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COMING TO THIS MORNING'S AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY UPDATE ON MPOS.UM, WE'RE GONNA BE HEARING FROM DR.
MIKE STEFANOVICH, UM, AND TRAVIS COUNTY JUDGE ANDY BROWN, AUSTIN MAYOR KIRK WATSON.
AT THE END OF IT, WE WILL ALLOW FOR QUESTIONS, UM, BUT WE'RE GONNA GET IT STARTED WITH DR.
I'M THE HEALTH AUTHORITY FOR AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY AND A P'S MEDICAL DIRECTOR.
UM, EM O X HAS ARRIVED IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
UH, WE'RE CELEBRATING, UH, THE A YEAR SINCE WE HAD OUR FIRST CASE.
UM, WE WENT FOR APPROXIMATELY TWO AND A HALF MONTHS WITH NO CASES OF M O X, AND THEN LATE LAST MONTH WE HAD OUR FIRST CASE.
UM, AND SO WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
WE SAW HUNDREDS OF CASES, BUT THANKS TO VACCINATIONS AND SAFE PRACTICES, WE WERE ABLE TO REDUCE THE SPREAD.
UM, TODAY WE'RE JOINED BY DAVID POWELL, CLINIC'S ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, DR.
MIKE STEFANOVICH, UH, TRAVIS COUNTY, JUDGE ANDY BROWN, AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN, MAYOR KIRK WATSON.
BECAUSE OF, BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN THIS FIRST CASE AND IT COINCIDES WITH CDCS REPORTING THAT WE CAN EXPECT AN UPSURGE IN CASES, UM, THIS SUMMER, UH, PARTICULARLY IF WE DON'T SEE MORE PEOPLE, UH, VACCINATED IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE'VE ALSO INVITED, UH, COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND RESERVE TIME FOR THEM TO ASK QUESTIONS.
UM, THEY MAY BE HAVING A LITTLE DIFFICULTY FINDING THIS LOCATION, SO, UM, WE'LL TAKE QUESTIONS AT THE END.
UM, WHILE WE SAW A GOOD START TO VACCINATIONS LAST SUMMER, WE ONLY HAVE ABOUT 19% OF THE VULNERABLE AT-RISK POPULATION VACCINATED AT THIS TIME WITH GENOS.
AND SO WE'RE ASKING, UM, PEOPLE TO GO OUT AND GET VACCINATED.
UM, YOU MAY BE ASKING IF THIS VIRUS HAS SUCH A LOW HOSPITALIZATION RATE AND DEATH RATE, WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT? AND THE ANSWER IS PAIN.
UM, THIS VIRUS CAN AFFECT VERY SENSITIVE AREAS OF THE BODY AND CAUSE EXTREME PAIN.
UM, MOST OF THE HOSPITALIZATIONS THAT WE'VE SEEN HAVE BEEN FOR PAIN CONTROL.
UM, THIS VIRUS ALSO CAN AFFECT YOUR LIFE, YOUR LIVELIHOOD, KEEP YOU OUT OF WORK FOR SEVERAL WEEKS, UM, CAUSE CHILDCARE ISSUES AND ULTIMATELY AFFECT YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND SO THIS CAN BE EVEN MORE OF AN ISSUE FOR THOSE WHO ARE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED.
UM, WE'RE SEEING SERIOUS CRITICAL ILLNESS IN PEOPLE WHO ARE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED, SUCH AS INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE LIVING WITH HIV.
AND SO IT'S ALL THE MORE IMPORTANT FOR US TO PROTECT THOSE AT RISK.
AND NOW I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO DR.
MIKE STEFANOVICH TO SPEAK ABOUT VACCINES.
MIKE STEFANOVICH AND I'M THE DIRECTOR OF INTENSIVE OUTPATIENT CLINICS AT COMMUNITY CARE HEALTH CENTERS, UH, WHICH INCLUDES OUR, UH, OUR MARQUES HIV AND SEXUAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS CLINIC, THE DAVID POWELL HEALTH CENTER.
