By George Hobica, Tribune News Service

Did Dorothy Parker, the steadfast New Yorker and celebrated wit, once wisecrack that “L.A. is 72 suburbs in search of a city,” or is the quip merely attributed to her? Whatever the case, it is a fact that “Brave New World” author Aldous Huxley in 1925 called L.A. “nineteen suburbs in search of a metropolis,” both disparagements implying that the city is an amorphous amoeba without a nucleus.

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Why all the shade? Sgt. Joe Friday, played by Jack Webb in the 1960s crime procedural “Dragnet,” knows better when he informs us over the establishment shots, in his I’ve-seen-it-all monotone: “This is the city. Los Angeles, California.”

What we are seeing in those opening moments is downtown L.A., where Los Angeles began on September 4, 1781.

Downtown, in its golden age, was where people shopped in grand department stores (all gone now), worked in the booming fossil fuel industry for the likes of Standard Oil (its architecturally important headquarters still stands), and flocked to premieres in over a dozen ornate motion picture palaces (many of which you can still visit).

And although downtown has gone through boom and bust, today things are on the upswing and DTLA, in local shorthand, is the most sensible, economical, and convenient place to stay if you’re visiting for next summer’s FIFA World Cup, the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics or for many other reasons, especially if you don’t want to drive or take car services everywhere.

That’s because downtown is the most interesting and walkable part of L.A. County. Bonus: lodging costs are lower than in places such as West Hollywood or Beverly Hills. And more to the point, downtown is the hub of a growing public transportation network, allowing you to see the rest of L.A. without dealing with the city’s notorious traffic, for the bargain price of $1.75 per ride, or 75 cents (35 cents off-peak) if you’re a senior.

Now about that transit system.

Sure, L.A. is a great big freeway, like the song says, but before it was taken over by asphalt it was a great big streetcar line.

In fact, by the 1940s it had the most extensive network of urban rail in the world, over 1,100 miles of it.

That’s why the street urchin in 1988’s “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” asks the broke private detective played by Bob Hoskins, who joins him for a free ride on the rear bumper of a Downtown trolley, “Hey mister, ain’tcha got a car?” Hoskins is dismissive. “Who needs a car? We have the best public transportation system in the world.”

One of the film’s subplots involves the dismantling of that Pacific Electric Red Car system, by nefarious means, and its replacement with fume-belching buses.

But this isn’t the stuff of fiction.

In 1946 the U.S. Justice Department sued General Motors (they made buses, you see) and other conspirators for antitrust violations, accusing them of intentionally buying and destroying streetcar systems in L.A. and other cities.

One estimate puts the cost of rebuilding what they ruined in L.A. alone at $300 billion. The cost of completing the county’s much smaller urban rail system today — currently just six lines? It’s estimated at $120 billion but it will likely cost more.

Those six lines and their 107 stations (there will be a quiz!) are the A, C, E, and K, which are light rail, basically high-speed trolleys; and the B and D lines, which operate full-sized “heavy” subway trains.

Metro also runs 120 bus routes, many of them originating from downtown. There’s even a direct route to Disneyland, the 460, which takes about 90 minutes door to door.

That’ll be $1.75, please.

By the way, the treasurer of GM, who spearheaded the conspiracy, was fined less than that.

Many Angelenos have never used public transit. This is a fact some are proud of. That’s maddening because the system, small as it is, is actually pretty great. It’s new and it’s clean. The underground stations are really quite beautiful.

But the automobile is the preferred transportation here.

As you ride Metro aboveground you will pass freeways clogged with stop-and-go cars and feel superior and wise. So don’t listen to natives who insist you can’t get there by Metro, because they just don’t know.

A checkered past

But let’s be clear: downtown has had its ups and downs over the years.

Two years after Charlie Chaplin and partners opened their 2,214-seat United Artists movie palace cum office building on downtown’s Broadway, the center of the city’s nightlife, the stock market crashed.

And then came 15 years of Depression and war.

Federal policies, contrived by the highway lobby, the most powerful pressure group in Washington, encouraged the move from downtown to the suburbs by funding the Interstate Highway System, and providing GIs, returning from the Second World War, with subsidized loans to buy new homes in those suburbs.

The same suburbs that the urban rail system was meant to service, had it survived.

