DSHS Gets Nearly 15,000 Monkeypox Vaccines
C APITAL Highlights
Texas Press Association
The Texas Department of State Health Services has received and distributed 14,780 doses of the monkey pox vaccine to local health departments and DSHS regional offices. Another 27,000 doses could be made available by the Strategic National Stockpile.
The disease causes a serious skin rash with painful lesions and appears to be spreading through direct contact with the skin or saliva of an infected person. The disease is preventable by avoiding skin contact with someone who has the disease.
“Risks include having sex, kissing or hugging someone with monkeypox or sharing cups, utensils, bedding or towels with them,” according to DSHS.
Through July 29, a total of 5,189 monkeypox cases have been reported nationwide, with 351 of those in Texas. While certainly painful, monkeypox is very rarely fatal.Commuting Times Show Increase in StateWhen it comes to commuting to work in Texas, two items stand out. Nearly 90 percent of Texans travel alone to work, and it takes longer to get to where one’s going these days.
According to census data analyzed by the Texas Demographic Center, the number of commuters who from 2015-2020 spent up to an hour onthe road getting to work stood at 17.2%, up from 15.7% from 2010-2015.
More than 95% drove a car, truck or van to work, while a scant 1.3% used public transportation, excluding taxis. Folks who walked to work totaled just 1.5% of all Texas commuters.
‘Urban heat islands’ exacerbate summer temps It’s been hot out there thissummer, and cities are recording record temperatures. The Texas A&M Forest Service notes that developed areas often experience higher temperatures than rural areas.
“Areas in these microclimates of a highly developed city, known as urban heat islands, can be up to 20 degrees warmer than surrounding areas that are more rural, according to Climate Central, a nonprofit news organization that analyzes and reports on climate science,” according to the news release.
Mac Martin, with the forest service, noted planting or saving large expanses of trees in urban areas can go a long way toward cooling temperatures. Mature trees can release hundreds of gallons of water vapor daily through their leaves, cooling the air. Shaded areas can be between 20 to 45 degrees cooler than peak temperatures in unshadedexpanses of concrete.