Influenza Epidemic

Flu epidemic sweeps across Texas and 21 states; vaccine-resistant virus is culprit

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declared Monday that a national flu epidemic, resulting from a virulent mutated strain of H3N2, is sweeping across the country, especially in the southeast and Midwest regions, including Texas.

A high number of flu cases have been reported in 22 states and CDC figures indicate that since the start of the flu season on Oct. 1 through Dec. 20, 15 children have died from the virus.

The CDC reported that 48 percent of the H3N2 samples from patients seen so far were well-matched to the cocktail of ingredients in the current vaccine, but 52 percent were not.

People at the highest risk of contracting the virus are those over the age of 65 and younger than four. At this time, the CDC reports that 2,500 people have been hospitalized because of the growing, and worsening, flu crisis.

One of the primary reasons for the national explosion in the number of flu cases is because this year's H3N2 virus has mutated, reducing the effectiveness of the pre-prepared vaccines.

Approximately 90 percent of cases reported this year have been the virulent H3N2 subtype, and earlier this month, the CDC admitted that the current vaccine does not protect well against the H3N2 strain. In spite of this news, CDC officials say the vaccine should provide some protection and still are urging people to get vaccinated.

The CDC reported that 48 percent of the H3N2 samples from patients seen so far were well-matched to the cocktail of ingredients in the current vaccine, but 52 percent were not.

"Though we cannot predict what will happen the rest of this flu season, it's possible we may have a season that's more severe than most," CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden said at a news conference early this month.

An official with one vaccine manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline, emphasized that about half the samples match the strain in the vaccine, as well as noting that flu seasons can sometimes involve a second wave of illnesses caused by a different strain.

"We're at the very beginning of flu season, and it's quite possible different strains will predominate," Dr. Leonard Friedland, director of scientific affairs for GlaxoSmithKline's vaccines business, told the Daily Mail.

Visit the CDC's site on influenza for more information.

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Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”