AND SO I'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO EVERYBODY TODAY WITH REGARDS TO SOME INFORMATION THAT I HOPE IS HELPFUL, UH, TO HELP MAKE A DECISION AS FAR AS WHETHER YOU SHOULD, UH, GET VACCINATED TO, UH, REDUCE YOUR RISK OF EM OS ACQUISITION.
AND SO I THINK FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE AT HOME, PEOPLE MAY WONDER AND ASK THEMSELVES, ONE, AM I AT RISK OF ACQUIRING EM O X AND TWO? IF SO, WHAT SHOULD I REALLY DO TO MITIGATE OR REDUCE MY RISK OF MPOS ACQUISITION? THE VACCINATION, I WILL SAY WE KNOW A LOT MORE NOW, UH, JUNE OF 2023, ABOUT M O X AND, AND THE GENOS VACCINE TO REDUCE THE RISK OF M O X.
WE KNOW A LOT MORE NOW, JUNE OF 2023 THAN WE DID OF JUNE OF 2022.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S THANKS IN PART TO MANY COMMUNITY COLLABORATORS, GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS, ORGANIZED MEDICINE, UM, AND OTHERS.
AND THOSE IN CLINICAL RESEARCH ACTUALLY, UM, WHO'VE REALLY CULTIVATED A LARGE BODY OF INFORMATION FOR US TO DRAW A LOT MORE, UH, WITH RESPECT TO DECISIONS ON WHO WOULD BENEFIT FROM VACCINATION.
AND SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT THEY SHOULD ACCESS TRUSTED, VETTED SOURCES OF INFORMATION WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING A DECISION AS TO WHETHER THEY SHOULD GET VACCINATED FOR EM O X.
AND SO THAT INCLUDES WEBSITES LIKE THE CDC AND ALSO AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH'S WEBSITE HERE LOCALLY.
THERE'S REALLY GREAT INFORMATION ON THERE TO HELP YOU DECIDE WHETHER YOU MIGHT BENEFIT FROM THE GENOS VACCINE.
AT THIS TIME, WE'RE NOT RECOMMENDING THAT EVERYBODY UNIVERSALLY GET IMMUNIZED AGAINST EMPO X, BUT REALLY REVIEW THE CRITERIA LISTED ON THE CDC AND AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH'S RESPECTIVE WEBSITES TO MAKE A BETTER INFORMED DECISION AS TO WHETHER YOU MIGHT BENEFIT YOURSELF FROM GETTING VACCINATED.
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YOU MAY NOTICE, UH, FROM THE CDC AND PUT ON THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH WEBSITE AS WELL, IS IF YOU'VE HAD EXPOSURE TO ANYBODY WITH EM O OF THE LAST TWO WEEKS, DEFINITELY CONSIDER GETTING VACCINATED.UH, IF YOU HAVE MULTIPLE SEX PARTNERS OVER THE LAST SIX OR MORE MONTHS, CONSIDER GETTING VACCINATED.
IF YOU'VE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH ONE OR MORE SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS, CONSIDER GETTING VACCINATED TO REDUCE YOUR RISK OF ACQUIRING EM O OOX.
AND SO WE ALL HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN PERSONAL HEALTH, BUT ALSO A RESPONSIBILITY TO OUR COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
AND THE MORE PEOPLE WHO MAY BENEFIT FROM THE EM O X VACCINE WHO CHOOSE TO GET IMMUNIZED, THE LESS LIKELY WE ARE TO SEE AN OUTBREAK HERE FOR EM OOX LATER THIS SUMMER.
AND SO MANY MAY BE WONDERING, WHAT DOES GETTING VACCINATED ENTAIL? UH, AND SO REALLY WHAT IT IS, IT'S A TWO DOSE SERIES OF A VACCINE CALLED THE GENOS VACCINE.
