Nine Texas Cities Get Grants to Fight Flu Pneumonia

Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas People in nine select communities across Texas will receive disease-preventing and potentially life-saving flu and pneumonia vaccinations thanks to special grants from the Texas Medical Associations (TMAs) Be Wise Immunize^SM program. TMA recently awarded nearly $17000 in grants to physicians and TMA Alliance (TMAA) chapters to provide free and low-cost vaccinations to uninsured and underinsured Texans in their hometowns. Influenza sickens and kills vulnerable children and adults annually. Some 200000 people go to the hospital each year from illnesses caused by flu such as pneumonia and as many as 48000 people have died from flu during one flu season. Thats why physicians recommend a yearly flu shot for everyone six months of age and older. TMA created the Be Wise Immunize Local Impact Grants program in 2012 to enable members of TMA and TMAA (an organization of physician volunteers and their spouses) to help ensure their communities are healthy by offering childhood adolescent and adult vaccinations at special events and clinics. Members often partner with local organizations to reach residents in need. In five years TMA has awarded 64 grants totaling $118000 to provide more than 8000 vaccinations across the state through the Local Impact Grants program. Be Wise Immunize and the Local Impact Grants are funded by the TMA Foundation (TMAF) TMAs philanthropic arm. More Texans will be protected from serious even deadly diseases thanks to the immunizations they will receive through the grant funding our generous donors have made possible said TMAF President Deborah A. Fuller MD of Dallas. Texas physicians and shot-clinic volunteers will begin vaccinating Texans this week. In August TMA awarded these grants ranging from $1478 to $2500:

• Bexar County Medical Society (CMS) Alliance will give free flu shots to childcare workers attending the Texas Licensed Child Care Associationconference in San Antonio in October. By getting vaccinated the workers protect themselves and the kids they care for.
• Adrian Billings MD PhD; and Katie Ray MD along with Presidio County Health Services will counter low flu vaccination rates in Presidio County by giving more than 200 children and adults free flu shots in Marfaand Presidio. The shots will be given at the Presidio/Ojinaga Binational Health Fair in November.
• Jill Holland MD of Kilgore and Faith Family Medicine Clinic will provide free bacterial pneumonia vaccinations to underserved and uninsured seniors at the Kilgore clinic this fall in conjunction with discounted flu shots. Bacterial pneumonia is the third leading cause of potentially preventable hospitalizations in Texas according to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). Gregg and Rusk counties where Kilgore is located have some of the states highest rates of hospital admissions for bacterial pneumonia.
• Lamia Kadir MD of Austin will offer free flu shots to underserved children and adults at HopeFest a local festival and resource fair for families at Raegan High School in northeast Austin on Oct. 22.
• Drs. Lekshmi Nair and Hema Salvady of Manvel along with Love to Share Foundation America will provide free flu shots to Brazoria County children and adults including the high-dose vaccine for senior citizens at the 6th Annual Life & Soul Health Fair Sept. 10 at Sai Primary Care inManvel.
• Paris-Lamar County Health District along with Lamar-Delta CMS will give 400 free flu shots to local adults (18 years and older) at its 3rd annual drive-through clinic at the First Federal Community Bank in Paris on Oct. 22.
• Parker CMS: One hundred children and adults in Parker County will receive free flu vaccinations at the organizations 5th Annual Health Fair Oct. 15 at the North Side Baptist Church in Weatherford.
• South Plains Immunization Network along with Lubbock-Crosby-Garza CMS Alliance will give free flu shots to adults in Lubbock in conjunction with South Plains Food Bank in November.
• Stephen B. Vaughn MD of Fort Worth and Mercy Effect a not-for-profit organization to provide wellness initiatives in Tarrant County will provide free flu vaccinations to Haltom City residents at an Oct. 1 wellness event at Bethesda Community Church.

TMA actively works to improve vaccination rates in Texas through its Be Wise Immunize program. More than 300000 shots have been given to Texas children adolescents and adults since the program began in 2004. TMAF funds the Be Wise program in 2016 through generous support from H-E-B and TMF Health Quality Institute along with contributions from physicians and their families. TMA has published an infographic in English and Spanish that discussesvaccinations adults need. TMA also has an infographic about flu vaccination. TMA is the largest state medical society in the nation representing more than 49000 physician and medical student members. It is located in Austin and has 110 component county medical societies around the state. TMAs key objective since 1853 is to improve the health of all Texans. The TMA Foundation raises funds to support the public health quality of care and science priority initiatives of TMA and the family of medicine. Be Wise Immunize is a service mark of the Texas Medical Association