Heat Exhaustion: Whoโs at highest risk, symptoms to watch out for, and how to know when to get medical help
Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are SERIOUS risks in these unfavorable weather conditions. Learn more about how to protect yourself from the scorching heat here. ๐ฅต๐ก๏ธ#HeatSafety #StayCool #HoustonHeat
โWhat are we waiting for?โ Tense moments during city council meeting over $5M Fifth Ward relocation fund proposal
Last year, the Houston Health Department said it found cancer-causing chemicals in the soil around the Union Pacific Railroad yard. The soil contained dioxin, a highly toxic chemical compound associated with cancer and other severe health risks.
Union Pacific solidifies agreement to increase testing in Fifth Ward neighborhood, part of area where cancer cluster identified
Union Pacific Railroad has announced a collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and community partners in an agreement to move forward with additional environmental assessment and testing at the former Houston Wood Preserving Works site in Fifth Ward.
Seen at 7: Keeping Your Heart Healthy
Dr. David Persse, chief medical officer for the Houston Health Department, joins us to talk about how high cholesterol and high blood pressure are leading risk factors for heart problems and what can people start doing today to lower their risk of heart problems?
How to safeguard your personal information in wake of recent cyberattacks
Memorial Hermann, St. Lukeโs, the Houston Health Department and Oak Bend Medical Center, are among the local healthcare systems hit by cyberattacks in 2022, potentially putting patients at risk by exposing their protected health information.
GUILTY: Houston Health Department official Barry Barnes admits taking bribes in federal court, US Attorney says
Barry Barnes, a former administrative and community outreach coordinator at the Houston Health Department pleaded guilty in federal court to bribery. The case is the result of an FBI raid in February at the Houston Health Departmentโs headquarters.
THEA calls on state to conduct in-depth studies on the health of residents living in Kashmere Gardens and the Fifth Ward
The Texas Health and Environmental Alliance (THEA) held a press conference Thursday to call on the state to conduct in-depth studies on the health of residents living in Kashmere Gardens and the Fifth Ward.
Houston Health Department says it has detected cancer-causing chemical around Fifth Ward near Kashmere Gardens
The Houston Health Department said Friday that surface soil samples collected in July around the contaminated Union Pacific rail yard and tested by the department contain dioxin, a highly toxic chemical compound associated with cancer and other severe health risks.
Stronger Houston: Houston logging some of nationโs highest HIV diagnoses; health officials hoping for vaccine in near future
The southern part of the U.S. accounts for 51% of new HIV cases each year. This is according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some regions throughout the south also lag in providing HIV prevention services and care.
Mayor Turner, HPD Chief Finner join My Brotherโs Keeper to call for โsensibleโ gun legislation
Mayor Sylvester Turner and Houston Police Chief Troy Finner joined My Brotherโs Keeper, a program of the Houston Health Department, along with community organizations and elected officials on Wednesday to call for โsensibleโ legislation in response to gun violence.
Houston Health Department, Harris County Public Health discuss latest updates on monkeypox efforts, spread prevention
Leaders from the Harris County Public Health and Houston Health Department held a Q&A virtual news conference to discuss updates relating to monkeypox and departmentsโ efforts on mitigating the spread of the virus.
Monkeypox vaccinations: Houston Health Department to begin intradermal vaccinations Tuesday
The Houston Health Department on Tuesday will switch to intradermal monkeypox vaccinations, an injection just under the skin, and expand eligibility criteria to the estimated 26,000 people living with HIV in Houston and Harris County, officials said in a news release.
Fort Bend County set to launch 1st COVID mega testing site
Fort Bend County is the latest Houston-area community to launch a drive-thru COVID-19 mega testing site. Leaders say the site is a necessity, citing โthe exponential increaseโ in demand by residents for COVID testing because of the rapid spread of the omicron variant.
How to avoid bogus COVID testing sites in the Houston area
With the U.S. now averaging over 150,000 new COVID cases each day, Americans are flooding into testing sites, desperate for results which Porfirio Villarreal with the Houston Health Department says sets the stage for scam artists to try and game the system by operating bogus testing sites.
Omicron is spreading, but is Houston ready to combat the virus?
The Omicron variant has yet to be detected in Houston but Chief environmental science officer Dr. Loren Hopkins with the Houston Health Department says theyโve been testing the wastewater to detect new variants with help from public works.
Houston Health Department begins administering COVID-19 vaccines to children 5 and older
The Houston Health Department will begin Friday vaccinating children as young as five against COVID-19. Medical staff at La Nueva Casa de Amigos Health Center will get things underway administering shots in the arms of the children.
Houston Health Department confirms cityโs first COVID-19 pediatric death of child with no underlying health conditions
It was announced Thursday that a local boy between the ages 10 and 19 is Houstonโs first pediatric COVID-19 death without underlying health conditions, according to the Houston Health Department.
