Clinics, urgent cares, and emergency rooms are seeing more cases this season, and health experts say it’s shaping up to be one of the heavier flu years in recent memory.

Recent hurricanes have led to an increase in mosquitoes, which can spread diseases like West Nile and dengue.

A Galveston County Health District doctor said reaching for our masks when the community spread grows is like grabbing rain gear when there’s rain.

Wednesday is the first anniversary of COVID-19 vaccines in our community.

In this latest wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, breakthrough cases in people who have been fully vaccinated are getting a lot of attention, but doctors say they are extremely rare.

As COVID-19 cases and concerns about the Delta variant rise, so do questions about breakthrough cases or cases where people test positive after being fully vaccinated.

With COVID-19 vaccines available to all Texas adults, many may still have questions about the future of the vaccine and what the best practices are after getting vaccinated.

The advertiser paid a fee to promote this sponsored article and may have influenced or authored the content. The views expressed in this article are those of the advertiser and do not necessarily reflect those of this site or affiliated companies. HOUSTON – You’ve probably heard that starting Monday, March 29 the COVID-19 vaccine will become available to all Texas residents. Some still have questions about what we can expect when it’s time for us to roll up our sleeves and get that shot. Dr. Linda Yancey from Memorial Hermann has the answers for you in today’s Medical Minute.

Jacqueline Johnson says it’s a little to early to change distancing requirements. · Revised physical distancing recommendations to reflect at least 3 feet between students in classrooms and provide clearer guidance when a greater distance (such as 6 feet) is recommended. AdThe CDC guidance was problematic for many schools that traditionally had 25, 30 or more children per classroom in closely grouped desks. Wentzel said the change in CDC guidance will make it easier to explain and defend the decision. Ad“I will not send my child to a school that's distancing at 3 feet,” said Kleinman, who has a 4-year-old daughter.

Here are things to know for Thursday, Feb. 25:1. He said ERCOT assured state officials that the grid was ready for the record-setting cold and ice that swept the Lone Star State. FEMA supersite at NRG Park to administer 6,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine dailyThe FEMA supersite at NRG Park became fully operational Wednesday. The site plans to administer 126,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine over a three-week period. “The vaccination site here at NRG Park is the largest operation we are running in Texas,” said FEMA spokeswoman Carmen Castro.

HOUSTON – The FEMA supersite at NRG Park became fully operational Wednesday. The site plans to administer 126,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine over a three-week period. “The vaccination site here at NRG Park is the largest operation we are running in Texas,” said FEMA spokeswoman Carmen Castro. FEMA said many of the technical issues experienced Wednesday were fixed ahead of Thursday’s opening. However, this, whatever is broken here at NRG, needs to be repaired.”According to the woman, workers told her others have experienced similar issues.

The advertiser paid a fee to promote this sponsored article and may have influenced or authored the content. Over the weekend, Dr. Fauci said mask-wearing may continue into 2022. Even after almost a year since the pandemic began, many Houstonians may still have questions about masks and how they are protecting use. From cloth to paper, doubling up and vaccinations, infectious disease expert with Memorial Hermann, Dr. Linda Yancey, answers everything you need to know to stay protected in today’s Medical Minute. If you have any questions about masks or COVID-19 you can head to MemorialHermann.org.

Here are things to know for Thursday, Feb. 11:1. Between them, the Texas sites will offer 10,000 vaccine doses per day, seven days per week, for the foreseeable future. Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee said the Houston site will get 6,000 doses per day in addition to the weekly state allotment. The Houston site is expected to being vaccinations on Wednesday, February 24th, representatives for the Governor’s and Lee’s office said. For CVS Pharmacy locations that will begin to offer COVID-19 vaccinations on Feb. 12, appointments were supposed to become available for booking as early as Feb. 9 as stores receive shipments of the vaccine.

