| Howdy Y'all, here's the talk from TIP. This is The Immunization Partnership's newsletter, The Upshot. In it we talk about policy, community engagement, and education, and feature our allies as well as the most recent and salient news about vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases. |
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| | Message from our Executive Director, Terri Burke |
| Measles Is Back - With Your Help, It Doesn’t Need to Linger Just 12 days ago, we celebrated the 70th anniversary of the vaccine that ultimately led to the elimination of polio in the U.S. Realizing it was on April 12, 1955, that it was officially licensed, also left me sad. A dear friend – he tells people he is my brother – was diagnosed with polio at the age of eight months, just days after Jonas Salk’s vaccine was declared “safe, effective and potent.” |
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| Larry, the youngest of six, was immediately taken to a children’s polio center three hours from his home, where he remained for nine months living in an iron lung, never being cuddled by his mother nor played with by his siblings. His life has been a successful one but not without constant pain, and not without his ever-present arm crutches. Just as polio was killing thousands of Americans in the early 1950s, measles was causing an average of 500 deaths per year from complications such as pneumonia or encephalitis. The measles vaccine, refined in 1963 and then packaged with the mumps and rubella vaccines in 1971, eventually led to the declaration in 2000 that measles had been eliminated in the U.S. And yet, here we are again – four people dead, two children and two adults – with a growing measles outbreak across the nation but with the largest number of cases in Texas. If that weren’t enough, federal, state and local funding for immunization programs—which has remained flat for years—was further reduced by $2 billion in cuts from the Centers for Disease Control. The Immunization Partnership wasn’t created to be a public health department, but as the only organization in the state dedicated to immunization education and advocacy, we are helping to fill the void the state and local health departments are struggling to fill. As part of our latest efforts, we are reaching out to philanthropists and individual donors, like many of you, to help fund a statewide emergency vaccine awareness campaign. This campaign will be focused on communities with high numbers of under-vaccinated children. No more children should die of something so easily prevented. |
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| As Measles Cases Surge, TIP Mobilizes to Protect Kids and Combat Misinformation Eight-year-old Daisy Hildebrand died in a Lubbock hospital this month after a short, devastating battle with measles-related pulmonary failure. She had no underlying conditions—just no vaccine. Her death followed the late February loss of 6-year-old Kayley Fehr, also healthy, also unvaccinated. Both lived in Texas counties now classified as measles outbreak zones. Both should still be alive. These were preventable deaths. Since the measles outbreak began in late January, the virus has ripped through West Texas. DSHS reports 624 confirmed cases to date and 64 hospitalizations, and numbers are expected to continue to rise. Counties with ongoing measles transmission include the following: Cochran, Dallam, Dawson, Gaines, Garza, Lynn, Lamar, Lubbock, Terry and Yoakum. Amid this crisis, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently visited Texas and the grieving families. Unfortunately, his public comments failed to deliver an unambiguous endorsement of the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine – the very tool that could have prevented Daisy and Kayley's deaths. Instead of affirming the science behind the MMR vaccine’s 97% effectiveness, Kennedy praised two doctors known for advancing anti-vaccine rhetoric. Texas doesn’t need more misinformation—it needs accurate, science-backed information that can save lives. That’s why The Immunization Partnership has taken action. TIP recently produced a PSA featuring Dr. Richard Eby, a family medicine physician raised in a Mennonite family, urging parents to protect their children with the MMR vaccine. In the coming weeks, TIP will expand its efforts through an emergency vaccine outreach campaign in partnership with health departments around the state, including Andrews County Public Health and the City of Lubbock Public Health. There is no room for confusion when lives are at stake. The science is clear, and so is the path forward. |
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| TIP Day at The Capitol & Austin Vaccine Day Proclamation The Immunization Partnership turned the Texas Capitol into a hub of vaccine advocacy and civic action April 1 with nearly 60 vaccine advocates for TIP Day at the Capitol 2025. Supporters from across the state joined TIP staff to walk the halls, meet with lawmakers and underscore the critical role vaccines play in protecting Texas families. Throughout the day, participants shared stories and science, highlighting the health, social and economic benefits of a fully-immunized Texas. During a briefing to advocates, State Rep. Ann Johnson, who represents the Texas Medical Center in Houston, thanked attendees for their advocacy, shared her advice on advocating to lawmakers and joined the group for a photo. |
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| | That same day in Austin, Mayor Kirk Watson officially proclaimed April 2 as Vaccine Awareness Day. The proclamation was read by Mayor Pro Tem Vanessa Fuentes and presented to TIP Executive Director Terri Burke. In accepting the honor, Burke reaffirmed one of TIP’s guiding principles: “Parents have a duty to protect their child, and lawmakers have a duty to protect every child.” Standing in support of TIP’s advocacy at the Capitol were several key partners: Dr. Julie Boom and Dr. Lindy McGee of TIP’s Scientific Advisory Council; Becca Harkleroad, Executive Director of the Texas School Nurses Organization; Diana Rios Rodriguez, President of the Texas School Nurses Organization; and TIP Board Chair Nick Janik. |