Population figures tell the story: In 1896, 100,000 people lived here. By 2000, just 28,000 did. Today, thanks to the construction of new luxury high-rises and the conversion of historically significant office buildings to residential, about 90,000 call downtown home.

I’m one of them.

Things are looking up again after the COVID shutdowns, a curfew, and other blows. The homeless situation is improving. Office workers have returned. High-end retail outlets, like Apple’s multimillion dollar renovation of the historic Tower Theatre (1927), have appeared.

And yet for some residents change isn’t happening fast enough and past setbacks have metastasized.

A friend, the very person who years ago had encouraged me to move to DTLA, blurted “Don’t talk to me about downtown! I’ve given up!” when I told him I was writing about the district. Had there been a phone to slam down he might have slammed it.

His reluctance to speak seemed to be trending. Hoping to get some commentary about where DTLA was heading, I left multiple voice mails, sent multiple texts, tried LinkedIn and email, everything but showing up in person (I considered it), but the DTLA Alliance (downtownla.com, which does a good job keeping the streets clean); the Central City Association of L.A. (ccala.org), which recently announced a 90-day plan to improve the area; and the Downtown Residents Association, whose mission is “to create a connected, caring, civically engaged urban community” (dtlara.org), did not get in touch.

And I get it. When earlier this year Samuel Patrick Groft, of no known address and the possessor of an impressive rap sheet, chainsawed down to stubs a dozen or so of our majestic Indian laurel fig trees (ficus microcarpa), I almost lost hope too. For his tree slaughter he’s being held on an unusually high $350,000 bail, about three times what’s typical for manslaughter in L.A. County. That’s how outraged people were.

For some it was the dozens of graffiti vandals who climbed a trio of abandoned luxury high-rises and defaced floor after floor, causing millions in damage. Once seen as a sign of downtown’s renaissance, they’re now called the Graffiti Towers, a local eyesore enjoying “worldwide infamy” as Cassy Horton, co-founder of the Residents Association, told the Los Angeles Times.

I mention all this in the spirit of full disclosure, but please don’t let it discourage you. There are just too many good reasons to base your stay here.

What follows is a guide to all the great things you can enjoy in downtown and all over L.A., on foot or by Metro, all without driving.

Within downtown proper

Many of L.A.’s best experiences require just a short walk or subway ride from your DTLA hotel (recommended for proximity to Metro: the Sheraton Grand Los Angeles, the Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites, the Wayfarer Downtown L.A., the historic Biltmore Los Angeles, and, if you’d like a fully-equipped gym and huge pool with that, The Los Angeles Athletic Club). Museums, only-in-L.A. shopping, live music, walking tours, the world’s shortest railway! You’ll never want to leave downtown:

The Grammy Museum Interactive exhibits and displays that immerse visitors in music history, technology, and pop culture. A or E to Pico Station or the B or D to 7th Street/Metro Center Station. (grammymuseum.org)

The Broad Museum The building itself is a work of art. Timed entrance tickets are free to book but not required. B or D to Civic Center/Grand Park station, or C or E to Grand Ave. Arts/Bunker Hill station. (broad.org)

Santee Alley 365 days a year rain or shine, this open-air passageway offers bargain-priced clothing, accessories, potions and lotions, toys, and gadgets from over 150 independent vendors. A to San Pedro Street station. (fashiondistrict.org/santee-alley)

The Museum of Contemporary Art Grand Avenue (MOCA) Known for its focus on American and European art created since 1940. B or D to Civic Center/Grand Park station (use Hill and 1st Street exit), or C or E to Grand Ave. Arts/Bunker Hill. (moca.org)

Walking tours The Los Angeles Conservancy offers two-hour walking tours year-round on Saturdays. Choose from Historic Downtown, Broadway and the Historic Theatre District, the Modern Skyline, the Biltmore Hotel, and Union Station. Tours leave from the Central Library, which also gives tours. B or D to Pershing Square station. (laconservancy.org)

Disney Hall One of architect Frank Gehry’s many gems, home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Enjoy a concert, or guided tours are offered seasonally. C or E to Grand Ave. Arts/Bunker Hill station, or B or D to Civic Center/Grand Park station. (musiccenter.org)

The Last Bookstore 500,000 books. 22,000 square feet. Vinyl too. Largest in the state. Reputedly the most-photographed bookstore anywhere. B or D to Pershing Square station. (lastbookstorela.com/visit)

