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Austin reports single measles case; public-health officials urge MMR vaccination ahead of festival season
Summary
Austin Public Health confirmed one measles case—an unvaccinated infant exposed overseas—and said contact tracing found no expected exposures; officials urged MMR vaccination and described local vaccine access options.
Austin Public Health officials confirmed one case of measles in Travis County — an unvaccinated infant who was exposed overseas — and said contact tracing identified no expected exposures connected to that case.
Dr. Desmar Wachs, Austin-Travis County Health Authority and medical director for Austin Public Health, said Friday’s case is the only one identified locally and that the child’s family members are vaccinated and isolating at home. “This is our only case, and we are not currently experiencing an outbreak of measles here in Travis County,” Wachs said.
Wachs outlined the risks of measles and urged residents to confirm their MMR vaccination status. He said Texas has reported 146 measles cases linked to a community outbreak and 20 hospitalizations statewide; he described serious complications that can arise from measles, including pneumonia and encephalitis.
Public Health officials said people who may have had contact with an infected person should monitor for symptoms for 21 days. Wachs encouraged clinicians to check patients’ vaccine histories and provide orders or prescriptions to obtain MMR at local pharmacies if clinic appointments are unavailable. He noted that children under 14 need a physician’s prescription to receive the vaccine at a pharmacy.
Austin Public Health said it offers vaccines through its Shots for Tots and Big Shots clinics and mobile vaccination units; officials reported an increase in local vaccine uptake since the first confirmed case and urged continued vaccination ahead of large public gatherings this spring.
