Public Health Emergency PreparednessPublic Health Emergency Preparedness

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WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Fort Bend County residents are invited to complete a survey and/or to participate in a virtual Focus Group about the COVID-19 vaccines and Fort Bend County’s outreach and response efforts.  Please consider participating as we are planning the next phase of our response plans.  Your voice is important to us!  (Please note: Only Focus Group contributors will receive a $100 gift card in appreciation for your participation.)

In Texas, everyone over 12 years of age is eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Also, Fort Bend County run COVID-19 vaccine sites(En Español) accept walk-up vaccinations!

Health Alert!

The DSHS has issued a health alert about the improper use of ivermectin. Ivermectin cannot treat viral infections like COVID-19 and can hurt you. https://bit.ly/2URbdtj  If you have concerns about exposure to ivermectin, please call the Texas Poison Center Network at 1-800-222-1222.

CDC 3rd Dose Guidelines (En Español)

Currently, all of our FBC Health & Human Services COVID-19 vaccination clinics are accepting walk-in visits for moderately-to-severely immunocompromised people seeking to receive their 3rd dose of Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines. Moderately to severely immunocompromised people includes those who have:

-Been receiving active cancer treatment for tumors or cancers of the blood

-Received an organ transplant and are taking medicine to suppress the immune system

-Received a stem cell transplant within the last 2 years or are taking medicine to suppress the immune system

-Moderate or severe primary immunodeficiency (such as DiGeorge syndrome, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome)

-Advanced or untreated HIV infection

-Active treatment with high-dose corticosteroids or other drugs that may suppress your immune response

People should talk to their healthcare provider about their medical condition, and whether getting an additional dose is appropriate for them.

Minor Consent Form: Click here to get the Minor Consent Form (En Español) if you would like to complete it prior to bringing your child to be vaccinated. All children 12-17 years of age must provide a completed COVID Informed Consent – Minor Form signed by their parent or legal guardian at the vaccination site before they can be vaccinated.  The COVID Informed Consent – Minor Form is also available at each vaccination site to ensure that the child’s parent or legal guardian is able to complete prior to the child being vaccinated.

Please click here to read the Emergency Use Authorization COVID-19 Vaccine Fact Sheets before getting your vaccine.

Community Use of Cloth Masks Help Control the Spread of COVID-19

HHS:   Vaccination Hotline (for questions only) 832-471-1373

Zika in Fort Bend County and beyond

Zika in Fort Bend County

As the temperature rises the risk of Zika increases in Fort Bend County due to increased Mosquito activity. The increased risk is illustrated on the animated map through the changing color of the circles for each month.

Zika risk as illustrated by meteorological conditions which can favor populations of the Aedes aegypti mosquito which transmits the virus. Red dots represent high-abundance conditions, orange represents medium-to-high, yellow represents low-to-medium, and gray represents no significant mosquito population. Source: NCAR

Fort Bend County Health & Human Services has confirmed eleven (11) cases of Zika Virus in Fort Bend County since we started tracking the disease in 2016.*

  • Locally acquired mosquito-borne cases reported: 0
  • Travel-associated cases reported: 11
  • Pregnant women: 1
  • Microcephaly: 0
  • Sexually Transmitted: 0
  • Guillain-Barre Syndrome: 0

*Fort Bend County Health & Human Services is responsible for disease reporting in all of Fort Bend County with the exception of the areas within the City of Houston.

Note: For 2017, as of June, no Zika virus cases have been reported to Fort Bend County Health & Human Services. 

Zika in Texas

As of the week ending July 28, there have been 19 Zika cases reported in Texas for 2017.

  • Bexar – 2
  • Brazoria – 1
  • Brazos – 1
  • Cameron – 6
  • Collin – 1
  • Dallas – 1
  • Denton – 1
  • Harris – 3
  • Lubbock – 1
  • Smith – 2

From December 2015 through December 2016, 323 cases of Zika virus were reported in Texas.  Only six cases diagnosed were from local transmission all in the Brownsville, Texas area (Cameron County).   The remaining 316 cases in Texas were travelers infected in other countries and diagnosed after returning to Texas. Two cases involved having sexual contact with someone who acquired the Zika infection while traveling abroad and three cases passes from mother to child before birth. For those planning travel to the Brownsville area the CDC has issued travel guidance.

Updated Case Count Information can be found on the Texas Department of State Health Services’ Website by visiting the following link: texaszika.org.

Zika in the United States (U.S.)

The primary vector (mode of transmission) for Zika is the Aedes aegypti mosquitoe. Areas of the U.S.that have this mosquitoe or have observed it then are areas that could have the virus transmitted. The map below provided by the CDC shows where this mosquitoe has been previously found in the U.S. However, the map only shows where the mosquitoe lives and not where Zika has been found. The following map shows places in the U.S. that have had patient diagnosed with Zika. Only Texas and Florida have had local transmission with the remaining cases diagnosed in returning travelers.

Number of cases of Zika diagnosed in the U.S. as of 4/19/2017. Source: CDC

Zika Virus in Other Countries

In May 2015, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued an alert regarding the first confirmed Zika virus infections in Brazil.

Prior to 2015, Zika virus outbreaks have occurred in areas of Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands. Currently, outbreaks are occurring in many countries. The Zika virus continues to spread and local transmission has been reported in 72 counties so far.

For the latest travel information, visit, http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/zika-travel-information

For More information, please visit, www.cdc.gov/zika

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