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[Travis County Measles Update]
HEY, THANK YOU.WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY.
UH, WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TODAY.
UH, I'D LIKE TO START BY TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE WORK THAT'S ALREADY BEEN DONE AT THE CITY IN RESPONSE TO THE OUTBREAKS OF MEASLES THAT WE HAVE SEEN ACROSS THE COUNTRY LAST YEAR AND THE OUTBREAK WE'RE NOW SEEING IN TEXAS.
AS WE LEARNED FROM THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, IT'S ESSENTIAL TO ENSURE THAT OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY IS INFORMED AND PREPARED FOR ANY THREAT OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
STANDING BEHIND ME ARE PUBLIC HEALTH STAFF MEMBERS AND PUBLIC SERVANTS WHO WERE VITAL TO THE RESPONSE EFFORTS DURING THE PANDEMIC AND THEIR COMBINED EFFORTS WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS RESULTED IN THE AUSTIN AREA, EXPERIENCING THE LOWEST TOTAL COVID-19 POSITIVE CASES PER CAPITA.
THEY'RE NOW HERE, THEY'RE READY, AND THEY'RE GOING TO RESPOND.
OUR COMMUNITY STRENGTH COMES FROM COLLABORATION.
WE'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH OUR LOCAL, LOCAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS, OUR CHILDCARE PARTNERS, AND PUBLIC, PRIVATE, AND CHARTER SCHOOLS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF VACCINATIONS AND HOW WE CAN BEST SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER.
OUR EPIDEMIOLOGISTS ARE HARD AT WORK MONITORING TRENDS AT THE STATE LEVEL AND THROUGH LOCAL CHANNELS THAT WE USE FOR DISEASE SURVEILLANCE SURVEILLANCE.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING TO BRING UP OUR LOCAL VACCINATION RATE.
AUSTIN'S AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH'S NURSES ARE ADMINISTERING THE MMR VACCINE THROUGH OUR SHOTS FOR TOTS AND BIG SHOTS CLINICS, AS WELL AS OUR MOBILE CLINICS.
BY THE WAY, YOU CAN JOIN US ON MARCH 27TH AS WE PROCLAIM VACCINES FOR CHILDREN DAY TO CELEBRATE 30 YEARS OF THIS LIFESAVING PROGRAM AND RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF VACCINES.
NOW, ALL OF THAT IS TO SAY THAT THE TIME THAT WE HAVE BEEN PREPARING FOR IS HERE.
OUR FIRST CASE IN AUSTIN WAS CONFIRMED MOMENTS AGO.
I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY HEALTH AUTHORITY, DR.
DESMOND WALKS, WHO WILL GIVE US MORE DETAILS IN JUST A MOMENT.
I WANT TO EMPHASIZE TO EVERYONE LISTENING THAT VACCINATION REMAINS THE BEST DEFENSE AGAINST THIS HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS AND DEADLY DISEASE.
IT'S TIME TO CHECK AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE UP TO DATE WITH YOUR VACCINATION.
ANTI-VAX INFORMATION IS JUST AS CONTAGIOUS.
SO I WANT YOU TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM OUR TOP MEDICAL EXPERTS.
WALKS TO PLEASE COME FORWARD AND TALK TO YOU ABOUT THIS CASE AND ABOUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
DESAR WALKS, AND I'M THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY HEALTH AUTHORITY IN AUSTIN.
PUBLIC HEALTH'S MEDICAL DIRECTOR AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH TODAY CONFIRMS THE FIRST REPORTED CASE OF MEASLES IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
SINCE 2019, IT HAS BEEN 25 YEARS SINCE ANY CASES BEFORE THAT HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO US.
THIS RECENT CASE INVOLVES AN UNVACCINATED INFANT WHO WAS EXPOSED TO THE VIRUS DURING A VACATION OVERSEAS.
WE QUICKLY STARTED OUR CONTACT TRACING INVESTIGATIONS AND FOUND NO EXPOSURES ARE EXPECTED TO BE CONNECTED TO THIS CASE.
THE INFANT'S FAMILY MEMBERS WERE ALL VACCINATED AND ARE ISOLATING AT HOME.