IT'S A VACCINE THAT'S BEEN KNOWN FOR SOME TIME AND IT'S, UH, ONE MONTH APART.
AND THERE ARE A FEW HEALTH CENTERS HERE LOCALLY THAT ARE RENDERING THE VACCINE.
AND AGAIN, I'LL REFER YOU TO LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH AUTHORITIES WEBSITE FOR A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF WHO IS RENDERING THAT VACCINE AT THIS TIME AS THE VACCINE MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL HEALTHCARE CENTER.
AND SO WHAT ADDITIONAL STEPS CAN YOU DO TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM M O X EVEN IF YOU'VE DECIDED TO GET VACCINATED? FIRST? WE ALL KNOW THIS IN MEDICINE AND IN PUBLIC HEALTH IS KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.
O X, EDUCATE YOURSELF ABOUT THE NATURE OF THE DISEASE AND WHO IT MAY BE MOST, UH, AFFECTING DISPROPORTIONATELY RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND RECOGNIZE SOME OF THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS. THOSE INCLUDE SKIN LESIONS, FEVERS, FLU-LIKE SYMPTOMS. SOMETIMES IF YOU EXPERIENCE ANY OF THOSE SYMPTOMS, BE SURE TO ISOLATE AT HOME AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND CONTACT YOUR MEDICAL PROVIDER.
OR IF YOU DON'T HAVE A MEDICAL PROVIDER, CONSIDER UTILIZING THE INFORMATION ON AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH'S WEBSITE TO ACCESS RESOURCES.
AND SO WHAT OTHER STEPS CAN YOU TAKE TO REDUCE YOUR RISK? AND WE SAW THIS WITH MARKET SUCCESS LAST SUMMER, IS MANY PEOPLE CHANGED SOME OF THEIR BEHAVIORS ON A TEMPORARY BASIS.
THAT MAY INCLUDE REDUCING THE NUMBER OF SEX PARTNERS YOU HAVE IF YOU CHOOSE TO BE SEXUALLY ACTIVE.
OF COURSE, UTILIZING BARRIER PROTECTIONS SUCH AS CONDOMS IF YOU CHOOSE TO BE SEXUALLY ACTIVE, LIMITING NUMBER OF SEX PARTNERS TO A SMALLER NETWORK OF PEOPLE, AND OF COURSE GETTING IMMUNIZED.
AND SO IT'S A TWO DOSE SERIES.
AND BE SURE TO EDUCATE YOURSELF ON WHEN, HOW, OR WHEN, WHERE, WHEN, AND HOW YOU CAN RECEIVE THAT VACCINE IF YOU CHOOSE TO DO SO.
AND SO WHAT HAVE WE SEEN LOCALLY HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY OVER THE LAST YEAR FROM THE START OF THIS OUTBREAK? I CAN TELL YOU AS A PHYSICIAN AT A FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTER, UH, WE'VE SEEN, AS DR.
WELK SAID, VERY PAINFUL RE LESIONS ON THE SKIN WHILE EM O X IS, IN MOST CASES, NOT A LIFE-THREATENING CONDITION, IT CAN BE TEMPORARILY DEBILITATING.
IT CAN KEEP PEOPLE OUT OF WORK FOR ANYWHERE FROM TWO TO FOUR WEEKS WHILE THEY ISOLATE AT HOME, WHICH CAN HAVE A DETRIMENTAL FINANCIAL IMPACT, BUT ALSO A DELETERIOUS IMPACT ON ONE'S MENTAL HEALTH TO ISOLATE FOR SO LONG.
AND THE SKIN LESIONS THEMSELVES CAN BE DEBILITATING.
AND AGAIN, I CAN'T, UH, IMPRESS THIS UPON, UH, CLINICIANS AND HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS ENOUGH CAN BE VERY PAINFUL.
