Austin Schools’ Low Vaccination Rate Draws Concern Amid Measles Outbreak
By Madeline de Figueiredo
Reporting Texas
Travis County is ramping up its vaccination efforts, particularly for schoolchildren, as neighboring Hays County warned Sunday of possible measles exposure in San Marcos.
As a measles outbreak spreads across Texas, the Department of State Health Services reported 124 confirmed cases in the state as of Tuesday. Of those 124 cases, 39 are children age 4 and younger and 62 are in 5- to 17-year-olds.
Infants and young children are particularly vulnerable to severe complications and death from the disease, pushing local public health experts and providers to focus on vaccination efforts in schools.
“Austin Public Health has been doing a lot of outreach to our schools, especially schools that have lower vaccination rates,” said Dr. Desmar Walkes, the Austin-Travis County health authority. “Since last year, we’ve been having regular conversations, conducting vaccine clinics and having focus groups to answer questions and address vaccine hesitancy.”
The Austin Independent School District lags behind other major school districts in Texas in vaccination rates of young students. According to the state health department, only 83.7% of Austin school district kindergartners are vaccinated against measles, well below 93.5% in Houston ISD, 94% in El Paso ISD and 96% in San Antonio ISD.
Walkes highlighted concerns about AISD’s low vaccination rate, referencing a federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that schools with vaccination coverage of 85% face a 61% risk of experiencing an outbreak.
“Austin ISD is carefully monitoring the ongoing spread of measles throughout the state and in neighboring communities,” the school district said in a statement Monday. “We’re working tirelessly to increase this compliance rate in collaboration with Austin Public Health via outreach, education, vaccine clinics and direct campus health room communication.”
Public health officials across Central Texas have issued urgent warnings about the contagious nature of measles and encouraged residents to get vaccinated.
“Measles is a highly contagious airborne disease spread by contact with an infected person through coughing and sneezing. Texas is currently experiencing the largest outbreak of measles in decades,” Dr. John Turner, Hays County local health authority, said in a statement Sunday. “Individuals who have not been vaccinated are at greater risk of infection. To minimize the risk of infection and serious illness, individuals should make sure they are vaccinated.”
The state health department reported that the measles virus can remain airborne and infectious for up to two hours after an infected person has left a location, raising concern about the possible spread of the disease among unvaccinated school children in Central Texas.
Austin Public Health works with Central Health, Vaccines for Children and AISD to provide vaccinations for low or no cost. One dose of MMR vaccine is 93% effective against measles and two doses are 97% effective, according to the CDC.
“We have been working hand-in-hand with the school district to increase the number of children that are vaccinated,” Walkes said. “We are redoubling those efforts in the last six to eight weeks to get (local vaccination) numbers up.”