AS OF TODAY, TEXAS HAS 148 CASES OF MEASLES WITH OVER 18 PEOPLE HOSPITALIZED DUE TO COMPLICATIONS THIS YEAR.
AS MANY OF YOU ARE AWARE, A PER PERSON FROM THE OUTBREAK IN WEST TEXAS RECENTLY TRAVELED TO SAN ANTONIO AND SAN MARCOS WHILE THEY WERE CONTAGIOUS.
A PERSON IS CONTAGIOUS FOUR DAYS BEFORE THE RASH APPEARS AND FOUR DAYS AFTER THE RASH APPEARS.
IT IS STILL POS IT'S STILL POSSIBLE THAT PEOPLE EXPOSED TO THIS PERSON ARE IN THEIR INCUBATION PERIOD, AND WE ARE CLOSELY MONITORING FOR THIS.
EARLY ON, SYMPTOMS INCLUDE COUGH, RUNNY NOSE, RED, WATERY EYES, AND A FLAT RED RASH THAT BREAKS OUT ON THE FOREHEAD TYPICALLY AND THEN SPREADS TO THE REST OF THE BODY.
IF ONE PERSON HAS IT, 90% OF THE PEOPLE NEARBY WHO ARE NOT VACCINATED MAY BECOME INFECTED.
IF THEY ARE NOT PROTECTED WITH A VACCINATION, THE MEASLES VIRUS CAN SURVIVE IN THE
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AIR AND ON SURFACES FOR UP TO TWO HOURS AFTER THE INFECTED PERSON HAS LEFT THE AREA.PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIRECT CONTACT THROUGH COUGHS OR SNEEZES SHOULD MONITOR FOR SYMPTOMS FOR UP FOR 21 DAYS AFTER EXPOSURE.
MEASLES IS SERIOUS AND CAN CAUSE MORE THAN JUST A RASH, PNEUMONIA, AND ENCEPHALITIS, WHICH IS AN INFECTION OF THE BRAIN OR SWELLING OF THE BRAIN, CAN BE LIFE-THREATENING COMPLICATIONS THAT LEAD TO DEATH, YOUNG CHILDREN, PREGNANT WOMEN, AND IMMUNOCOMPROMISED PEOPLE, AND UNVACCINATED PEOPLE ARE ESPECIALLY AT RISK.
ON WEDNESDAY, THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES REPORTED THE FIRST DEATH DUE TO MEASLES IN A SCHOOL AGED CHILD WHO WAS UNVACCINATED ONE DEATH IS TOO MANY IN 2025.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE CAN DO TODAY IS MAKE SURE THAT WE RECEIVE MMR PROTECTION.
THE VACCINE IS AVAILABLE AT MOST DOCTORS' OFFICES AND PHARMACIES.
I'M ALSO CALLING ON OUR DOCTORS TO CHECK WITH PATIENTS AND REMEMBER TO RE RECOMMEND VACCINATION IF THEY HAVEN'T RECEIVED MA MEASLES VACCINE.
IF YOUR DOCTOR DOESN'T HAVE APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE, ASK THAT THEY GIVE YOU AN ORDER OR A PRESCRIPTION THAT YOU CAN TAKE TO A LOCAL PHARMACY SO THAT YOU CAN GET VACCINATED.
AND REMEMBER THAT CHILDREN WHO ARE 14 YEARS OF AGE OR YOUNGER NEED AN ORDER FROM A DOCTOR IN ORDER TO BE VACCINATED AT A PHARMACY FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS WHO ARE UNINSURED.
A PH OFFERS THE VACCINE AT OUR SHOTS FOR TOTS CLINICS AND OUR BIG SHOTS CLINICS ARE AVAILABLE FOR OUR ADULTS AS WELL.
WE HAVE MOBILE VACCINATION TEAMS THAT ARE AVAILABLE ACROSS THE CITY.
YOU CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE TO LOOK FOR OUR LOCATIONS AND AVAILABILITY.
I WILL NOW PASS THIS ALONG TO OUR EPIDEMIOLOGIST, FLO HERNANDEZ AA, TO PROVIDE THIS UPDATE IN SPANISH.