AND SO IN TERMS OF DEMOGRAPHICS, I THINK WHAT WE'VE SEEN TOO IS SIMILAR REFLECTIONS IN THE NATIONAL TRENDS, WHICH ARE, EM, O X HAS DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED COMMUNITIES OF COLOR NATIONALLY.
ONE IN THREE PEOPLE DIAGNOSED WITH EM O X IDENTIFY AS LATINO OR HISPANIC, AND ANOTHER ONE IN THREE IDENTIFIES BLACK OR AFRICAN-AMERICAN.
AND SO FROM A VACCINE EQUITY PERSPECTIVE, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE SPEAK TO THESE DEMOGRAPHIC DISPARITIES ON A ROUTINE BASIS.
AND SO LASTLY, UM, WHAT IS COMMUNITY CARE AND WHAT ARE OTHER HEALTH CENTERS HERE DOING LOCALLY TO MITIGATE THIS RISK? UM, AND I'M VERY PROUD TO SPEAK TO THE WORK THAT WE ARE DOING AT COMMUNITY CARE.
WE CARE FOR APPROXIMATELY 129,000 UNIQUE PEOPLE, UH, LAST YEAR.
AND WE PROVIDE WHOLE PERSON PRIMARY CARE TO MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE.
AND SO LAST YEAR, COMMUNITY CARE, IN ADDITION TO OTHER HEALTH PARTNERS, UH, SPEARHEADED BY AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, WHO'S BEEN THE LOCAL CONVENER FOR A LOT OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS HERE, WE RENDERED OVER 4,600 VACCINES, GIS VACCINES TO PEOPLE FROM THIS YEAR, UH, FROM TODAY, SO LAST YEAR, AND INCLUDING IMMUNIZING OVER 2000 PEOPLE ON A SINGLE DAY, UH, DURING THE PRIDE FESTIVAL OF 2022.
WE ALSO OFFER ROUTINE TESTING FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE SYMPTOMS CONCERNING FOR EM, O X AT THE DAVID POWELL HEALTH CENTER.
AND WE STILL CONTINUE TO VACCINATE PEOPLE ON A DAILY BASIS TO PROTECT THEM FROM, UH, M FROM EM O X AND REDUCE THEIR RISK OF BECOMING SYMPTOMATIC.
AND SO, UH, FROM HERE ON, I'M GONNA HAND THIS OVER TO JUDGE ANDY BROWN TO GIVE YOU SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO STAY INFORMED.
HEY, I'M TRAVIS COUNTY JUDGE ANDY BROWN.
WALKS AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH FOR INVITING ME TO SPEAK HERE TODAY, ALONG WITH MAYOR WATSON.
UM, AND JUST WANNA GIVE A BIG THANKS TO COMMUNITY CARE AND AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH FOR ALL THE AMAZING WORK THAT THEY DO, OFTEN BEHIND THE SCENES TO HELP KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE.
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IT'S, YOU KNOW, CONCERNING THAT WE COULD FACE AN OUTBREAK OF MONKEY OF IMPACTS THIS SUMMER, BUT WE HAVE THE RESOURCES TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE AT, AT OUR HANDS.AS YOU KNOW, WE HAD THE RECENT, UH, POSITIVE, FIRST POSITIVE CASE IN MANY MONTHS HERE IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY.
AND WE WANT THIS TO BE THE LAST CASE.
AND IT COULD BE IF PEOPLE GO OUT AND GET VACCINATED IF THEY MEET THAT CRITERIA.
UM, A YEAR AGO, OUR COMMUNITY HAD A LOT OF UNKNOWNS ABOUT WHAT IMPACTS WAS AND HOW TO IDENTIFY IT, AND REALLY HOW WE COULD KEEP EVERYBODY PROTECTED.
BUT NOW WE KNOW WHAT WORKS AND WE KNOW HOW TO PREVENT THE VIRUS FROM SPREADING.
