[Mayor Watson Talking Points Measles Press Conference]
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GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY, OR GOOD MORNING.
UH, TODAY WE'RE COMING TOGETHER TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE LATEST MEASLES CASE HERE IN AUSTIN, AS WELL AS THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE IN RESPONSE FOR THIS CASE.
UH, FOR THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH STAFF HAVE BEEN HARD AT WORK LOOKING INTO ALL ASPECTS OF THE CASE.
EPIDEMIOLOGISTS AND CONTACT TRACERS HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE PATIENT AND IDENTIFYING ALL THE PLACES THAT THE PATIENT VISITED WHILE THEY WERE CONTAGIOUS.
THEY'RE ALSO SPEAKING WITH PEOPLE WHO MIGHT HAVE EXPERIENCED CLOSE CONTACT WITH THE PATIENT SO THEY CAN ENSURE THAT THEY KNOW THE SIGNS AND THE SYMPTOMS OF MEASLES AND THEY'RE MONITORING THEIR OWN CONDITIONS AT THE SAME TIME, THE DEPARTMENT'S IMMUNIZATIONS TEAM CONTINUES THEIR WORK TO PROVIDE THE MMR VACCINE AT MOBILE CLINICS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS OUR BRICK AND MORTAR SHOTS FOR TOTS AND BIG SHOTS, CLINIC LOCATIONS, WHICH FOCUS ON THOSE WHO DON'T HAVE INSURANCE OR WHO ARE UNDERINSURED.
WE ARE ALSO IN CONTACT WITH OUR PARTNERS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE A WIDESPREAD RESPONSE.
WE'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH OUR LOCAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS, CHILDCARE PARTNERS, AND PUBLIC, PRIVATE, AND CHARTER SCHOOLS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF VACCINATIONS AND HOW WE CAN BEST SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER.
TO EVERYONE LISTENING TODAY OR THAT IS PAYING ATTENTION TO THIS AND LOOKS BACK AT WHAT WE'RE DOING, I WANT TO GET THIS MESSAGE ACROSS.
VACCINATION IS THE BEST DEFENSE AGAINST THIS HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS AND DEADLY DISEASE.
VACCINATION IS THE BEST DEFENSE AGAINST THIS HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS AND DEADLY DISEASE.
IF YOU HAVEN'T GOTTEN VACCINATED ALREADY, NOW IS THE TIME TO DO SO.
I, I WANT TO, I SAY I'M REPEATING MYSELF ON PURPOSE.
NOW IS THE TIME TO GET VACCINATED IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY.
WALKS NOW STEP UP AND PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.
UH, SO I, I PRESENT TO YOU DR.
I'M THE AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY HEALTH AUTHORITY AND MEDICAL DIRECTOR FOR OUR AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
AT THE END OF LAST WEEK, WE WERE NOTIFIED OF A SECOND POSITIVE MEASLES CASE IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
THE CASE INVOLVED A FULLY VACCINATED ADULT WHO HAD, MAY HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO MEASLES WHILE THEY WERE TRAVELING WITHIN THE UNITED STATES.
BECAUSE OF THEIR VACCINE PROTECTION, THE RESIDENT IS EXPERIENCING MILD SYMPTOMS OF THE VIRUS WHILE THEY ISOLATE AT HOME.
FOLLOWING FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF LOCATIONS THAT THE PATIENT VISITED WHILE INFECTIOUS, WE HAVE DETERMINED THAT THE LIST PUBLISHED ON FRIDAY REMAINS THE SAME.
THOSE LOCATIONS SHOWN ON THE SCREEN ARE ALSO LISTED ON OUR WEBSITE@AUSTINTEXAS.GOV SLASH MEASLES.
IF YOU WERE AT ONE OF THE LOCATIONS ON THE DATES AND TIMES LISTED, WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER TO DISCUSS THE POSSIBLE EXPOSURE.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE A PROVIDER, CALL AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AT (512) 972-5555, AND WE CAN HELP CONNECT YOU TO CARE.
THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN EXPOSED SHOULD ALSO MONITOR THEMSELVES FOR SYMPTOMS THROUGH WEDNESDAY, MAY 11TH, AND THAT'S THE LAST DAY.
FOR THE LAST DATE OF EXPOSURE, SYMPTOMS INCLUDE FEVER, COUGH, RED RASH, WATERY EYES, AND RUNNY NOSE, AND SOMETIMES SMALL WHITE SPOTS INSIDE THE MOUTH AND THROAT.