Angels Flight Railway This 118-year-old funicular takes passengers on a short ride between Hill Street and Grand Avenue on Bunker Hill. The lower terminus is near Grand Central Market. B or D to Pershing Square station or to Civic Ctr/Grand Park station if starting at the top. (angelsflight.org)

Grand Central Market The dozens of casual dining options at this long-running (1917) space attract hordes of locals and tourists. B or D to Pershing Square station. (grandcentralmarket.com)

Mariachi Plaza Especially on weekends, come to hear live Mariachi bands. E to Mariachi Plaza station. (mariachi-plaza.com)

El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument Historic site featuring a collection of 19th-century buildings, including the oldest house in Los Angeles and a Mexican marketplace with traditional crafts, food stalls, and occasional live performances. A, B or D to Union Station. (elpueblo.lacity.gov)

Geffen Contemporary at MOCA The only artist-founded museum in L.A., dedicated to collecting and exhibiting contemporary art. A or E to Little Tokyo/Arts District station (moca.org)

Japanese American National Museum The national repository of Japanese American history. Closed until late 2026. A or E to Little Tokyo/Arts District station (janm.org)

Chinatown Asian cuisine and shopping for bargain clothing, jewelry and collectibles. E to Chinatown station. (Chinatownla.com)

Little Tokyo All-you-can-eat sushi, dozens of independent stores, and the latest collectible crazes from Japan in a pleasant, walkable neighborhood. A or E to Little Tokyo/Arts District station. (littletokyola.org )

Rooftop dining Residents and visitors take advantage of downtown’s mild weather and skyline views by eating and drinking al fresco. Perch is perched atop the 1923 Pershing Square Building. A date-night/special occasion kind of place, it offers French classics. Spire 73, on the 73rd floor of the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown, is the highest rooftop bar in the Western Hemisphere, and one of the highest in the world. Its dinner menu focuses on prime cuts of beef. B or D to Pershing Square station for both. (perchla.com, ihg.com)

Beyond downtown

While DTLA has much to experience, Metro can take you to many other places further afield — and to even more once the system is expanded over the next few years:

Los Angeles International Airport An easy journey to/from DTLA. Take Metro to/from Union Station and then connect to the FlyAway bus service or take Metro all the way. By January 2026, a new people mover will connect to the new LAX/Metro TransitCenter, taking passengers directly to terminals. Until then, E to the K or A to the C to the LAX/Metro station, then free shuttle bus to terminals. (flylax.com)

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House This is Wright’s first commission in L.A. The adjacent art park is also worth seeing. B to Vermont/Sunset station. (hollyhockhouse.org)

Santa Monica It’s 45 minutes to the famous Santa Monica Pier and the popular farmers market. E to Santa Monica station. (santamonica.gov)

Universal Studios Hollywood World-famous studio tour plus rides and other attractions. B to Universal City/Studio City station, then free shuttles. (universalstudioshollywood.com)

Hollywood Bowl Recently added to the National Register of Historic Places, this famous amphitheater, carved into a dell in the Hollywood Hills, attracts some of the biggest names in entertainment with its amazing acoustics. One of the quintessential L.A. experiences. B to Hollywood/Highland station and then a free shuttle bus. (hollywoodbowl.com)

Hollywood and Vine Stroll the Hollywood Walk of Fame and then watch a first-run movie at the historic El Capitan (1926). Before each show an organist rises from beneath the stage, his back to the audience, plays some favorite Disney tunes on his golden Wurlitzer (the theater is owned by the Mouse), then descends. B to Hollywood and Vine station. (walkoffame.com, elcapitantheatre.com)

Watts Towers 17 interconnected sculptural towers and other art works designed and built by Sabato Rodia, an Italian immigrant construction worker and tile mason. A to 103rd Street/Watts Towers station. (Wattstowers.org)

Long Beach The big draw here is the Queen Mary, a retired ocean liner with a rich history and seasonal events. A to Long Beach station. (queenmary.com)

The Huntington The gardens are the main attraction but the library and museum are also rewarding. A line to Del Mar station. Take a car service or walk for the last 2.5 miles. (huntington.org)

Exposition Park A cluster of museums where you can easily spend the whole day: California Science Center, California African American Museum, Natural History Museum of LA County, and the forthcoming Lucas Museum of Narrative Art (opening 2026). E to Expo Park/USC station. (californiasciencecenter.org, caamuseum.org, nhm.org, lucasmuseum.org)

Coming attractions

By 2026 or 2027, the D line will be extended to Beverly Hills and beyond. Of course, you can reach these venues today by a combination of rail and bus, but once the train line is finished it’ll be much easier to do so from Downtown in one trip.