Mayor Turner, Houston-area school districts push to get families, children ages 12 and above vaccinated before going back to school
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and representatives from the Houston Health Department and several education leaders from different Houston-area school districts announced the โSuper Saturday Vaccination Dayโ initiative Wednesday.
Toxic formaldehyde levels found in the air in neighborhoods near Houston Ship Channel
Air pollution monitoring in 2019 and 2020 show levels of formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, in neighborhoods along the Houston Ship Channel that pose health threats to the largely Hispanic residents living in that area.
3,000 vaccine appointments opened by Houston Health Department filled
HOUSTON โ The Houston Health Department opened 3,000 coronavirus vaccine appointments this week and all of those appointments were filled as of Wednesday morning. The appointments were for the first dose of the Moderna vaccine at the Reed Road Parking Lot (2098 Reed Rd. People who show up without confirmed appointments will be turned away. Appointments are based on vaccine availability, and current appointments may be adjusted based on the departmentโs allotment. Another 1,000 slots were opened Wednesday for Saturday appointments.
5 things for Houstonians to know for Monday, March 29
COVID-19 vaccinations for all adults in Texas starting Monday, state officials sayHere are things to know for Monday, March 29:1. Texas will receive more than 1 million first doses of COVID-19 vaccine this weekTexas will receive more than one million first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine this week, state health officials said. of State Health Services. The Houston Health Department opened 5,000 new COVID-19 vaccination appointment slots for first doses of the Moderna vaccine. Almost 2,000 vaccine doses have gone to qualifying prisoners as of Thursday, according to the statement.
Update: Houston Health Departmentโs 5,000 new COVID-19 vaccination appointment slots claimed in an hour
(AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)Update: All 5,000 of the Houston Health Departmentโs new COVID-19 vaccination appointments were claimed about an hour after they were made available Sunday morning, according to the department. The Houston Health Department opened 5,000 new COVID-19 vaccination appointment slots for first doses of the Moderna vaccine. The appointment portal will close when the slots are full. Appointment registration is available by phone for residents 60 and older through the Area Agency on Aging at 832-393-4301. Anyone else who needs registration assistance can contact the COVID-19 call center at 832-393-4220.
5 things for Houstonians to know for Monday, March 22
More than 60,000 doses sent to vaccine hubs in Houston area this weekHere are things to know for Monday, March 22:1. The appointments are for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at Bayou City Event Center or the first doses of Moderna vaccine at Delmar Stadium and The Parking Spot. As of Monday morning, all of the Johnson & Johnson appointments had been filled. People eligible for vaccination under the Texas Department of State Health Services criteria can visit HoustonEmergency.org/covid19 or the following direct links to self-register. AstraZeneca says US trial data shows vaccine 79% effectiveAstraZenecaโs COVID-19 vaccine provided strong protection against sickness and eliminated hospitalizations and deaths from the disease, including in older adults, in final-stage U.S. testing, the company announced Monday.
Vaccine appointments full after Houston Health Department opens 13,000 slots over the weekend
All rights reserved)Dr Talib Abubacker prepares a does of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, at the Guru Nanak Gurdwara Sikh temple, on the day the first Vaisakhi Vaccine Clinic is launched, in Luton, England, Sunday, March 21, 2021. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)HOUSTON โ The Houston Health Department opened 13,070 new COVID-19 vaccination appointment slots on Sunday for the week of March 22-27. The appointments are for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at Bayou City Event Center or the first doses of Moderna vaccine at Delmar Stadium and The Parking Spot. All of the Johnson & Johnson appointments had been filled by Monday morning. The department sent appointment invitations to about 80,000 people on its vaccine waitlists with a response rate of approximately 35%.
Second doses of Pfizer vaccine coming to NRG. Here is what you need to know.
HOUSTON โ The Houston Health Department and Harris County Public Health announced Tuesday that scheduling will begin for the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine at NRG Park. Those who do not respond or provided a landline instead of a cell phone will receive a phone call to schedule the second dose. Anyone who does not receive a call or text 48 hours before the second dose due date is asked to contact (832) 393-4301. Harris County Public HealthThose in this group will receive a phone call, text or email the day before the second dose due date to schedule their second dose. AdPeople will be able to schedule an appointment for the second day or in the next three consecutive days following the second dose due date.
More contagious variant of COVID-19 found to be widespread in Houston wastewater, city health officials say
HOUSTON โ The Houston Health Department announced Monday the U.K. variant (B.1.1.7) of the virus that causes COVID-19 was found in most of the cityโs wastewater treatment plants. Wastewater samples collected on Feb. 22, detected the U.K. variant at 31 of the cityโs 39 wastewater treatment plants. โThe prevalence of the U.K. variant in our wastewater shows itโs actively spreading in our city,โ said Dr. David Persse, chief medical officer for the city of Houston. People who have COVID-19 shed virus in their feces, regardless of symptoms, the Health Department said. Nine cases of the U.K. variant, one case of the South African variant, two cases of the Brazil variant, and 11 cases of the California variant are currently confirmed in Houston, according to the departmentโs news release Monday.