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THANK YOU VERY MUCH.UH, I I'M NOW, UM, PLEASED TO INVITE TO THE PODIUM SOMEONE WHO CARES DEEPLY ABOUT THIS ISSUE, AND WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE, REPRESENTS US IN THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS.
AND THAT'S CONGRESSMAN LLOYD DOGGETT.
WA AND THE GREAT TEAM THAT YOU HAVE HERE.
UH, WE'RE HERE TO SAY QUITE SIMPLY, MEASLES CAN KILL, IGNORANCE, CAN KILL, AND VACCINE DENIAL DEFINITELY KILLS AS EVIDENCE, UH, BY A FIRST DEATH IN THE PANHANDLE, BY THE SPREAD HERE, SAN ANTONIO AND ACROSS THE STATE.
THIS IS THE LARGEST MEASLES OUTBREAK IN 30 YEARS IN OUR STATE.
UH, HEALTH SECRETARY KENNEDY'S DISMISSIVE COMMENTS YESTERDAY, CLAIMING THAT IT'S NOT UNUSUAL IGNORES THIS RAPID SPREAD AND THE DANGER THAT IT POSES.
NEXT WEEKEND, WE WILL BE WELCOMING TO AUSTIN, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE FOR SOUTH BY AND SPRING BREAK, UH, APPROACHES.
UH, IT IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT THAT THESE NOT BECOME SUPER SPREADER EVENTS OF THIS MOST CONTAGIOUS VIRUS, UH, AND THAT ANYONE WHO FEELS THEY HAVE SYMPTOMS IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIES AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
WALKS AND PUBLIC HEALTH, THE TEAM WE SEE HERE TODAY ARE DOING WHAT THEY CAN TO PREPARE FOR THE WORST AS WE HOPE FOR THE BEST.
BUT SINCE THE TEXAS STATE DOES LITTLE TO SUPPORT LOCAL PUBLIC ENTITIES, AUSTIN AND OTHER PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE STATE LIKE LUBBOCK, FOR EXAMPLE, WHICH HAS BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF THIS, DEPEND UPON FEDERAL DOLLARS TO GET THE JOB DONE.
AND THAT IS SUPPORT THAT IS ENDANGERED BY THE CHAOS THAT'S GOING ON IN WASHINGTON RIGHT NOW.
SOME MAY ASK WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE, WHO MUSK IS FIRING AND WHAT THE DOGE THE DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EVISCERATION IS DOING UP THERE TO MY FAMILY? WELL, IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE WHEN IT COMES TO HEALTHCARE.
IN A VALENTINE'S, IN A VALENTINE'S DAY MASSACRE, TRUMP ABRUPTLY FIRED 750 EMPLOYEES AT THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL, AND THIS WEEK HE ORDERED THAT MORE WOULD BE FIRED UNTIL THEY DOWNSIZE CDC ALMOST HALF THE SIZE THAT IT HAS BEEN IN THE PAST.
THESE AREN'T OBSCURE GOVERNMENT BUREAUCRATS.
THEY ARE EPIDEMIOLOGISTS LIKE YOU.
THEY ARE TEAM LIKE WE SEE BEHIND US.
THEY ARE LABORATORY SCIENTISTS THAT ARE DEVELOPING NEW VACCINES AND TREATMENTS AND CURES FOR DREADED DISEASES.
ON HIS SECOND DAY IN OFFICE, PRESIDENT TRUMP ORDERED A COMPLETE COMMUNICATIONS BLACKOUT AMAZINGLY ON ALL FEDERAL HEALTH AGENCIES.
SUDDENLY, THE WEEKLY REPORTS THAT CAME OUT TO DEPARTMENTS LIKE THIS ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY, REPORTS ON INFECTIOUS DISEASE OUTBREAKS, INCLUDING MEAS, MEASLES, AND AVIAN FLU, AND VARIOUS PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY ALERTS.
THEY WERE ALL HALTED, UH, ABOUT, UH, WHILE A, A WEALTH OF OF PUBLIC HEALTH DATA JUST DISAPPEARED OFF THE CDC WEBSITES AND IMMUNIZATION GUIDELINES WERE REMOVED THANKS TO A PHYSICIAN LED LAWSUIT.
