Lubbock Public Health outlines services and warns of measles outbreak

Catherine Wells, director of Lubbock Public Health, told the Lubbock City Council on March 11 that the department is acting seven days a week to respond to a measles outbreak centered in Gaines County while continuing regular disease surveillance and community programs. "We provide 24/7 consultation. That phone's been ringing off the hook, with measles," Wells said.

Wells framed the role of governmental public health in Texas, describing a decentralized system in which local jurisdictions set up health departments and work with state agencies such as the Texas Department of State Health Services. She said Lubbock Public Health serves as the city–county health authority and currently has 52 full‑time staff, six temporary staff and several part‑time contracted professionals who provide lab and physician services.

The nut graf: The presentation combined routine budget and program information with an urgent outbreak update. Wells said the department receives about 12,000 communicable‑disease reports annually and that about 4,000 require staff follow‑up; responding to the measles outbreak has strained staff capacity.

Wells described three core programs: disease surveillance, emergency preparedness and behavioral health services. On measles, she said the virus is highly contagious and immediately reportable under state law. "If we had a room full of 10 people that were all unvaccinated, nine of them would come down for measles," Wells said, noting measles can remain in the air up to two hours and emphasizing the risk to children under 5, pregnant women and immunocompromised people.

Wells gave local case counts and impacts: she said there were 253 cases regionally, with most centered in Gaines County and three confirmed in Lubbock. She said about half of the patients seek care in Lubbock, increasing exposure risk at local hospitals. The department has set up an incident command structure, offered free vaccine at the health department and worked with state labs to bring measles testing to Lubbock.

On funding and operations, Wells said the department receives roughly $1.8 million in city general‑fund support and $450,000 from the Texas Department of State Health Services in general revenue, plus multiple grants; she said behavioral health programs receive about $4.5 million. The immunization grant for local vaccination work, she added, has remained at approximately $254,000 for about 20 years. "This is the one that drives me nuts because it hasn't increased in 20 years," she said.

Councilmembers asked about the department's outreach and staffing. Wells said the outreach and prevention team includes five to six community health workers and apprentices who do boots‑on‑the‑ground work with high‑risk groups. In response to budget questions, she said the county contributed $3 million for the department's building in exchange for five years of public‑health services.

Wells concluded by urging vaccination. "The MMR vaccine has been around for 50 years. It's 97 percent effective. That's our best way to stop things right now," she said.

Looking ahead, Wells warned of continuing strain on staff if communicable‑disease trends continue, saying the department has worked extra hours to respond. She also flagged uncertain state and federal grant funding and noted efforts to increase revenue from billable services.

The council did not take formal action during the work session; the presentation was informational and followed by questions from councilmembers.