The Original Farmers Market Hugely popular covered market, dating from 1934: produce vendors and butchers, lots of places to eat and shop. D to Wilshire/Fairfax station and then a 15-minute walk along Fairfax. (farmersmarketla.com)

Los Angeles County Museum of Art The largest art museum in the western U.S., with more than 150,000 objects. D to Wilshire/Fairfax station. (lacma.org)

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Exhibits, screenings, Dorothy’s ruby slippers and more. D to Wilshire/Fairfax station.(academymuseum.org)

Petersen Automotive Museum Hundreds of classic and iconic vehicles in the permanent collection, plus special exhibits. D to Wilshire/Fairfax station. (petersen.org)

La Brea Tar Pits and Museum Some unfortunate prehistoric creatures came to their ends in the black goo here. A can’t-miss for the kids. D to Wilshire/Fairfax station. (tarpits.org)

Rodeo Drive/Beverly Hills Although Beverly Hills fought tooth and nail to reroute the subway to anywhere else, it’s happening. Millionaires! Movie stars! (Sorry, no hillbillies.) D to Wilshire/Rodeo station. (rodeodrive-bh.com)

©2025 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The growing awareness of the value among parents wanting to develop and inspire their child’s interests is not only driving more companies to develop educational products but pushing sales.

According to a report by Global Market Insights the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) toy market is projected to reach $13 billion by 2032.

Among the toymakers meeting the demand is Assaf Eshet, CEO and founder of Clixo , a flexible, origami-inspired magnetic system that was recently named one of Time magazine’s Best Inventions of 2025. As an industrial designer who has worked for some of the top names in the toy industry, Eshet said his mission has always been to create toys that inspire exploration rather than dictate outcomes.

“Kids should have a real appetite for curiosity,” said Eshet. “Our job as parents, teachers and toymakers is to strike that nerve of wonder and keep it alive.”

That’s what Playmobil did for him as a child.

“I used to assemble them and then reassemble them to make them my own,” Eshet said during a phone interview from New York City.

Now children are taking his kits, assembling them as they are and then reimagining them to be something else.

“Things that we can’t even imagine they are already creating,” said Eshet, who launched the brand in 2020 with a few kits and has expanded it to include 20 kits ranging from $15 to $200. New this year for aspiring paleontologists is Dinosaur Adventure (6-up, $49.99).

“It’s an amazing set,” Eshet said, of the newest addition to the Clixo family featuring 36 pieces that can be used to make a variety of dinosaurs or whatever creature comes to mind.

“You can mix and match them, too,” said Eshet, whose Clixo brand is also in the running for the Toy Foundation’s Best Creativity Toy of the Year.

The company also earned the Best Creative Fun Award by Tillywig and was named to Toy Insider’s Top Holiday Toys list in 2023.

Clixo is a new favorite but the launch of STEM toys happened around the same time as the space race and the inauguration of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in 1958.

“The scientific achievements of the next three decades from the moon landing, artificial heart, personal computing and cell phones all yielded a call for enhanced science education,” according to a report from Forbes. “The call was answered by the National Science Foundation (NSF), which established guidelines for the teaching of science, math, engineering and technology in grades K-12, introducing the acronym SMET. However, educators and policymakers found the term awkward and unappealing, evensuggesting it sounded like ‘smut’. So in 2001, the NSF officially rebranded the initiative STEM and more recently STEAM, as ‘Art’ was added.”

“A lot of parents are buying STEAM toys that have educational value and those toys become treasures,” said Julie Everitt, co-owner of Whistle Stop Hobby and Toy in St. Clair Shores, which has been in the business of selling toys for more than 50 years. Everitt said there are a number of cool new STEAM toys out this year including Rail Cube by Sanko Toys (3-up, $99.99-$199.99).

“The set comes with magnetic tubes that you connect to create a little monorail for a little engine,” Everitt said. “It’s a super cute set and it really goes.”

