October 21, 2023 - A nearly $4 million grant will help Texas implement policies and programs to prevent the use of dangerous drugs like fentanyl. The Texas Department of State Health Services and Texas Health and Human Services Commission are partnering to create new tools to analyze the causes and effects of drug poisonings and then use that information to develop science-based strategies to prevent drug use and poisonings.
August 11, 2021 - The Texas Department of State Health Services has informed cities, counties and health care facilities that the state will resume filling requests for medical surge staff that cannot be met locally. DSHS is working with staffing agencies that are recruiting more than 2,500 medical personnel to assist hospitals and other health care facilities reaching capacity due to the current increase in COVID-19 cases. The priority is to recruit staff from out-of-state, and DSHS has directed the agencies not to utilize staff from other Texas health care facilities.
April 26, 2021 - The Texas Department of State Health Services has notified vaccine providers in the state that they should resume using the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.
February 16, 2021 - With power outages from this week’s winter storm affecting large portions of Texas, the Texas Department of State Health Services is urging people to use extreme caution with electric generators and heat sources that produce carbon monoxide.
Januaray 12, 2021 - The Texas Department of State Health Services has instructed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ship first doses of COVID-19 vaccine to 234 providers this week. That includes 28 hub providers that will focus on large community vaccination efforts as Texas vaccinates health care workers, people 65 and older and those with medical conditions that put them at greater risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19.
January 7, 2021 - The first known Texas case of the COVID-19 B.1.1.7 variant has been identified in a resident of Harris County. The adult male resident, who has no history of travel, was recently diagnosed with COVID-19. Results of genetic sequencing this week showed that the infection was caused by the variant. The case is being investigated by Harris County Public Health and the Texas Department of State Health Services.
January 7, 2021 - Next week, Texas will direct most of the COVID-19 vaccine received from the federal government to large providers who can vaccinate a total of more than 100,000 people. Additional vaccine will be distributed to smaller providers in other parts of the state.
More than 325,000 first doses sent to providers in fourth week of COVID-19 vaccine distribution, 224,250 second doses sent to complete vaccination for first week recipients
January 5, 2020 - The Texas Department of State Health Services has instructed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to ship first doses of COVID-19 vaccine to more than 949 providers in 158 Texas counties over the next week. The CDC will deliver 167,300 doses of the vaccine manufactured by Moderna and 37,050 doses of the Pfizer vaccine directly to Texas providers.
December 22, 2020 - The state of Texas will prioritize people who are at the greatest risk of severe disease and death from COVID-19 for the next phase of vaccination. More than 70 percent of COVID-19 deaths in Texas have occurred in people 65 and older, and scientific evidence shows that adults of any age with certain medical conditions have an increased risk of hospitalization and death if they get sick with COVID-19.