AND ONLY BECAUSE OF THAT, AT LEAST SOME OF THAT INFORMATION IS BEING RESTORED.
BUT THE NEW CDC COMMUNICATIONS ARE STILL INFREQUENT, AND THEY ARE HIGHLY CENSORED.
ABOUT HALF OF THE BUDGET OF THIS DEPARTMENT WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, ABOUT HALF OF THIS BUDGET COMES IN FEDERAL DOLLARS.
THIS IS FUNDING THAT TRUMP IS ILLEGALLY TRYING TO WITHHOLD.
AND WHILE CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS REMAIN SILENT AND COMPLIANT, THE COURTS THANKFULLY HAVE ISSUED A TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER TO PREVENT THAT.
I FEAR ANOTHER DEADLY PANDEMIC.
SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES WHO ARE SILENT SEEM TO FEAR A MEAN TWEET FROM TRUMP.
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DEEP FUNDING CUTS.THEY'RE DETERMINED TO, UH, REDUCE THE CDC BUDGET, AND THAT WILL HAVE RAMIFICATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY SINCE CDC IS NOT JUST A PLACE OF EXCELLENCE IN ATLANTA, BUT 80% OF ITS BUDGET GOES OUT TO DEPARTMENTS LIKE THIS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, LOSING THAT FUNDING COULD BE DEVASTATING.
ADDITIONALLY, THIS WEEK ON A PARTY LINE VOTE, THE HOUSE APPROVED A BUDGET RESOLUTION THAT IT FULLY IMPLEMENTED WOULD ENACT NEARLY $1 TRILLION IN CUTS TO MEDICAID.
AGAIN, SOME PEOPLE SAY, WELL, I DON'T NEED MEDICAID.
ONE OF EVERY TWO BABIES THAT IS BORN IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN OUT AT SETON GETS THEIR HEALTHCARE THROUGH MEDICAID.
HALF OF THE CHILDREN THAT WALK INTO THE DELL CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL RELY ON MEDICAID.
IT HAS AN IMPACT ON ALL OF US, AND IT CERTAINLY HAS AN IMPACT ON THOSE WHO NEED IMMUNIZATIONS AND A WELL CHILD CHECK.
WE KNOW HOW HORRIFIC A PANDEMIC CAN BE.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE EARLY MONTHS OF COVID WHEN MAYOR, I KNOW YOU AND YOUR TEAM AND THE JUDGE WERE, WERE STRUGGLING AS DEATHS WERE SOARING, AND WE GOT NO HELP FROM WASHINGTON OR FROM THE STATE CAPITOL.
BETWEEN THEN AND WHERE WE ARE TODAY IS THE PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT IN PLACE AS WELL AS BEING ABLE TO SECURE A 100% EFFECTIVE VACCINE, A VACCINE THAT IS SO EFFECTIVE THAT ONLY A FEW YEARS AGO IN ABOUT THE YEAR 2000, UH, MEASLES WAS DECLARED, UH, ERADICATED IN OUR COUNTRY.
UH, BUT WITHOUT THAT INFRASTRUCTURE, WE CAN'T GET THE JOB DONE.
AND AT EVERY TURN, THE EFFORT IN WASHINGTON IS TO DISMANTLE THAT PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE'LL HAVE FEWER EXPERTS, FEWER RESOURCES TO ADDRESS A NATURAL DISASTER LIKE THIS BECAUSE OF THE UNNATURAL DISASTER THAT IS HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON TODAY.
AND IT'S NOT JUST MEASLES THAT WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT.
AVIAN FLU HAS ALREADY KILLED ONE TEXAN AS TRUMP'S FORM.
AND THIS IS PRESIDENT TRUMP'S OWN CDC DIRECTOR DURING HIS FIRST TERM.
ROBERT REDFORD RECENTLY WARNED COVID-19 QUOTE, WAS A MINOR EPIDEMIC COMPARED TO THE EPIDEMIC THAT'S COMING, WHICH IS A BLURRED BIRD FLU EPIDEMIC.