AND THAT'S WHY EVERY HIGH RISK PERSON, EVERY PERSON THAT MEETS THE CRITERIA ON THE WEBSITES THAT YOU'VE JUST HEARD ABOUT, THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE CDC WEBSITES SHOULD GET VACCINATED AND FOLLOW THE PRECAUTIONARY ADVICE FROM AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, STAY HOME AND ISOLATE IF YOU'RE FEELING SICK OR EXPERIENCING ANY SYMPTOMS. AND IF YOU NEED ANY MORE CONVINCING THAN KIND OF THE DESCRIPTION OF THE, OF THE PAIN AND, AND THE SYMPTOMS OF IT, THEN YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD, GO TO GOOGLE AND LOOK UP THE LESIONS THAT ARE CAUSED BY IMPACTS.
AND IF THAT DOESN'T CONVINCE YOU, IF YOU'RE IN THIS HIGH RISK GROUP TO GET VACCINATED, FRANKLY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WOULD, UH, IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A VACCINE, YOU CAN VISIT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH'S WEBSITE FOR AVAILABILITY, OR YOU CAN CALL 5 1 2 9 7 2 5 5 2 0 FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT VACCINE.
EITHER WAY IS VERY QUICK AND SIMPLE.
IT'S EASY TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM IMPACTS, TAKE THE PROPER STEPS TO KEEP TO STAY SAFE.
EVERYBODY CAN FULLY ENJOY THE SUMMER.
AND AS WE GO THROUGH THE SUMMER, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF FESTIVALS COMING UP IN THE FALL.
WE HAVE PRIDE, WE HAVE AUSTIN CITY LIMITS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO MAKE SURE THAT IF YOU'RE IN THOSE CATEGORIES, THAT YOU DO GET A VACCINE AS SOON AS YOU CAN.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND I'LL PASS IT NOW OVER TO MY FRIEND MAYOR WATSON.
WELL, MY JOB IS, UH, KIND OF TO BACK CLEAN UP HERE AND TO A FEW POINTS.
AND I WANNA START BY REITERATING THANKS FOR AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AND DR.
WALKS AND ALL THAT THEY DO TO KEEP US SAFE.
I ALSO WANNA SAY THANK YOU AGAIN TO COMMUNITY CARE FOR, UH, THE GREAT WORK THAT GETS DONE THERE.
UM, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT'S BEING DONE AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE DONE BY STAFF, UH, CITY STAFF TO HELP KEEP OUR RESIDENTS SAFE AND HEALTHY.
IT, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE MESSAGE GO OUT, THAT THERE IS A VACCINE AND THAT VACCINE IS GOING TO BE MA IS BEING MADE AVAILABLE BY PEOPLE THAT ARE TRYING TO MAKE THAT AN EASY PROCESS FOR YOU.
AS THE JUDGE JUST POINTED OUT, THERE'S AN EASY RESOURCE.
IT'S BEEN POINTED OUT BY THE DOCTORS THAT YOU CAN GO TO THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH WEBSITE AND YOU CAN GET RESOURCES SO THAT YOU'LL KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
YOU'LL KNOW WHETHER YOU'RE AT RISK AND YOU'LL KNOW HOW TO, UH, DEAL WITH THAT, INCLUDING IN TERMS OF BEING VACCINATED.
ANYONE, ANYONE THAT MAY NEED TO BE VACCINATED, PLEASE GO TO THE AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH WEBSITE AND UTILIZE THAT.
AND WITH THAT, WE'LL OPEN THINGS UP FOR QUESTIONS.
I'LL INVITE DOC, THE DOCTORS BACK UP HERE IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS.
ANY QUESTIONS? THE EASIEST AUSTIN CROWD I'VE BEEN IN.
IT IS
THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING THIS MORNING, AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS LATER, YOU CAN CONTACT OUR PIO O THANKS.
IT ELEVATES YOU MOOD WHEN YOU EAT WATERMELON.
YOU CAN'T HAVE YOU GET YOURSELF ALL STICKY.
YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T MIND, YOU CAN'T BE TOO BIG.