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Austin Public Health boosts readiness amid West Texas measles outbreak; officials urge vaccination
Summary
Austin Public Health raised readiness levels and urged vaccinations after a West Texas measles outbreak; local officials said Austin‑Travis County had one travel‑related case and is promoting MMR shots and resources for verifying vaccination records.
Austin Public Health officials told the Austin Public Health Committee they had elevated readiness after an outbreak of measles in six West Texas counties and urged residents to confirm measles immunization status and get MMR vaccination as needed.
Dr. Desmar Walks, Austin‑Travis County local health authority and medical director at Austin Public Health, said the West Texas outbreak comprised 159 confirmed measles cases, 22 hospitalizations and one death as of the previous day. She said Austin Public Health had moved from a level 3 to a level 2 state of readiness, activated the department operations center and was promoting vaccination, provider outreach and public information campaigns.
Walks stressed measles’ contagiousness: a person with measles can infect nine of 10 unvaccinated people who are exposed, and the virus can linger in the air and on surfaces for two hours after an infected person leaves a room. She said two doses of MMR provide about 97 percent protection.
Local context: Walks said Austin‑Travis County had recorded a travel‑related case in an unvaccinated infant who traveled overseas; she said there was not an outbreak in the jurisdiction at that time. She also said kindergarten vaccination coverage in the county has dropped to about 90 percent overall, and some schools fall below 90 percent; models show coverage below 90 percent raises the risk of school outbreaks.
Officials urged residents who lack records to consult health care providers, pharmacists or the Texas Immunization Registry (ImmTrac2) to determine vaccination status; Walks noted nuances such as consent rules for retaining ImmTrac2 records after age 21 and historical vaccine formulations that may require re‑vaccination with the current MMR product.
Ending: Austin Public Health said it was posting public information at libraries and city facilities, contacting event organizers and coordinating with providers and pharmacies to encourage vaccination. Officials said they were developing a tool with the UT modeling consortium to let schools view coverage and use that information for targeted communication.