Concrete Cowboy cancels โmask offโ party and closes its venues ahead of Wednesday, Mayor Turner announces
Turner encouraged all Houston-area business to continue to enforce the mask policy, despite Abbottโs order. โ Sylvester Turner (@SylvesterTurner) March 8, 2021The Houston Health Department announced that the cityโs COVID-19 positivity rate is 13.1%, which is up from last week. During the news conference, the Houston Health Department said the U.K. COVID-19 variant was growing in Houstonโs wastewater. On Feb. 8, the U.K. COVID-19 strand was found in 21 of the 39 wastewater plants in the city, according the Health Department. The Brazilian and the South African variant was also found in the cityโs wastewater, but the Health Department was not able to release the exact measurements just yet.
Houston Health closes waitlist for Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine
HOUSTON โ The Houston Health Department announced Wednesday that it opened a new waitlist for its initial allotment of the one-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine but closed it Tuesday, March 9. The departmentโs original vaccine waitlist is for the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, which require two doses. The waitlists are used to schedule the departmentโs allotment of appointments at the FEMA community vaccination center at NRG Park and its other vaccination sites. The Houston Health Department received half of a 12,000 dose allotment of Johnson & Johnson vaccine that arrived at NRG Park and administered it at Bayou City Event Center and its other vaccination sites two days later. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is not being provided at NRG Park.
Hereโs how to sign up for coronavirus vaccine waitlists in the Houston area
HOUSTON โ Nearly a quarter-million first vaccine doses are headed to the nine-county Houston area this week, including the first Johnson & Johnson shipment, according to state data and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. Finally, 42,120 Pfizer doses and 12,000 J & J doses will go directly to the FEMA site at NRG Park where residents on the Harris County and Houston waitlists will be vaccinated. Joining a waitlistThere are 13 vaccine hubs in the Houston area and there are waitlists for each of them. Go to vacstrac.hctx.net or call 832-927-8787 to join the Harris County version of the waitlist. To find information about all of the waitlists for the 13 vaccine hubs in the Houston area, go to dshs.texas.gov.
Fake text messages being sent about Houston-area COVID-19 vaccinations, officials say
HOUSTON โ The Houston Health Department said Tuesday that fraudulent text messages are being sent about area COVID-19 vaccinations. A tweet noted that the United Memorial Medical Centerโs Delmar Stadium event is only open by appointment and that there is not a vaccination event this weekend at Baker Ripley. ALERT: We're aware of two fraudulent text messages about #COVID19 vaccinations. There is not a vaccination event this weekend at @BakerRipley. Do not provide personal info in response to these messages.
Giving 1st and 2nd doses at once complicates vaccine effort
The clinic opened to help provide second doses of COVID-19 vaccinations. And persistent uncertainty about future vaccine supplies fuels worries that some people will not be able to get their second shots in time. Now many of those people are due for second doses, and states are trying to administer first doses to an expanded pool of recipients. Across Los Angeles County, health officials say limited supplies mean the majority of vaccinations this week will be for second doses. In the stateโs Napa County, some appointments for first doses were canceled last week to ensure there would be enough for second doses.
2 coronavirus variants found in Houston area
HOUSTON โ Two variants of COVID-19 have been found in the Houston area, officials announced Monday. Dr. David Persse, chief medical officer for Houston, said two men recently tested positive for the United Kingdom variant of the coronavirus. Both Persse and Minter said they wouldnโt be surprised if more cases of the variants start being reported in the Houston area. Vaccine updateHouston Mayor Sylvester Turner said the Houston Health Department is concentrating on ensuring equity in the distribution of its doses of the coronavirus vaccine. Latest numbersTurner said the Health Department reported an additional 1,005 cases Monday, bringing the cityโs total for the pandemic to 163,438.
Houston plans to soon offer self-scheduling for second vaccine doses
HOUSTON โ People who are supposed to get their second dose of the coronavirus vaccine will soon be able to schedule that appointment themselves. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said Monday that the cityโs Health Department has received nearly 42,000 first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine with nearly 34,000 of them having been administered. He said nearly 12,000 people have appointments to get their second dose this week. Turner said the Houston Health Department is currently contacting people directly to schedule their second dose. However, he said the second dose is necessary to get the full benefits of the vaccine.