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| Autism Acceptance Deserves Action Not Distraction April is Autism Acceptance Month, a time dedicated to promoting understanding, inclusion, and support for individuals on the autism spectrum. Instead of investigating a fictitious and long-ago disproved link between vaccines and autism, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. should focus on how his department can advance research to improve the well-being of autistic individuals. The measles vaccine doesn’t cause autism — but autism is linked to significant health disparities. Autistic individuals are nearly three times more likely to die prematurely and live, on average, 16 years fewer than the general population. Nearly half of autistic adults in the U.S. have cardiovascular disease, often tied to preventable conditions like obesity. Kennedy should stop pandering to the anti-vaccine fringe and re-commit to his stated goal to Make America Healthy Again. |
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| Vaccine News Public health is always top of mind for TIP. Here are some of the top stories from the past two months: -
A new report from Truveta, a health-care data and analytics company, revealed that in 2024, just 68.5% of children in the U.S. had received their first dose by 15 months. -
Some measles patients in West Texas show signs of vitamin A toxicity. - The attitude that "You are NOT your brother's keeper" and the unfounded fear of vaccines has led to the current measles outbreak in Texas.
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| | Policy Legislation in the Spotlight  TIP is closely monitoring three bills that could significantly impact public health. SB 95 (by State Sen. Bob Hall) This bad bill specifies that health care providers must obtain informed consent before administering a vaccine and provide the Vaccine Information Statement outlining risks and benefits or face a penalty. Health care workers already do this. The bill suggests that health care workers take kickbacks from manufacturers, compromising their responsibility to their patients. This bill is punitive, duplicative and will discourage immunizations. HB 1787 (by State Rep. Donna Howard) This good bill charges DSHS with producing a plan to prevent and treat HPV and health issues caused by HPV infection among students enrolled at Texas institutions of higher education. The state plan will include strategies for preventing and treating HPV-related health problems in disproportionately affected demographic groups. Diverse stakeholders will be involved in its development, and a program to boost knowledge and understanding of HPV is among its provisions. HB 1586 (by State Rep. Lacey Hull) This harmful bill will make it easier for parents to opt out of school required vaccines by charging DSHS to make a blank exemption form available on its website. |
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Community Engagement & Education  From Bingo to Briefings, TIP Expands Public Engagement on Vaccine Awareness This spring, The Immunization Partnership launched its Wellness Initiative for Senior Empowerment—a community-driven effort to support older adults with accessible, reliable vaccine information. Through March and April, we hosted “Coffee & Conversation” sessions at Suvida Healthcare, South Union Apartments, and Native Healthcare Center. These relaxed gatherings offered a space to answer vaccine questions, share resources, and even play a few lively rounds of vaccine bingo—a clear favorite. In March, TIP joined a town hall at Boone Elementary School in Houston, providing vaccine education to parents and students. In April, we presented strategies to reduce vaccine hesitancy to nursing students at Prairie View A&M University College of Nursing. We also appeared on Growing Up in America, the KPFT radio show from Children at Risk, to highlight urgent topics—from the Texas measles outbreak to our senior wellness efforts. In March, TIP was proud to represent Texas at the Voices for Vaccines Summit in Georgia, hosted by the Task Force for Global Health. We connected with partners nationwide, sharing and gathering fresh ideas to strengthen vaccine education and access across our state. Workshops and Presentations  On March 25, Executive Director Terri Burke discussed how to talk to vaccine-hesitant parents with over 300 people from public health departments, medical schools, and other health organizations at Hidalgo County's annual vaccine conference, Immunization Summit 2025. |
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| | Stay Tuned: A New Campaign in the Fight Against Measles A new message is coming, Texas. One rooted in urgency—and backed by science. In just a few weeks, The Immunization Partnership will roll out a bold, statewide campaign to protect our kids and stop the spread of measles. It’s aimed squarely at misinformation and rooted in the freedom of Texans to live, work, and go to school free of preventable disease. TIP is creating a movement to protect what matters most. Built for Texas. Backed by science. The countdown has started. Stay tuned. |
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| The Immunization Partnership advocates for disease prevention using an impactful network of vaccine champions who promote education and evidence-based public policy on the health benefits of childhood and adult vaccinations. TIP aspires to be the trusted resource for increasing immunization rates to create healthier communities. |
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| 281-400-3689 | P.O. Box 346, Houston, TX 77001 |
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