IF YOU DEVELOP ANY OF THESE SYMPTOMS, STAY HOME AND AWAY FROM OTHERS.
CONTACT YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER AND CALL BEFORE VISITING A CLINIC OR HOSPITAL TO REDUCE THE RISK OF EXPOSURE TO OTHERS.
THIS CASE SHOWS THE IMPORTANCE OF VACCINATIONS, AS THE MAYOR JUST MENTIONED, WHILE THE PATIENT DID CATCH THE VIRUS, THEY ONLY HAVE MILD SYMPTOMS AND ARE ABLE TO REST AT HOME.
THOSE WHO ARE UNVACCINATED FACE SEVERE SYMPTOMS THAT COULD LEAD TO HOSPITALIZATION AND EVEN DEATH.
THE BEST WAY TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM MEASLES IS TO RECEIVE TWO DOSES OF MMR VACCINE.
TWO DOSES OF MMR PROVIDE YOU WITH 97% PROTECTION FROM THE VIRUS.
BEING FULLY VACCINATED ALSO REDUCES YOUR CHANCES OF SPREADING THE VIRUS IF YOU BECOME ILL.
IF YOU ARE UNSURE OF YOUR VACCINE STATUS, SPEAK TO YOUR DOC WITH YOUR
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DOCTOR ABOUT GETTING VACCINATED.BEING VACCINATED DOESN'T JUST PROTECT YOURSELF.
IT PROTECTS YOUR FRIENDS, COMMUNITY AND FAMILY, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED.
THE MMR VACCINE IS WIDELY AVAILABLE AT CLINICS, DOCTOR'S, OFFICES, AND PHARMACIES.
IF YOUR DOCTOR DOESN'T HAVE APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE, ASK THAT THEY GIVE YOU AN ORDER OR PRESCRIPTION THAT YOU CAN TAKE TO YOUR LOCAL PHARMACY.
FOR THE VACCINATION, CHILDREN, AGES 14 AND UNDER WILL NEED A PRESCRIPTION FROM THEIR DOCTOR TO GET THE VACCINE AT A PHARMACY.
FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS WHO ARE UNINSURED, A PH OFFERS THE VACCINE AT OUR SHOTS FOR TOTS AND BIG SHOTS CLINICS, AS WELL AS OUR MOBILE VACCINATION CLINICS.
TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT THE STATE LEVEL.
AS OF FRIDAY, TEXAS IS SEEN 646 MEASLES CASES PRIMARILY IN WEST TEXAS, BUT THEY HAVE NOW RECEIVED CASES IN OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE.
TWO OF THOSE UNVACCINATED CHILDREN DIED.
MEASLES IS SERIOUS AND CAN CAUSE MORE THAN JUST A RASH.
PNEUMONIA, AND ENCEPHALITIS AND INFECTION OR SWELLING OF THE BRAIN ARE LIFE-THREATENING COMPLICATIONS THAT CAN LEAD TO DEATH.
YOUR CHILDREN THAT ARE YOUNG, PREGNANT WOMEN AND IMMUNOCOMPROMISED PEOPLE, AND UNVACCINATED PEOPLE ARE ESPECIALLY AT RISK.
THE TIME IS NOW TO GET VACCINATED.
I WILL PASS THIS ALONG TO OUR TRAVIS COUNTY JUDGE, ANDY BROWN.
WE'RE AGAIN GATHERED HERE TO ADDRESS THE MEASLES SITUATION HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
WE HAVE ANOTHER CONFIRMED CASE.
THANKFULLY, THE CONFIRMED CASE, AS DR.
WALC SAID, IS MILD BECAUSE THE PATIENT WAS VACCINATED.
BUT THIS DOESN'T DOWNPLAY THE SERIOUSNESS OF GETTING VACCINATED AND OF THE THREAT TO OUR COMMUNITY.
DATA FROM THE CDC HIGHLIGHTS JUST HOW IMPORTANT HAVING HIGH VACCINATION RATES IN ANY COMMUNITY ARE.
WHEN A SCHOOL, FOR EXAMPLE, THE COMMUNITY OF A SCHOOL, WHEN THAT VACCINATION RATE DROPS BELOW 95%, SCHOOLS CAN HAVE AN OUTBREAK.
UH, WE HAVE SEVERAL SCHOOLS IN OUR COMMUNITY IN THAT CATEGORY, AND THAT'S JUST NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR WHERE WE ARE AS A CITY AND A COUNTY.