HOPEFULLY IT'S NOT THIS AVIAN FLU, BUT WE DON'T WAIT TILL THE PANDEMIC BEGINS TO DO THE WORK THAT THESE PUBLIC HEALTH PROFESSIONALS DO ALL THE TIME.
THIS DOESN'T HAVE TO BE OUR REALITY.
WE NEED MORE OF OUR CITIZENS TO BE IMMUNIZED.
THE RATE AMONG KINDERGARTNERS IN THE AUSTIN PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS TOO LOW, AND WE NEED MANY MORE AFTER THEY'RE IMMUNIZED TO DEMAND THAT TRUMP AND MUSK NOT BE IMMUNE FROM ACCOUNTABILITY.
I WILL CONTINUE TO USE EVERY OPPORTUNITY I CAN, UH, AS THE RANKING DEMOCRAT ON THE HEALTH SUBCOMMITTEE, UH, TO PUSH BACK ON THIS AND TO WORK FOR THE HEALTH OF OUR NEIGHBORS AND FOR OUR DEMOCRACY.
AND CERTAINLY A PARTNER IN THAT, A PARTNER WITH MAYOR WATSON.
AND IN WORKING ON THE COVID EPIDEMIC, UH, AT OUR VACCINE CLINICS NOT FAR FROM HERE, WAS JUDGE ANDY BROWN, AND HE'S GONNA ADD A FEW WORDS NOW.
JUDGE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
UM, WELL, I, FIRST OF ALL, WE SHOULDN'T BE HERE TODAY AS CONGRESSMAN DOGGETT JUST SAID, THIS WAS, SUPPOSEDLY, THIS WAS ERADICATED IN THE YEAR 2000, BUT BECAUSE OF DISINFORMATION, BECAUSE OF CONSPIRACY THEORIES, PEOP THE RATE OF VACCINATION FOR MEASLES HAS GONE DOWN IN THIS CITY, IN THIS COUNTRY, IN THIS, IN THIS COUNTY.
BUT THANKFULLY, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AND TRAVIS COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, WE'VE GOT ANA ELMA HEALTH, UH, HERE FROM TRAVIS COUNTY HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES.
WE DON'T BELIEVE IN THESE CONSPIRACY THEORIES AND THIS DISINFORMATION ABOUT VACCINES.
AND SO WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER ONCE AGAIN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE KEEPING THE HEALTH OF THIS COMMUNITY AT THE FOREFRONT.
OUR COMMUNITY HAS PRO PROVEN RESILIENT TIME AND TIME AGAIN THROUGH COVID AS THE CONGRESSMAN AND, AND THE MAYOR AND DR.
AND AS ALL OF Y'ALL KNOW VERY WELL, WHAT WE WENT THROUGH THERE.
UM, WE TURNED TO CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS AND EVEN OUR RODEO GROUNDS AND THE CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS INTO VACCINE HUBS.
WE KNOW HOW, HOW TO COMBAT THIS, AND WE NEED THAT VACCINATION RATE TO GO UP IN OUR COMMUNITY BY COMING TOGETHER, GETTING VACCINATED AND PRIORITIZING PUBLIC HEALTH.
UH, NOT, UH, WE CAN, WE CAN DO THIS TOGETHER.
GET VACCINATED IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY.
STAY INFORMED AND LOOK OUT FOR ONE ANOTHER.
DATA FROM THE CDC HIGHLIGHTS JUST HOW IMPORTANT A HIGH VACCINATION RATE IS, AND WE'RE NOT QUITE THERE IN A LOT OF PARTS OF TEXAS AND PARTS OF TRAVIS COUNTY AS WELL.
WHEN A SCHOOL'S VACCINATION RATE DROPS TO 90%, THE CHANCE OF A MEASLES OUTBREAK RISES TO 51%.
I HAVE A FRIEND WHO JUST TOLD ME AT LUNCH TODAY THAT
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HIS SEVEN, HE GOT HIS SEVEN MONTH OLD DAUGHTER VACCINATED EARLY.INSTEAD OF WAITING TILL 12 TO 15 MONTHS OF AGE, THEY CONSULTED WITH THEIR PEDIATRICIAN WHO THOUGHT IT WAS WORTH IT TO DO THAT AT SEVEN MONTHS BECAUSE OF THIS OUTBREAK.
