More Texas children are getting vaccinated early against measles
Fear of babies contracting the contagious and potentially deadly virus has spurred the surge in vaccinations amid Texas’ historic measles outbreak. Full Story
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Terri Langford is the Tribune's health services reporter based in Austin. Langford is a veteran journalist, having worked at the Florida Times Union, The Associated Press, The Dallas Morning News, the Houston Chronicle, WNYC, Honolulu Civil Beat and Texas Standard/KUT. Langford has a bachelor’s degree in government from the University of Texas at Austin. She has covered various city and state agencies, criminal justice and health and human services for the Houston Chronicle, The Dallas Morning News, The Associated Press, WNYC and Texas Standard at KUT.
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![Dr. Ana Montanez holds a box containing vials of the MMR vaccine in Lubbock, Texas, on March 6, 2025.]()
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Bill requiring Texas hospitals to report the citizenship status of patients killed in House
It is unclear whether the House bill could come back as an amendment to another measure before the legislative session ends June 2. Full Story
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![An Austin-Travis County EMS unit parked near a hospital's emergency entrance in Austin on July 7, 2020.]()
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Bill that would make vaccine exemptions easier to obtain clears Texas House
The bill would allow a vaccine exemption form to be downloadable. Currently, a form must be requested from the state and mailed to the recipient. Full Story
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![A nurse administers a dose of the Pfizer COVID vaccine at a clinic organized by the Travis County Mobile Vaccine Collaborative at Rodriguez Elementary School on July 28, 2021.]()
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Weary from COVID deaths, Hispanic Texans embraced vaccines. It saved their lives.
In the deadly summer of 2020, Hispanics in Texas were half of all COVID-19 deaths, spurring many to vaccinate. Today, in a startling flip, Hispanics make up less than a quarter of deaths from the disease. Full Story
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![Delia Ramos, center, holds a photo of her and her husband Ricardo with her daughter, right, and son tk. Ricardo died in July 2020. Brownsville on March 7, 2021.]()
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Fired state employees breached the personal data of 33,529 more Texans
So far, nine Texas Health and Human Services Commission employees have been fired for improperly accessing Texans’ data. Full Story
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![A Texas Health and Human Services client application on April 24, 2018.]()
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In visit to Texas, RFK Jr. said autism, diabetes deserve more attention than measles
During a visit to College Station, the U.S. health secretary said Europe has a worse track record with the virus, which gets too much media attention. Full Story
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![U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brook Rollins looks on as Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks at a press conference during a visit to the Texas A&M AgriLife Phenotyping Greenhouse in College Station on Tuesday, April 29, 2025.]()
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Bill to create dementia research institute approved in House, but could face $3 billion funding hurdle
Some Republicans have bristled at the hefty cost of the bill, and Democrats could reject the funding for it over the school voucher dispute. Full Story
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![The facilities of El Faro Health and Therapeutics clinical research facility count with an infusion room to treat patients with Alzheimer’s disease in Rio Grande City on November 13, 2021.]()
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Texas measles outbreak still slowing down
Texas added just 10 new cases this week, but there must be no new cases over a 42-day period before an outbreak is declared over. Full Story
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![An editorial art for the West Texas measles outbreak tracker.]()
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Early Texas hospital data shows millions spent in care for non-U.S. citizens
A state employee testified Monday that tens of thousands of people in the U.S. unlawfully were treated, but it was unclear how long the data had been collected. Full Story
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![An Austin-Travis County EMS vehicle parked outside of an emergency room in Austin on July 7, 2020.]()
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Anti-vaccine advocates battle over narrative in West Texas, downplaying role of measles in deaths
After Daisy Hildebrand died of measles, her death was made public first by Dr. Robert Malone, a vaccine skeptic who blamed the hospital for fumbling her care. Daisy’s father told The Texas Tribune he never to spoke to Malone. Full Story
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![Dr. Robert Malone speaks with Epoch Times editor Jan Jekielek at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) held at at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland on Feb. 22, 2025.]()
Credit: Zach D Roberts/NurPhoto via REUTERS