vaccinations

The Supreme Court is expected to make a decision soon that will shape the future of vaccine policies. But as litigation stands, federal mandates for Texas Army National Guard members and employers of large businesses are currently in effect.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott said Tuesday he is suing the federal government over the Defense Department’s vaccine mandate for military service members, saying the requirement interferes with his authority over the Texas National Guard. Abbott accused the Biden administration of violating the Second Militia clause of the Constitution and undermining his commander-in-chief power.

Abbott also called on the Legislature to pass a law banning the expanded vaccine mandates.

As classes begin and the delta variant rages, Kansas universities are rolling out elaborate vaccine incentive programs. But it’s unclear whether they work.

The science behind the efficacy and safety of the vaccines is firm, says UT-Austin molecular biosciences associate professor Ilya Finkelstein, and their rapid development was supported by technologies that have been around for decades.

Biden administration officials announced plans for COVID-19 booster shots to be made widely available starting September 20. But local health departments and experts are scrambling to keep up with the latest guidance and research.

Public health officials have said repeatedly the best way to curb the spread of COVID-19 is to get vaccinated, but many people still are not. How might they be persuaded to get the vaccine? For some, it may come down to whom and what they trust.

More than 1.9 million doses were administered in the state in the last four weeks, including more than 520,000 last week, according to the most recent data available.

“There's every reason in the world to get every child who is eligible to be vaccinated, vaccinated.”

It’s the first vaccination increase since early April.