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  • get your shot

    Be aware: COVID is not done with us yet

    People are sick of hearing about COVID. So are we! But the truth is, the virus is not sick of us, and it’s not going anywhere. There has been nearly a 30 percent increase in COVID hospitalizations among elderly adults in the past two weeks. You should be aware of new information.

  • get those vaccinations

    Third dose booster offers many benefits for children

    Like many common vaccines, the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines should have been a three-dose series. The first two injections prime the immune system, and the third boosts it to provide a higher antibody response. In 5 to 11 year olds, the booster more than doubles the antibody levels found following the second dose. Additionally, boosting has been shown in other age groups to further improve the antibodies so that they better bind the virus and provide more protection against variants.

  • The coronavirus has one strategy we can’t vaccinate against

    Vineet Menachery, a coronavirologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch talked to Katherine Wu about variants improving their ability to resist interferons. “There’s a domino effect,” Menachery said. Wu wrote: “More cells get infected; antibody and T-cell responses hang back, even as viral particles continue to spread. Eventually, the body may get wise and try to catch up. But by then, it may be too late. The brunt of viral replication might be over, leaving the immune frenzy to misdirect much of its havoc onto our own tissues instead.”

  • Health and wellness with UTMB Health and Houston Moms

    Covid Vaccine and Kids 5+

    Dr. Elizabeth Rodriguez Lien shares what parents need to know about the COVID-19 vaccine and the 5+ population.

  • a person washing their hands

    Hand Hygiene 101: Preventing Disease

    National Handwashing Awareness Week (Dec. 1-7) serves as an annual reminder to practice proper hand hygiene to curb the spread of disease.

  • Health and wellness with UTMB Health and Houston Moms

    Back to School Wellness

    Dr. Manuela Murray joined Meagan Clanahan of the Houston Moms Blog to discuss the COVID-19 vaccine, back-to-school well-checks and more.

  • Four teens taking a selfie

    The best memories are made in person.

    Approved for individuals 12 years of age and older, the two-dose Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is now available at all UTMB Health primary care clinics—just in time for back to school check-ups and physicals.

  • close up of a COVID-19 spike

    Understanding COVID-19 variants

    The development of SARS-CoV-2 variants isn’t a surprise. The shocking thing, based on what we thought we knew about coronaviruses, is the speed at which variants developed and spread. The question remains: Should we be worried?

  • close up of a COVID-19 spike

    What to know about pregnancy and COVID-19 vaccines

    Much more is known about COVID-19 and pregnancy now that we’re a year into the pandemic. Fortunately, in the majority of cases, SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy turns out well. COVID-19 can be worsened, however, by the extra work of breathing and stress on the heart that occur with pregnancy.

  • close up of a COVID-19 spike

    Here are answers to a few of your questions about the COVID-19 vaccine

    We’ve received many questions from readers anxious about receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. Several questioned if they should be vaccinated at all while others wondered if they need to continue wearing masks once vaccinated. I hope our responses help answer the questions you may have as well.

  • close up of a COVID-19 spike

    Benefits outweigh risks of COVID-19 vaccines

    Texans are lining up to receive their COVID-19 vaccine and many more are patiently waiting their turn. The good news is that while COVID-19 can be life-threatening, the only medical risk to vaccination is for those with a history of allergic reactions to these vaccines or their ingredients.

  • close up of a COVID-19 spike

    Which COVID-19 vaccine should you get?

    In front of the press, President-elect Joe Biden rolled up his sleeve for the Pfizer vaccine and Dr. Anthony Fauci for the Moderna vaccine. While some tried to read something into their choices, these vaccination events were likely arranged to instill public trust in both vaccines. Regardless, the public wants to know which vaccine is best.

  • close up of a COVID-19 spike

    When will it be my turn to get the COVID-19 vaccine?

    It’s music to many physicians’ ears to hear people clamoring for their COVID-19 vaccine. The virus has damaged the economy and taken far too many lives. A year ago, it was unbelievable that effective, safe vaccines could be delivered in less than a year from the first identification of a new pathogen.

  • close up of a COVID-19 spike

    Here are some answers about new COVID-19 vaccines

    Two COVID-19 vaccines have received Emergency Use Authorization in the United States. They’re commonly referred to as the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Both are messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines and use a technology developed over the last decade.

  • close up of a COVID-19 spike

    'Immunity passport' might be our ticket back to normal

    The fantastic news about the safety and effectiveness of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines has led many to ask when things will return to normal.

La vacuna de Novavax

Los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades (CDC) aprobaron recientemente la vacuna contra el COVID-19 de Novavax para uso de emergencia en adolescentes de entre 12 y 17 años. La vacuna anteriormente había sido aprobada para personas de 18 años y mayores.

La vacuna de Novavax contiene proteínas inofensivas del virus COVID-19 con una sustancia que refuerza el sistema inmunológico hecha de corteza de árbol. A diferencia de las tecnologías de ARN mensajero y vector viral antes aprobadas que dependen del cuerpo para producir la proteína de la espícula contra el COVID-19, Novavax se considera una vacuna tradicional ya que la proteína de la espícula se produce de manera similar a las vacunas comunes contra la influenza, herpes zóster, hepatitis B, tétano, difteria y tos ferina.

Las vacunas como la antiCOVID de Novavax que usan la tecnología de subunidades de la proteína se han utilizado por más de 30 años en Estados Unidos desde la creación de la primera vacuna aprobada contra la hepatitis B.

Su aprobación añade otra herramienta para la lucha contra la pandemia y brinda un tipo más conocido de tecnología para la vacuna contra el COVID-19 para adolescentes.