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Another favorite at Whistle Stop is Hape’s Lock and Learn Playboard (3-6, $34.99), a wooden busy board featuring little exercises that teach kids meaningful tasks like how to unlock a latch or turn on a light. Among the STEAM toys growing in popularity among older kids is Rolife’s miniature kits ($49.99). Tweens and teens, even adults can build everything from little houses and book nooks to tiny greenhouses.

“Most of them are for ages 14 and up but we do carry some for 8-plus,” Everitt said, sharing but a few of the STEAM toys making this year’s hot list.

More toys

Looking for a few more toys. Check out our kids’ review of this year’s lineup of STEAM toys along with many others that are expected to make Santa’s Wish List inside the Homefront section and on our website.

Educators reflect on the season’s hottest toys

Johanna Le Pape, French-born award-winning pastry chef who lives in Southern California, has written a cookbook that revolutionizes the art of baking. Her book, “Patisserie Revolution” (Robert Rose), explores healthier baking, discussing 30 types of flours, and 17 types of sugars. She also includes substitution guides for a lowering glycemic index, as well as vegan substitutes for milk, yogurts, creams and fats.

I spoke with Le Pape from her home in Venice. She told me that about 10 years ago she realized the future of pastry would require it to be healthier. She set about to find ways to create pastries using healthier ingredients.

Her book’s long list of alternatives to wheat flour fascinated me. In all my years of baking, I never employed most of these options. I knew about almond flour and chickpea flour, but I’d never sought out chestnut flour, or coconut flour, or myriad others.

She explained that the flour needs to be a complete grain, not refined. She advised combining 2 or 3 different wheat-flour alternates to build flavor and incorporate different nutrients; diversification can make for better digestion.

To follow is her recipe for Energy Balls, tasty little snacks that I tucked away in my freezer. I had all the ingredients on hand except the chestnut flour and the unsweetened desiccated coconut, items that I sought out online. I made my spheres about 1 inch in diameter; Chef Le Pape prefers to make them half that big.

Queried about which recipes were her favorites, she said that the Healthy Snickers Bars go to the top of the list, adding that her 3- and 4-year-old daughters frequently ask for them.

Patisserie Revolution Energy Balls

Yield: About 15

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons dried banana slices

1/2 teaspoon flax seeds

7 tablespoons chopped pitted dates

2/3 cup chestnut flour

6 tablespoons whole almonds

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons dried apricots

3 1/2 tablespoons dried cranberries

1/4 cup plus 4 teaspoons unsweetened desiccated coconut

DIRECTIONS

1. In a food processor, combine dried banana slices, flax seeds, dates, chestnut flour, almonds, apricots, cranberries, and coconut; pulse until chopped. Form into bite-sized balls.

2. Store in a sealed container at room temperature for one week or freeze for up to one month.

Source: “Patisserie Revolution” by Johanna Le Pape (Robert Rose)

Award-winning food writer Cathy Thomas has written three cookbooks, including “50 Best Plants on the Planet.” Follow her at CathyThomasCooks.com.

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By Céline Gounder, KFF Health News

Rates of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, are surging in Texas, Florida, California, Oregon, and other states and localities across the country.

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The outbreaks are fueled by falling vaccination rates, fading immunity, and delays in public health tracking systems, according to interviews with state and federal health officials. Babies too young to be fully vaccinated are most at risk.

“Pertussis cases increase in a cyclical fashion driven by waning immunity, but the size of the outbreak and the potential for severe outcomes in children who cannot be vaccinated can be mitigated by high coverage and good communication to folks at risk,” said Demetre Daskalakis, a former head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s immunization program, who resigned in August.

Before the first pertussis vaccine became available in the early 1900s, whooping cough was one of the most common childhood diseases and a major cause of childhood death in the United States. Today, children get a series of DTaP shots (full-dose version) starting at 2 months old, and teens and adults receive a Tdap booster (lower-dose version) every 10 years. (Both vaccines target diphtheria and tetanus in addition to pertussis.)

Until recently, 8 in 10 toddlers had received four doses of the DTaP vaccine by age 2, and case rates were controlled. But vaccine coverage has declined since the covid pandemic and increases in state nonmedical exemptions have widened immunity gaps, which is when the proportion of individuals who are immune falls below the level needed to contain spread.

Texas logged 1,928 pertussis cases in 2024. By October 2025, the state had exceeded 3,500. National numbers are just as stark: In the first three months of 2025, the U.S. tallied 6,600 cases — four times last year’s pace and 25 times 2023’s. Several states are posting their highest case totals in a decade, and outbreaks from Louisiana to South Dakota to Idaho make clear this surge isn’t regional. It’s everywhere.

