TxDSHS Press Release

EMS Scholarship Program Attracts, Retains Personnel in Texas

New advertising campaign seeks to further increase recruitment

September 6, 2023 - The Texas Department of State Health Services’ Emergency Medical Services Scholarship Program has helped attract EMS personnel in Texas, contributing to an increase of 6,000 certified professionals in the last three years.

World TB Day Observed at Texas Center for Infectious Disease

March 24, 2023 - Texas Center for Infectious Disease commemorates World Tuberculosis Day today with a conference featuring presentations from staff and partners plus tours of the TCID campus in San Antonio.

World TB Day marks the day in 1882 when the bacteria that causes tuberculosis was discovered. The illness continues to impact populations around the world and in Texas. While TB cases in 2020 and 2021 stayed just below 1,000 in the state, provisional data show cases increased here to 1,088 in 2022.

State Health Officials Warn of Dangerous Drug Combination

March 21, 2023 - The Texas Department of State Health Services has issued a health advisory notifying health care providers of reports that an animal tranquilizer called xylazine has been found mixed with illegal drugs distributed in Texas. Law enforcement has identified xylazine in the illegal fentanyl supply in West Texas, and it has been combined with other opioids, benzodiazepines like Xanax, and recreational drugs, leading to at least four reported xylazine-related deaths.

DSHS and Texas A&M Health Announce Texas Vaccine Outreach, Education Program Grants

December 29, 2021 - The Texas Department of State Health Services, in partnership with the Texas A&M University Health Science Center, has awarded more than $8.6 million to local organizations across the state through the Texas Vaccine Outreach and Education Grant Program. The program’s objective is to fund COVID-19 outreach and education activities aimed at increasing the number of fully vaccinated people in Texas.

Texas Identifies Case of COVID-19 Omicron Variant

December 7, 2021 - The first known Texas case of the COVID-19 B.1.1.529 variant has been identified in a resident of Harris County. The adult female resident was recently diagnosed with COVID-19. Results of genetic sequencing this week showed that the infection was caused by the Omicron variant strain. The case is being investigated by Harris County Public Health and the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Texas Data Shows Unvaccinated People 20 Times More Likely to Die from COVID-19

November 8, 2021 - A new study released by the Texas Department of State Health Services shows that during the month of September, Texans not vaccinated against COVID-19 were about 20 times more likely to suffer a COVID-19-associated death and 13 times more likely to test positive than people who were fully vaccinated.

Texas to Receive More Than 1.3 Million Doses of Pfizer’s Pediatric Vaccine

November 3, 2021 - The Texas Department of State Health Services has instructed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ship Pfizer’s pediatric COVID-19 vaccine to over 900 providers in 155 Texas counties over the next week. The CDC will deliver 1,010,700 doses of the vaccine to Texas vaccine providers and 349,200 doses will be delivered to pharmacies in the federal pharmacy program to vaccinate children between the ages of 5 and 11.

DSHS Investigates Rare Human Case of Rabies

November 1, 2021 - The Texas Department of State Health Services is investigating a case of rabies in a child who was bitten by a bat. The child is a resident of Medina County and is currently receiving care in a Texas hospital.

Flu Season Is Coming, Get Your Flu Shot Now

Oct. 1 is Texas Influenza Awareness Day

September 30, 2021 - With flu season approaching and COVID-19 still spreading in Texas, now is the best time to get a flu shot. The Texas Department of State Health Services encourages everyone to protect themselves, their families and their communities against respiratory illness throughout the flu season by getting immunized as soon as possible.

DSHS to Award $10 million in Grants to Support Local Vaccination Efforts Across Texas

July 29, 2021 - The Texas Department of State Health Services will award $10 million to local organizations working to promote COVID-19 vaccinations in Texas. The Texas Vaccine Outreach and Education Grant program will provide grants of $50,000 to $150,000 to a wide range of groups engaged in vaccine education with the goal of increasing the number of fully vaccinated Texans and slowing the spread of COVID-19 in the state.

Shelby County Today

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