UM, GETTING A VACCINE FOR YOURSELF AND, AND VERY IMPORTANTLY FOR YOUR KIDS IS OUR FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE.
SO PLEASE HELP OUT OUR COMMUNITY WITH THIS SAFE AND AFFORDABLE STEP.
GET VACCINATED, GET YOUR KIDS VACCINATED, AND SPEAK UP FOR THE FACT THAT VACCINES SAVES LIVES, SAVE LIVES.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE LIVES THEY SAVE ARE THOSE OF NOT ONLY YOU GETTING THE VACCINE, BUT ALSO OF NEWBORN CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE FOR WHICH THEY CAN GET A VACCINE.
THOSE KIDS DON'T HAVE THE OPTION TO GET A VACCINE, YET THEY'RE VULNERABLE TO THIS, UH, TO MEASLES.
SO IT'S UP TO YOU TO GET A VACCINE, GET A VACCINE FOR YOUR CHILDREN THAT ARE ELIGIBLE BY AGE TO PROTECT ALL THE CHILDREN IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, GET VACCINATED IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY.
IF YOU HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE, YOU CAN GO TO PLACES LIKE CVS, WALGREENS, HEB IF YOU DON'T HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE, UH, A'S PROGRAM, ALSO COMMUNITY CARE, LONE STAR, LONE STAR CIRCLE OF CARE, UH, DO IT FOR ADULTS AND FOR KIDS.
YOU CAN GO TO CAROUSEL PEDIATRICS, AUSTIN REGIONAL CLINIC, AUSTIN DIAGNOSTIC AND OTHERS IF YOU DON'T HAVE INSURANCE.
SO, PARENTS, PLEASE AS A FIRST STEP, JUST CHECK YOUR OWN VACCINATION RECORDS AND CHECK THOSE OF YOUR KIDS SCHOOL AND CHILDCARE PROVIDERS.
PLEASE ENCOURAGE YOUR STAFF AND FACULTY TO ALSO CHECK THEIR VACCINATION STATUS.
AND IF YOU'RE UNSURE ABOUT YOUR VACCINATION STATUS, YOU CAN CONTACT YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER, UH, TO FIND OUT MEASLES IS NOT JUST A CHILDHOOD ILLNESS.
IT CAN CAUSE SERIOUS COMPLICATIONS FOR PEOPLE OF ALL AGES, UM, BUT IN PARTICULAR, INFANTS, PREGNANT WOMEN, AND THOSE WITH WEAKENED IMMUNE SYSTEMS. AND THAT'S WHY THIS COMMUNITY-WIDE VACCINATION IS SO IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF US.
AND I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR THAT VACCINES ARE SAFE, EFFECTIVE, AND THEY SAVE LIVES.
THEY'RE A CRITICAL PART OF OUR PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE AND ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL TOOLS WE HAVE TO PROTECT OURSELVES.
UM, I JUST WANNA SAY THANKS TO THE DEDICATED HEALTH PROFESSIONALS WHO ARE RESPONDING SO SWIFTLY AND THOROUGHLY IN THIS CASE.
AND I WANNA THANK ALL OF YOU IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR CONTINUING TO PRIORITIZE HEALTH AND SCIENCE.
LET'S STAY KIND AND LET'S KEEP TRAVIS COUNTY HEALTHY.
I'M GONNA SAY PART OF THIS IN SPANISH,
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C VS.WALGREENS, HEB, MEDICAL COMMUNITY CARE, LONE STAR, CIRCLE OF CARE, MEDICAL CAROUSEL, PEDIATRICS, AUSTIN REGIONAL CLINIC, AND AUSTIN DIAGNOSTIC.
THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH AND PASS IT ON.
WHAT I'M GONNA DO RIGHT NOW IS, IS I'LL SAY A COUPLE OF THANK YOUS.
I WANNA ALSO ECHO WHAT THE JUDGES JUST SAID ABOUT THANKING OUR, OUR, UH, PUBLIC HEALTH AND HEALTH OFFICIALS IN THIS COMMUNITY FOR HOW THEY ADDRESS THIS.
I, BUT I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF Y'ALL FOR MAKING SURE WE GET OUT THE MESSAGE.
AND THE KEY MESSAGE TODAY IS THAT WHILE WE'VE HAD THIS SECOND CASE OF MEASLES, THE BEST DEFENSE, THE BEST DEFENSE IS VACCINATION AND WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO HELP GET INFORMATION TO PEOPLE ABOUT HOW THEY CAN GO ABOUT GETTING THE VACCINATIONS, THAT'S PART OF THE REASON WE'RE DOING THIS.
