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Montgomery County reports measles case, urges vaccination; HUD funding for homelessness programs remains uncertain
Summary
County officials reported one case of measles in an unvaccinated child, described rapid contact tracing and stressed high local MMR coverage. Commissioners also warned that layoffs at federal agencies, including HUD and CDC, are creating uncertainty about roughly $5 million in Continuum of Care grants for local homelessness services.
Montgomery County public health officials informed the Board of Commissioners on March 6 that county disease investigators had identified and contact‑traced an unvaccinated child with measles who had recently entered the United States.
County officials said investigators worked with the Pennsylvania Department of Health to identify and notify potentially exposed individuals and assess vaccination status. The county emphasized the speed of the response and the role of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in providing expertise in time‑sensitive infectious‑disease investigations. “Measles...is an incredibly contagious disease,” a county commissioner said, noting transmission can occur before a rash appears.
Officials stressed the county’s high kindergarten MMR vaccination rate, saying “we have over 95 percent of kindergartens that are vaccinated, with the MMR vaccine,” and urged residents to consult health care providers about immunization. The board noted that young children who contract measles can face hospitalization; county comments cited that about 20 percent of infected young children are hospitalized.
In the same update, commissioners raised concern about staffing and funding changes at federal agencies. The board reported ongoing layoffs at the CDC and at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and said those cuts complicate local public‑health and housing work that depends on federal technical assistance and grant funding.
Commissioners said about $5 million in Continuum of Care competitive grants — funds that support the county’s homelessness work and nine local nonprofits as well as county housing programs — has not yet been confirmed because of delays at HUD. County officials named the local continuum program as “Your Way Home,” which provides emergency and transitional shelter services including domestic violence‑focused shelters; commissioners said they will press federal representatives to release the competitive awards and prepare contingency plans if the funding is not forthcoming.
Ending: County officials said they will continue contact tracing and public communications about the single measles case and asked residents to speak with medical providers about vaccination. The commissioners also said they are contacting members of Congress and HUD leadership to urge timely release of Continuum of Care funds while continuing to plan for local service continuity.
