Tag Archives: vaccinations

Of course business groups want Abbott to cut off unemployment payments

Posted on May 18, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Completely on brand. The Texas Association of Business and more than three dozen other business groups are pushing Gov. Greg Abbott to cut the additional $300 in federal benefits currently going to unemployed Texans. Nearly 1 million Texans remained unemployed … Continue reading →

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Reopening schools and the COVID rate

Posted on May 16, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Reopening schools led to more COVID cases. I mean, this is not a surprise, right? When Texas schools returned to in-person education last fall, the spread of the coronavirus “gradually but substantially accelerated,” leading to at least 43,000 additional cases … Continue reading →

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You can lose the mask if you’re fully vaxxed

Posted on May 15, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Do your part, reap the reward. Federal health officials reversed course Thursday and advised that people who are fully vaccinated can stop wearing masks and observing social distancing in most indoor and outdoor settings. It’s welcome news for many who … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , | 21 Comments

Pfizer shot approved for younger kids

Posted on May 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Yes! The Food and Drug Administration cleared the first coronavirus vaccine for emergency use in children as young as 12 on Monday, expanding access to the Pfizer-BioNTech shot to adolescents ahead of the next school year and marking another milestone in … Continue reading →

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Please get your second shot

Posted on May 11, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I hope this is mostly a function of incomplete data. Millions of Americans — including tens of thousands of Houstonians — either have delayed or are forgoing their second dose of a COVID-19 vaccination. As of late last month, roughly … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Houston’s hospitals are still busy

Posted on May 7, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. While local hospital leaders aren’t sounding the alarm about capacity concerns, we heard a similar story from leaders at St. Luke’s and Houston Methodist: hospital beds and emergency rooms are regularly filling up as both health systems continue to … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Trib polling roundup, part 1

Posted on May 4, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

On COVID and vaccinations. Texas voters are feeling safer about being out in public, and better about getting COVID-19 vaccines, but a majority of the state’s voters still consider the coronavirus a “significant crisis,” according to a new University of … Continue reading →

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A little incentive

Posted on May 3, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

If it takes a reward of some kind to get a few more people to be vaccinated against COVID, I’m fine with that. To increase the rate of vaccinations, the Harris County Commissioners Court approved giving incentives to citizens. At … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , | 14 Comments

We need to up our vaccination data game

Posted on April 29, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

As noted before, it gets harder from here. As the initial mad rush for COVID-19 vaccines wanes, Texas is shifting its distribution strategy to focus on smaller providers, setting up a crucial test for the state as it attempts not … Continue reading →

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Houston Methodist tells its employees to get vaxxed or else

Posted on April 27, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I’m okay with this. Four out of five Houston Methodist employees are vaccinated against COVID-19. The sliver who are not will be suspended or fired if they refuse the shot, according to company policy. The hospital required managers to be … Continue reading →

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Now it gets harder to vaccinate people

Posted on April 26, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

We reached this point pretty quickly. The hill gets steeper from here. After months of not having enough COVID-19 vaccines to meet demand, Texas suddenly appears to have plenty of shots but not as many people lining up to receive … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

You will eventually need a COVID booster shot

Posted on April 25, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Just get used to the idea. More than 28 percent of Texans 16 and older are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, having received either one shot of the Johnson & Johnson or two of Moderna or Pfizer. But as scientists … Continue reading →

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The Hobby poll on ending COVID restrictions

Posted on April 21, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

A little while ago I blogged about the recent UH Hobby Center poll regarding the winter freeze and blackouts and responses to them. At the time I mentioned the poll had a separate section about Greg Abbott lifting the COVID … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

No flu

Posted on April 21, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I would never say that there was any such thing as a silver lining to the COVID pandemic, but it is true that basically nobody died from the flu this year because of masking and social distancing. What medical officials … Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

More interesting questions from that Matthew McConaughey poll

Posted on April 20, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s try this again. By 58% to 26%, Texans oppose a bill the House approved — and sent to the Senate Friday — that would allow people to carry handguns without a permit. Last month, opposition was greater — 64% … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

We are still managing to avoid a new COVID surge

Posted on April 19, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It’s good news, whatever the reason for it may be. More than a month has passed since Gov. Greg Abbott ended virtually all statewide restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic. Nationwide, new coronavirus cases are on the rise as new … Continue reading →

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Whither downtown?