BUT WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO GET VACCINATED.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, UH, WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
WALKS, UM, YOU DID SAY THAT THE LAST DAY OF EXPOSURE IS MAY 11TH.
CAN YOU SHARE A TIMELINE WITH THIS PERSON, UH, WHEN THEY POSSIBLY GOT EXPOSED, AND IF YOU COULD SHARE WHERE THEY TRAVELED TO AND IF IT WAS BY ROAD OR BY PLANE? SO, UM, I CAN SHARE THAT THE PERSON TRAVELED OUTSIDE OF THE STATE, UM, AND, UM, ALSO INSIDE THE STATE ON AN AIRPLANE.
UM, AND THE DETAILS OF THAT I CAN'T SHARE OTHER THAN THAT.
WE HAVE THE CDC INVOLVED AT THIS POINT, AND THEY ARE CONTACTING PASSENGERS AND DOING CONTACT TRACING AND INVESTIGATION IN COORDINATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES.
UM, AND THE DATE THAT I GAVE YOU IS THE 21 DAY MARK FROM THE LAST TIME THAT THAT PERSON WAS INFECTIOUS.
UM, SO THE MEASLES, UM, IS PEOPLE WHO ARE INFECTED WITH MEASLES ARE INFECTIOUS FROM FOUR DAYS BEFORE THE RASH STARTS AND FOUR DAYS AFTER THE RASH STARTS WITH DAY ZERO BEING THE DAY THAT RASH STARTS.
AND SO THAT IS THE CUTOFF DATE FOR THE VERY LAST TIME THAT THEY WERE OUT IN PUBLIC.
AND HAD, UM, ANY RISK OF EXPOSING SOMEONE.
ANOTHER QUESTION FOR YOU, BECAUSE THIS PERSON WAS VACCINATED AND THEY ARE EXPERIENCING MILD SYMPTOMS. UM, DO MEASLES VACCINES WEAR OFF? DO PEOPLE WHO ALREADY HAVE THE VACCINATION WHEN THEIR CHILDREN AS ADULTS, UM, ARE WE EXPECTED TO GET BOOSTERS? UM, LIKE WHAT IS THE RISKS NOW GOING FORWARD? SO THE RECOMMENDATION IS FOR TWO DOSES OF MMR VACCINE, AND THAT'S TO PROVIDE 97% PROTECTION, UH, AGAINST THE VIRUS.
UM, WE DO KNOW THAT, UM, THAT IS THE USUAL, UM, GENERAL POPULATION, HEALTHY POPULATIONS, UM, RISK EXPOSURE.
HOWEVER, IF SOMEONE HAS AN IMMUNO COMPROMISING CONDITION OR THEY HAVE SOME DECLINE IN THEIR IMMUNE SYSTEM, THEY MAY HAVE A WANING OF THAT, UH, PROTECTION THAT'S GIVEN BY THOSE TWO DOSES.
AND, AND IN SUCH CASES, THEY SHOULD GET A BOOSTER SHOT, AND THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT THEY DISCUSS WITH A PROVIDER.
WALK'S PEOPLE HAVING THAT TEST THAT CAN BE DONE TO SEE WHAT YOUR LEVEL OF IMMUNITY IS? IS THAT SOMETHING MAYBE FOR PEOPLE WHO'VE HAD IT DECADES AGO AND MAYBE DON'T REALLY REMEMBER WHAT THEY GOT, OR, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THEY GOT TWO SHOT, YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE BIT? RIGHT.
IF, UM, SOMEONE IS NOT SURE OF THEIR IMMUNE STATUS, THEY CAN GET A SEROLOGY TEST TO TELL THEM WHETHER THEY STILL HAVE IMMUNE PROTECTION.
UM, AND GETTING THAT SECOND SHOT IS NOT GOING TO HURT THEM TO INCREASE THAT IMMUNITY AND IS WHAT IS RECOMMENDED.
AND ONE OTHER THING, I SEE THOSE EXPOSURE LOCATIONS THAT YOU ALL HAVE TALKED ABOUT MM-HMM
IF A PERSON WAS THERE, WHAT SHOULD THEIR REACTION BE TO MAYBE THINKING I WAS AT STARBUCKS OR WALGREENS? I MEAN, IS IT SUCH A LOW RISK OR, OR HOW WOULD YOU, HOW, WHAT WOULD YOU CHARACTERIZE SAY TO THEM? CHARACTERIZE IT? YES.
