In the News

There are growing concerns about the potential risks of the omicron variant of COVID-19. Countries around the world are closing their borders once again after word from the World Health Organization about the new variant. Scientists are racing to find out whether existing vaccines will be effective against it.

Over the weekend, Dr. Peter Hotez, codirector of the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, said we should “assume that it’s likely in the U.S.”

Rebecca Fischer is an assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at Texas A&M University School of Public Health, and Catherine Troisi is an infectious disease epidemiologist at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. They discussed the current status of the COVID-19 situation in Texas, along with risks potentially posed by the omicron variant.

With vaccination rates woefully short of the 70 percent threshold most experts say is necessary to reach herd immunity, ongoing viral transmission provides more opportunities for dangerous variants like Delta to evolve. The disparities in public health are not simply a problem for low-income and minority communities—they will continue to allow COVID to thrive and give rise to future pandemics unless we resolve them now.

The Empower TeleEcho program aims to mentor doctors in Texas’ rural communities on how to identify and treat substance use disorders.

Studies show the vaccines against the disease not only can be safely given to people who are expecting but can also save lives.

About 300,000 North Texans with special needs have trouble finding dental treatment. Dr. Dan Burch of the Texas A&M College of Dentistry wants to fix that.