Texas launches new dashboard tracking

NORTH TEXAS – It’s a rough time for a lot of sick kids and the parents who have to take care of them.

Children’s Health reports a 40% jump in the number of children it has treated for the flu at clinics, doctor’s offices and emergency rooms last week compared to the week before.

The Centers for Disease Control says 46.9% of children have gotten their flu vaccine this season, well below normal; however, Children’s Health says COVID-19 and RSV cases in children are declining.  

If you want to get a better idea about exactly what’s making people sick in Texas, the state has a new tool just for you.  

The Texas Department of State Health Services launched a new dashboard looking at real-time and historical respiratory virus cases.  

This dashboard emergency room visits broken down by flu cases, RSV cases, and COVID-19 cases, the “big three” respiratory viruses most likely to cause serious disease at this time of year. 

Respiratory virus season runs from October to May and usually peaks in the winter; however, the viruses are always circulating, so there is a risk of infection at any time of year.  

For more information, click here.