HOUSTON – With cold temperatures headed to the Greater Houston area, a local medical professional asked people to continue to exercise precautions indoors. She noted viruses thrive in colder temperatures. She said the cold weather contributes to a recipe for concern when it comes to spreading viruses. “Most respiratory viruses are able to infect you better at lower temperatures,” Yancey said. We do not want to see another surge in the spring because of these variants,” Yancey said.

On Thursday, Johnson and Johnson requested emergency authorization from the FD and now the Novavax vaccine is in the works. “I think it’s a promising candidate,” Dr. Jennifer Whitaker at the Baylor College of Medicine said. AdThe Novavax vaccine would require two shots 21 days apart. The Baylor College of Medicine started the Novavax clinical trial in January and has about 130 people enrolled. If you would like to take part in the Novavax clinical trial, click here for more information.

HOUSTON – School districts operating in-person instruction have seen relatively low transmissions of COVID-19, according to new research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Overall, area doctors and medical experts agree in-person learning is the best approach; however, in order to return fully to in-person learning, school districts and communities as a whole have to follow tight specific protocols. Few would disagree with Zabaneh’s point about the importance of returning to in-person learning. Capo said Texas has not controlled spread and isn’t ready for a full-time return to in-person learning. “We have to control the community spread before it is safe enough to fully return in-person,” Capo stressed.

Several Anti-Vaccine groups have released videos claiming some people got Bell’s Palsy after getting the COVID-19 vaccine. We are putting the biggest COVID-19 myths and fears through the KPRC 2 Trust Index with the help of two infectious disease experts. Typically, the life of messenger RNA like this is a few hours.”The Trust Index also considers this to be not true. It’s an MRA vaccine, so it’s impossible to get COVID from this vaccine.”Once again, the Trust Index labels this fear not true. Do you have a question or concern for our Trust Index team to look into?

With so much focus on the coronavirus, it’s easy to forget that we’re in the middle of flu season. “I generally see two or three influenza patients a week during flu season,” said Dr. Linda Yancey, an infectious disease specialist. “This flu season, I have seen exactly two influenza patients for the entire season.”The latest surveillance report from the Texas Department of State Health Services said flu activity is low across the state. “Countries that have not stepped back on their testing are seeing historically low numbers.”Yancey credits the use of masks for helping to keep flu cases low. Yancey warned that flu season isn’t over and peaks can happen later in the season.

HOUSTON – The COVID-19 variant first discovered in the United Kingdom has now been reported in Harris County. According to health experts, finding different strands of the virus is common. Yancey said they’ve seen over a thousand different strains, so far. “So it is way too soon to be concerned about the strain out of Africa. They are still doing the computer modeling to let us know what the differences are between the more common strains,’ she said.

Texas will get about 200,000 more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine next week, most of them earmarked for large “vaccination hubs” capable of vaccinating up to 100,000 people — helping streamline distribution as the number of eligible Texans grows, state officials said Thursday. “These vaccination hubs will provide people in those priority populations with identifiable sites where vaccination is occurring and a simpler way to sign-up for an appointment with each provider,” the Texas Department of State Health Services said in a written statement. Nearly 1.4 million doses had been shipped as of midnight Wednesday, according to state numbers. A list of the large providers identified as hubs will be released later in the week, the agency said. The 1B group has an estimated 8 million people, although state officials said an undetermined number of people fall under both groups.

Here are things to know for Wednesday, Dec. 231. President signs bill into law naming U.S. Post Office in honor of fallen Harris County Deputy Sandeep DhaliwalA fallen Harris County deputy who dedicated his life to serving the community is being honored with a U.S. Post Office being renamed after him. President Donald Trump has now signed a bill into law naming a post office after Deputy Sandeep Dhaliwal. According to Harris County Public Health, it is receiving 3,000 doses to vaccinate hospital workers and residents at long-term healthcare facilities, followed by first responders and essential workers. The Moderna vaccine is a part of the shipment of vaccine for Harris County, following the arrival of the Pfizer vaccine that arrived last week.

