Dr. Trevino recognized for work in Nuevo Laredo

Following the recognition by the city for his contributions during the ongoing pandemic, Laredo Health Authority Dr. Victor Trevino was recognized by the Nuevo Laredo government for his efforts in vaccinating Mexican nationals at critical stages of the pandemic.

“We are communities that are intertwined in a family, culture and history,” Trevino stated. “Regional access to health care and vaccination is essential for the protection of our communities. I am humbly grateful for this honor.”

The ceremony was held on Tuesday morning at the Estacion Palabra, where local officials and the Nuevo Laredo Health Department recognized him for his “great support for the community of Nuevo Laredo with the donations of vaccines against COVID-19,” over the past three years.

Trevino’s vaccination efforts would see him travel to the Mexico amid the border closure in a campaign that focused on providing residents facing challenges. These included vaccine availability and clinic accessibility. He has often cited the need of both cities to be immunized to be able to reach true herd immunity and worked throughout the pandemic to do so.

Approximately 200,000 vaccines were administered to Nuevo Laredo residents since summer 2021 as part of the binational vaccine program, according to the Texas Tribune. Ultimately, this effort and the ongoing work to immunize Laredo residents also saw Trevino receive the key to the City of Laredo.

“The idea is to have border, regional immunity, because we are different from a lot of other places,” Trevino said last November. “This is a major land port of the United States, and we have to understand that we have to get this border immunity as it is unique to us, it would behoove us to have a regional immunity rather than just immunity in one city and another without.”

Regardless, the pandemic is still not over, and Laredo and Nuevo Laredo health officials are still cautious about the situation.

“The pandemic is not over, but rather we are now faced with the challenge of how to keep improving the situation and incorporating infection control into our daily lives and routine,” City of Laredo Health Director Dr. Richard Chamberlain said. “Research has shown it takes years of data collection to understand the endemic properties of a disease; once understood, we can forecast increases of cases and infection risk during a given year, enabling advanced warning.

“We are all continuing to learn about COVID-19 and now how to manage and live with what’s still a mutating and unpredictable virus.”

After the FDA and CDC approved the pediatric boosters, health officials have recommended families to have their children fully vaccinated during the summer. The BA2.12.1 variant has garnered concern from U.S. and local health officials and encourage everyone to keep up to date with their vaccines and boosters.

“Vaccination with a primary series among this age group has lagged behind other age groups leaving them vulnerable to serious illness,” Walensky told CNBC News. “I encourage parents to keep their children up to date with CDC’s COVID-19 vaccine recommendations.”