UM, WELL, WE KNOW THAT MEASLES LINGERS IN THE, UM, SURROUNDING AREA IN THE AIR AND ON SURFACES FOR TWO HOURS AFTER SOMEONE WHO'S INFECTED HAS LEFT.
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THAT, UM, RISK OF EXPOSURE DEPENDS ON THE LENGTH OF TIME THAT THAT PERSON WAS THERE AND THE AMOUNT OF VIRUS THAT THEY MAY BE CARRYING.AND WE KNOW THAT A PERSON WHO HAS BEEN VACCINATED IS GONNA HAVE LESS, UM, VIRAL LOAD OR LESS VIRUS ON BOARD.
UM, SO THAT IS SOMETHING TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.
BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE SHOULD IGNORE THE FACT THAT THERE MAY BE SOME RISK OF EXPOSURE, WHICH IS WHY WE'VE NOTIFIED THE PUBLIC AS SOON AS WE KNEW YOU KNEW.
AND, UM, WE WANT PEOPLE TO MONITOR THEMSELVES IF THEY'RE IN THAT SITUATION WHERE THEY'VE BEEN IN A, ONE OF THESE LOCATIONS THAT WE'VE LISTED.
SPEAKING OF THE LOCATIONS THAT ARE LISTED, UM, HOW ARE YOU GUYS WORKING WITH THE BUSINESSES? BECAUSE ONE OF THE ESTABLISHMENTS DID TELL ME THAT THEY WEREN'T NOTIFIED AND THEY FOUND OUT THROUGH THE NEWS.
SO WE, UM, ON FRIDAY, AS SOON AS WE HAD, UM, CONFIRMED THAT THIS CASE WAS INDEED, UM, A POSITIVE CASE, WE STARTED CALLING, UM, THE LIST OF PEOPLE THAT WE KNEW HAD BEEN EXPOSED, UM, AS REPORTED BY THE PERSON THAT, UM, HAS MEASLES RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN CALLING THOSE BUSINESSES AND WE'LL, THEY NEED, UM, AND IT MAY HAVE BEEN THAT THEY HADN'T RECEIVED THAT CALL AS OF YET.
BOSTON PUBLIC HEALTH HAS TALKED A BIT ABOUT LOSING SOME FEDERAL FUNDING, NOT WITH SUPPORTING VACCINATION EFFORTS HERE.
SO I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW IF, UM, THOSE LOSSES ARE GOING TO IMPACT ANY, IN ANY WAY, OUR ABILITY TO RESPOND TO THE THREAT OF ME RIGHT NOW.
DIRECTOR STIR ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
WE THOUGHT YOU MIGHT ASK THAT.
ADRIAN STIR, DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE COVI DOLLARS THAT WE WERE USING, THE CDC GAVE STATES AND LOCALS ALL OVER THE NATION TO USE FOR COMMUNICABLE DISEASE, DISEASE, AND FOLLOW UP.
UM, POSITIONED US TO BE ABLE TO HAVE MOBILE OUTREACH TEAMS TO DO EDUCATION AND THEN TO DO SOME OF THAT FOLLOW UP THAT YOU TALK, WE TALKED ABOUT LIKE CALLING RESTAURANT OWNERS, CALLING CLINICS, CALLING PLACES WHERE, UM, THIS PERSON HAD BEEN.
AS WE SEE A DECREASE IN FEDERAL FUNDING, IT WILL MEAN THAT OUR CAPACITY HERE WILL DECREASE, BUT WE ARE COMMITTED TO MOBILIZING ALL OF THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE AT OUR DISPOSAL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE.
THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
UH, I'LL SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE JUDGE AND DR.
WE, WE ARE WORKING VERY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC HAS ALL OF THE INFORMATION THEY NEED TO HAVE IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THIS.
I WILL END REPEATING WHAT I'VE SAID, WHAT THE JUDGE HAS SAID, WHAT DR.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU GET VACCINATED.
PLEASE CHECK WITH YOUR, YOUR DOCTORS.
IF YOU NEED, CHECK WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, AND WE WILL DO WHAT WE CAN TO HELP YOU WITH THAT.
BUT WE NEED PEOPLE TO GO AHEAD AND GET VACCINATED.
IT IS THE BEST DEFENSE, NOT ONLY FOR YOU, BUT FOR THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
SO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.