Posted on April 19, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Nobody really knows when or if Houston’s downtown will return to something like it was pre-COVID. Few areas of the local economy were hit as hard by the pandemic as downtown and few face as much uncertainty as the service … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Harris County drops its vaccine waitlist

Posted on April 18, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Sign up and get a shot if you haven’t already. Harris County Public Health has ended its waitlist for COVID-19 vaccinations, County Judge Lina Hidalgo said Friday. The new portal at ReadyHarris.org allows residents to register, after which they can … Continue reading →

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On vaccine equity

Posted on April 17, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

This was predictable, but that doesn’t mean we have to accept it as such. Black and Latino Harris County residents received the COVID-19 vaccine at lower rates than their white counterparts, according to a county analysis that also found a … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Should Harris County lower its threat level?

Posted on April 16, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe? According to Harris County’s COVID-19 guidance, residents should avoid all unnecessary contact with others. They should not go to bars or barbecues or ballgames. They should work from home if possible and leave only for errands, such as groceries … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

When the vaccine problem becomes more about demand than supply

Posted on April 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Or to put it another way, what are we gonna do with the people who refuse to get vaccinated? Low vaccination rates in counties that are whiter and more conservative could be impairing Texas’ ability to quickly reach herd immunity … Continue reading →

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Our COVID numbers are staying down

Posted on April 9, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s keep this going. While the East Coast struggles with a fourth wave of rising COVID-19 infections, Texas experts say the state is doing “reasonably well” as case rates stabilize across the state. Case rates and hospitalizations have plateaued in … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Show me your vaccine papers!

Posted on April 8, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Wiat, wrong papers. Forget I just said that. Gov. Greg Abbot issued an executive order early Tuesday banning state agencies from requiring “vaccine passports” to enter public spaces or receive public services. The passports, either digital or printed, would verify … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , | 23 Comments

There are still a lot of students doing remote school

Posted on April 2, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I’m actually a little surprised it’s this much. Nathan is among 35,127 students in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD and hundreds of thousands of students across Greater Houston whose parents opted to keep at home for the fourth and final grading period of … Continue reading →

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Get your shot at the airport

Posted on March 28, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I applaud the creative thinking, which we will continue to need. Parking lots at Bush and Hobby airports soon will be home to mass vaccination clinics for the Houston Health Department, as the supply of shots continues to ramp up. … Continue reading →

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Astros aim for half-full

Posted on March 26, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

To start out with. The Astros are expanding their previously planned attendance numbers at Minute Maid Park to start the regular season but will not exceed 50 percent capacity during April, senior vice president for communication and marketing Anita Sehgal … Continue reading →

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The vaccination eligibility list is about to be wide open

Posted on March 25, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Go ahead and get on it, though be prepared to wait as the supply issues work themselves out. Everyone age 16 and older, regardless of occupation or health status, will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in Texas starting March … Continue reading →

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“Normal” bus service is on the horizon

Posted on March 25, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Isn’t it great to imagine the return of “normal”? It’s coming for Metro riders. Having sharply reduced service and staffing during the pandemic, Metro officials now are readying for higher demand when school populations return to normal and downtown businesses … Continue reading →

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How fast was too fast?

Posted on March 24, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

When it came to COVID vaccine eligibility, states that took their time expanding the pool of people who could get the shots have done a better job actually getting shots into arms than the states who rushed to broaden their … Continue reading →

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COVID vaccination road trips

Posted on March 24, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a thing that happens. With more vaccine supply flowing into Texas, the statewide mask mandate rollback and businesses reopening at 100 percent capacity, some Houstonians unable to get a COVID-19 vaccine close to home are making the drive two … Continue reading →

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The vaccination rate keeps inching up

Posted on March 22, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Making progress. A quarter of Texas residents 16 and older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as of Wednesday afternoon, state data shows. A Chronicle analysis found that the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna … Continue reading →

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What the American Rescue Plan means to Houston

Posted on March 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

First and foremost, no layoffs. Houston and Harris County are expected to receive more than $1.5 billion through the stimulus bill approved by Congress Wednesday, providing a massive cash injection that city officials say will help close a budget shortfall … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 28 Comments

Vaccine progress

Posted on March 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Good news. Texas will surpass more than 7 million COVID-19 vaccination doses administered today, top public health officials told the Texas Senate as Gov. Greg Abbott lifted all capacity limits for businesses and ended government-imposed mask mandates in the state. … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

More storm polling

Posted on March 10, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Not sure things are as negative as this story makes it sound. Two out of three Texans lost electricity, water or both in last month’s devastating winter storm, though it’s unclear their harrowing experiences will have lasting political consequences, according … Continue reading →

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