Houston Health Department prioritizing COVID-19 vaccinations for cityโs most vulnerable residents
This week, the Houston Health Department will focus its COVID-19 vaccine allocation efforts on people at the highest risk for severe illness and those in vulnerable communities, the department said in a release. Those who received their first dose from the health department will be contacted to schedule a second dose appointment. Houston Health department appointments are currently full based on supply. The department urges residents not to contact the cityโs COVID-19 call center about first dose appointments because no slots are currently available. AdWhen first dose vaccination appointments are available, the appointment portal for Houston Health Department vaccine clinics will open at HoustonEmergency.org/covid19.
Houston Health Department working to vaccinate most vulnerable communities
HOUSTON โ On Thursday, the Houston Health Department received 9,000 additional doses. Theyโre focusing on vaccinating people at the highest risk levels and those in our most vulnerable communities. โReally we are trying to save lives,โ said Stephen Williams, the director of the Houston Health Department. The Health Department shared a graphic with KPRC 2 News. AdThe department will provide approximately 5,300 doses to the Area Agency on Aging, 2,400 for providers in vulnerable communities, and 1,300 for previously scheduled appointments.
Houston Health Department opens first drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination site
HOUSTON โ Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced Monday that the Houston Health Department has opened its first drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination site. We know that demand is higher than the supply of vaccine,โ Turner said. As of Monday, the Houston Health Department says it has administered a total of 31,159 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. The Houston Health Department reports its largest number of cases Monday. The volume of calls about second doses ahead of time is creating long wait times at our call center,โ The Houston Health Department tweeted on Monday.
Mayor Turner provides update on cityโs COVID-19 vaccination efforts
FILE - In this Jan. 21, 2021 file photo a medical staff member prepares the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at Tudor Ranch in Mecca, Calif.Mayor Turner held a media briefing at the Houston Health Departmentโs COVID-19 vaccination site at Bayou Event City Center Saturday afternoon. During the Saturday clinic, the Houston Health Department will vaccinate approximately 900 people turned away from the vaccination clinic held at Minute Maid Park last weekend. This upcoming Monday, the department will open a new drive-thru vaccination site at Delmar Stadium. The department plans to announce new appointment opportunities weekly, based on supply. Appointments are based on vaccine availability and may be adjusted based on the departmentโs supply.
Houston Health Department receives additional 9,000 doses of vaccine; new appointments booked in minutes
HOUSTON โ The Houston Health Department said 1,600 new appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine were booked within five minutes on Friday afternoon. These two locations make the vaccine more accessible to all, complementing the health departmentโs health centers and multi-service centers,โ said Mayor Sylvester Turner. People who received their first dose of vaccine through the health department will be contacted about scheduling their second dose before the recommended due date. Updated guidance from the CDC says โthe second dose should be administered as close to the recommended interval as possible. Visit the vaccine page of HoustonEmergency.org/covid19 for the latest information about COVID-19 vaccinations through the Houston Health Department.
Minute Maid Park again used as a COVID-19 vaccination megasite Saturday
All 2,600 new appointments taken; Minute Maid Park to again serve as vaccine megasite this weekendHOUSTON โ The Houston Health Departmentโs is holding another COVID-19 vaccination megasite at Minute Maid Park Saturday afternoon. Additional appointments were made available Friday-- approximately 2,600 -- for the weekend mega site at Minute Maid Park and filled in about 20 minutes, according to the department. #hounews โ Houston Health Dept (@HoustonHealth) January 15, 2021We are pleased to offer ~2,600 new appts for our Jan16 #COVID19 vaccination mega site at Minute Maid Park. KPRC spoke to Director Stephen Williams about the site at Minute Maid Park and appointments filling up in a matter of minutes. Minute Maid Parkโs home plate entrance will be used for the clinic.
Houston Health administered nearly 3,600 doses at Minute Maid Park COVID-19 vaccination clinic
HOUSTON โ The Houston Health Department administered nearly 3,600 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine at Minute Maid Park on Saturday. The Houston Health Department announced Friday a partnership with the Astros Foundation to host Minute Maid Park as a COVID-19 vaccination site on Saturday. Those who do not have an appointment with the health department will be turned away, health officials said. โThe City of Houston is working around the clock to get the COVID-19 vaccine to the public based on available supply. Unfortunately, we are not in control of the vaccine supply and must schedule local vaccines based on vaccine delivery,โ Mayor Sylvester Turner said.
5 things for Houstonians to know for Tuesday, Jan. 5
Here are things to know for Tuesday, Jan. 5:1. Houston Health Department launches online registration for COVID-19 vaccinationsThe Houston Health Department on Monday launched an online registration portal that allows eligible Houstonians to schedule appointments to receive free COVID-19 vaccinations. As additional doses are arriving, the department is pushing local vaccination efforts and plans to announce more free vaccination opportunities. Here is where vaccine distributions are headed in TexasThe first round of second coronavirus doses are arriving in Texas this week. Houston woman clings to hood of speeding car after $10,000 dog stolenA frightening scene on a Houston highway.