BUT IF EVERYBODY ELSE HAD THEIR KIDS VACCINATED AT THE PROPER AGES, THIS WOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE.
SO BY, BY NOT VACCINATING YOUR CHILD AT THE PROPER AGES OF 12 TO 15 MONTHS, AND THEN AGAIN AT FOUR TO SIX YEARS, YOU'RE PUTTING OTHER INFANT CHILDREN AT RISK.
YOU'RE PUTTING OUR COMMUNITY'S LIVES AT RISK.
YOU'RE PUTTING OUR ECONOMY'S LIFE AT RISK.
UM, I ACTUALLY HAVE ANOTHER FRIEND WHO WAS BORN BEFORE 1968, AND DR.
WALKS, I THINK, I BELIEVE THAT IF, IF YOU GOT A VACCINATION BEFORE THEN, IT MIGHT NOT BE AS EFFECTIVE AS US WHO WERE BORN IN THE SEVENTIES AND, AND GOT THE, BUT DON'T LOOK AT
SO MY UNDERSTANDING THAT MY DOUBLE VACCINATION WHEN I WAS YOUNG ARE GOOD AND EFFECTIVE.
UH, BUT THIS FRIEND OF MINE WAS BORN PRE 1968, AND SO HE WENT AND GOT ANOTHER VACCINATION, UH, EARLIER THIS WEEK IN AUSTIN.
SO SOME, PLEASE TALK TO YOUR DOCTORS, TO YOUR PEDIATRICIANS TO SEE IF IT MAKES SENSE TO GET A VACCINATION.
THIS VIRUS DOES NOT KNOW ANY JURISDICTION, CITY, COUNTY, STATE, FEDERAL.
IT, IT DOESN'T RECOGNIZE ANY OF THOSE BOUNDARIES.
SO I'M SO PROUD TO STAND WITH OUR SPEAKERS TODAY WITH THE MAYOR, WITH MAYOR WATSON, CONGRESSMAN DOGGETT, DR.
WALTZ, AND OTHERS WHO ARE WITH US IN THIS FIGHT PREVIOUSLY AGAINST COVID.
WE'RE NOW IN THIS FIGHT TOGETHER AGAINST MEASLES.
UH, UM, JUDGE BROWN, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE TWO THINGS AND THEN WE'RE GONNA OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.
ONE IS THAT VACCINATIONS ARE STILL THE BEST WAY FOR US TO ADDRESS THIS, AND THE TIME THAT WE'VE BEEN, AS I'M INDICATED EARLIER, THE TIME WE'VE BEEN PREPARING FOR IS NOW HERE.
WE NEED TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO KEEP THIS FROM SPREADING.
AND THE SECOND IS, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH IS A GOOD RESOURCE FOR YOU, FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO GET VACCINATIONS AND TO GET INFORMATION BY GOING TO OUR WEBSITE AND UTILIZING THAT.
SO I WANT TO, I ALSO WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO ALL THE SPEAKERS.
AS I INDICATED COLLABORATION IS, UH, THE WAY WE CAN COMBAT THIS AND DO THIS THE WAY WE WANT TO DO IT IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THE GOOD NEWS IS WE HAVE COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS IN THIS, BUT THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW IS PLEASE CHECK ON YOUR VACCINATION RECORDS AND, UH, DO WHAT YOU CAN TO BECOME VACCINATED.
UH, WITH THAT, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
THEY ALWAYS, I GOTTA TELL YOU, UH, AS MAYOR OF THIS CITY, THEY ALWAYS MAKE ME PROUD.
AND SO I'M VERY PLEASED TO, TO GET TO BE WITH THEM.
AND I, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO DR.
WA FOR THE ROLE THAT SHE PLAYS AND, AND FLORA AND, AND, AND I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO OUR, OUR COUNTY JUDGE, UH, FOR EVEN WHEN HE MAKES CRACKS ABOUT AGE.
UM, AND, AND I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO CONGRESSMAN DOGGETT FOR THE, THE EMPHATIC ROLE THAT HE PLAYS IN OUR COMMUNITY.