, where are the outraged America-loving Republican politicians who were very angry at the FBI for doing their job?
Mrs. Coronado, where are America-loving Republican politicians showing outrage that the federal agent and a judge have been receiving death threats?
Jesus Rodriguez
Elsa
