Child hospitalizations hit record; vax contract nixed

School reopenings and “pandemic fatigue” are two primary reasons for the statewide increase, said Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, an epidemiologist at UTHealth School of Public Health in Dallas and author of the popular blog “Your Local Epidemiologist.” The state health department on Aug. 29 recorded 51,904 COVID-19 cases among Texas students since the 2021-22 school year began.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo on Wednesday said she would cancel a controversial vaccine outreach contract after Republican commissioners had accused her of steering the work toward a Democratic firm, Elevate Strategies, with no public health expertise. The firm beat out University of Texas Health Science Center.

John Moore / Getty Images The rising hospitalizations of children can also be linked to the delta variant’s extremely high transmission rate.