Key factors behind these numbers

Texas lawmakers recently passed a law that made it easier for parents to claim nonmedical exemptions from school vaccine requirements by allowing them to download exemption forms online. These forms now go straight to schools, not health departments, making the exemptions harder to track.

Dallas County Health and Human Services Director Phil Huang said the full impact of the new exemption rule is not yet known because it began this school year, but he expects it will make school-level vaccination rates fall even more.

He’s already noted a dramatic drop in vaccinations. Normally, during back-to-school season, “our whole front downstairs area is packed,” he said. “We did not see that this year.”

Huang believes fear of immigration enforcement may be keeping at least some families, especially Hispanic families, from getting vaccinated. Dallas County is about 40% Hispanic. “We think that a lot of them are deterred by the ICE activity,” he said, referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

More complications: These vaccines protect against severe disease, but protection against infection fades over time, as is the case with the covid and influenza vaccines.

The U.S. switched in the 1990s from whole-cell pertussis vaccines to “acellular” ones, which cause fewer side effects but do not last as long. Because more adults today than in the past received the acellular vaccine as children, many have lost immunity over time and may unknowingly pass the infection to babies.

Babies face the greatest risk

Whooping cough is especially dangerous for infants under a year old. Some stop breathing during coughing fits. Many need hospital care, about 1 in 5 of whom develop pneumonia, and about 1% of whom die.

Because of this high risk, the CDC urges pregnant women to get a Tdap vaccine during every pregnancy. This allows the mother’s antibodies to pass to the baby before birth.

Health officials once promoted “cocooning,” vaccinating all family members and caregivers around the baby, but that strategy was hard to carry out in real life and is no longer widely recommended. Vaccination of pregnant women and babies at 2 months of age remains the strongest protection.

Better testing finds more cases

Modern PCR testing is also uncovering more pertussis cases than in the past. Many clinics now routinely use this lab-based technology to test for several respiratory infections at once, including pertussis. Ten years ago, these panels were uncommon.

CDC experts say this explains part of the rise in case counts. But the large number of infant hospitalizations and the size of state outbreaks show that true transmission has also increased.

A growing worry: antibiotic resistance

Doctors normally treat pertussis with macrolide antibiotics, such as erythromycin, azithromycin, and clarithromycin. These drugs work best early in the illness and help stop spread. Another drug, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, is an option for some older infants and adults.

But macrolide-resistant pertussis has become common abroad, especially in China, and recent reports show resistance rising in Peru. In the U.S., resistant cases have been rare.

CDC officials warn that resistant strains could spread more easily through international travel. Because treatment options are limited, especially for very young infants, health workers are watching this closely.

Huang said macrolide resistance has not been seen yet in Dallas County. But he is aware of the national concern.

What happens now

The resurgence of whooping cough has no single cause. Instead, several problems are occurring at once: falling vaccine coverage, only about 60% of pregnant women receiving Tdap, waning immunity, improved testing, and early signs of antibiotic resistance.

Health experts say solutions must match the problem’s complexity.

Across the nation, clinicians are being told to have a higher suspicion for pertussis when they see patients, especially children or caregivers of newborns with a persistent cough or coughing fits followed by vomiting. Babies who stop breathing or turn blue need immediate care.

Obstetricians are encouraged to discuss Tdap during every pregnancy. Pediatricians and family doctors are urged to check booster status for teens and adults.

Several states have issued health advisories over the past two years, including Texas, which has issued alerts in both 2024 and 2025 urging clinicians to stay vigilant.

Huang said Dallas County is trying to rebuild public health outreach programs that were cut when covid funding ended. But staffing is still limited. “There’s just a lot of different things that are making it more difficult,” he said.

He also noted that Dallas County now receives immunization registry data only once a month, rather than daily, making it harder to track vaccine coverage. “We don’t have that yet. … It’s not real time,” he said.

Protecting the youngest

As the holiday season approaches, experts urge families with newborns to take extra care:

Ensure infants and children are up to date with their childhood vaccines and that everyone in the family is up to date with their vaccines for influenza, covid, and RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus.
Keep sick visitors away.
Seek care quickly if an infant has a cough or pauses breathing.

©2025 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.