Past Contributions

• “Please help us, please”: More than 100 older and disabled Texans were stranded without power in Austin high-rise

  By Karen Brooks Harper and Montinique Monroe Feb. 17, 2021

  Firefighters helped staff evacuate residents who wanted to go to shelters after more than two days of frigid temperatures and dwindling food supplies. Full Story 

• Hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 vaccine deliveries, injections delayed by winter storm

  By Karen Brooks Harper Updated: Feb. 16, 2021

  Vaccine events and appointments across Texas were shut down when snow and ice made travel too dangerous, brought power outages and delayed vaccine deliveries. Full Story 

• Texas launches multimillion dollar campaign to combat vaccine hesitancy

  By Karen Brooks Harper and Marissa Martinez Feb. 12, 2021

  Local governments and advocacy groups are targeting skeptical communities early, but the state is holding back a large media blitz until more vaccine arrives. Full Story 

• Three FEMA-run vaccination sites aimed at underserved Texans to open later this month, Abbott says

  By Karen Brooks Harper Feb. 10, 2021

  Combined, the three sites are expected to administer more than 10,000 shots per day, with doses supplied by FEMA. Full Story 

• Older and disabled Texans are demanding their home caregivers be vaccinated for COVID-19. But many workers don’t want it.

  By Karen Brooks Harper Feb. 8, 2021

  Home health workers, most of whom are women of color, could start losing their jobs if they aren't vaccinated against COVID-19. Experts widely agree that the vaccine is safe — Pfizer and Moderna both reported their vaccines are more than 90% effective at protecting people from serious illness — but some still refuse to get a shot. Full Story 

• Progress in the fight against the coronavirus is coming, but Texas is a long way from herd immunity

  By Karen Brooks Harper and Anna Canizales Feb. 1, 2021

  Medical experts say the state will struggle to immunize enough Texans to halt the chain of transmission through vaccination. But they hope to soon see evidence that vaccination efforts are helping to take pressure off the health care system. Full Story 

• Texas has a problem with its COVID-19 vaccination data, and the stakes are high. Now the state is scrambling to solve it.

  By Karen Brooks Harper and Shannon Najmabadi Jan. 20, 2021

  As the state began the massive undertaking of distributing the coronavirus vaccine, early data problems left state officials with immunization records that were outdated, incomplete and sometimes misleading. Full Story 

• Texas has administered most of its 1.7 million vaccine doses as it prepares to receive 333,000 more

  By Karen Brooks Harper Updated: Jan. 19, 2021

  Some 78% of the 1,725,575 doses already shipped to providers have been used, including second doses, Gov. Greg Abbott said, and Texas is set to receive 333,650 first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Full Story 

• Texas lawmakers aren’t all eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. Austin’s top health official is trying to get them vaccinated anyway.

  By Karen Brooks Harper and Cassandra Pollock Updated: Jan. 15, 2021

  Dr. Mark Escott, the interim medical director for Austin Public Health, told The Texas Tribune that he asked Ascension Seton hospital system “if they would be willing to vaccinate lawmakers and key staff if they had availability.” Full Story 

• After a rocky start, Gov. Greg Abbott promises to ramp up COVID-19 vaccinations across Texas

  By Karen Brooks Harper Jan. 11, 2021

  Twenty-eight coronavirus vaccination hubs will receive most of the state's next shipment of COVID-19 vaccines this week, with 158,825 doses shipping to providers able to manage large-scale efforts as more doses arrive in the state. Full Story