One frontline worker in the Texas Medical Center is sharing her experience with the vaccine shot. Moderna trial volunteer Juan Antonio Sorto said he did experience fatigue and a fever after his second dose this past summer. “If I was one of the ones that received the placebo, then yes, I would be open to getting the actual vaccine,” Sorto said. And hopefully that will bring people some comfort.”The Houston doctor said she will receive her second dose in two weeks. Dr. Yancey said if a vaccine recipient does experience side effects that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

HOUSTON – Houston Methodist Hospital, UTMB in Galveston, Ben Taub, Memorial Herman, and Texas Children’s Hospital all say they plan to begin vaccinations next week. “Our personnel are ready to accept vaccines as early as this weekend, should it arrive, but we probably anticipate it arriving on Monday or Tuesday,” said Roberta Schwartz, executive VP of Houston Methodist. Memorial Hermann said with two effective vaccines likely coming to their doorstep, they’ll eventually be able to vaccinate every employee. Key dates:- Dec. 14 is when the state says they could begin rolling out the Pfizer vaccine to hospitals. AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson are two other companies that could be following close behind them but they have yet to apply for EUA.

HOUSTON – A panel of medical experts gathered Thursday for an Ask 2 Live discussion aimed at answering your questions about the coronavirus vaccine. The first doses of the vaccine will be given to essential workers and people living in long-term care facilities. She said people with some preexisting conditions are at a higher risk of complications from the virus, which makes them getting vaccinated even more important. Giordano said the 95% efficacy rate means that you are protected at that rate from developing the coronavirus disease. He said a person who has an active infection going to a clinic full of people who are getting vaccinated could infect a lot of people.

HOUSTON – Medical experts are asking Houstonians to be safe this holiday season by avoiding getting together with anyone outside of their household. Linda Yancey, an infectious disease specialist at Memorial Hermann, said it’s the only way to prevent a spike. Others said they would not let fear control or dictate their plans. But the bottom line is a positive test tells you, you have the disease. A negative test tells us you don’t have it right now.

HOUSTON It's a brand new way to work for the service providers who are walking into your home nowadays. Monica Ryan is the owner Village Plumbing and Air and says her technicians have new working protocol because of COVID19. Other service providers like carpet cleaners and exterminators are doing the same thingeliminating as much contact as possible with clients. Dr. Linda Yancey is an Infectious Disease Specialist at Memorial Hermann, and she actual says that customers are okay to allow service providers into their homes. Customers work with a technician via a real-time video call where the technician walks them through each step of the repair, build or set up.

So, do public restrooms pose a serious threat of infection? However, theres no real evidence of transmission from public restrooms. Flush the toilet, leave the stall immediately. Be careful of how many high-touch surfaces you grabUse a paper towel to touch doorknobs and faucets. Keep that towel in your hand, use that to open the door as youre leaving and then discard that towel once you leave the restroom.

HOUSTON – The new CDC guidelines on returning to school put a lot of importance on kids social distancing. That includes canceling any activities when distancing isn’t possible and configuring groups of students that always work together. Buses and hallwaysAt KIPP Charter Schools, they say with the exception of siblings, kids won't sit next to each other on the bus. Sneeze guardsDesks are six feet apart in Aldine, with two students diagonally across from each other and sneeze guards to shield them. CafeteriasIn school cafeterias, seats may be marked off to demonstrate social distancing.

HOUSTON The CDCs updated practical advice for using public transportation, rideshares and air travel was consistent with other advice on preventing infection: Wash your hands and be careful what you touch. To improve air circulation, open windows, especially in cars. Infectious disease doctor Linda Yancey from Memorial Hermann in Katy said air travel has more risks, but spacing rows between your family and others could help. The air circulation goes around, not up and down the plane. So, its not always feasible to avoid traveling, but you should make it a priority to keep yourself and those around you healthy.