온라인카지노사이트 5 is getting a first look at Tarrant County’s plan to take on the measles, as the county’s health director says there’s a “moderate to high” chance the disease will come to the Fort Worth area.
The county hasn’t recorded any cases at this point, but the state said it’s working to bring testing to the county’s health lab.
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WATCH HEREIn the latest report on the Texas measles outbreak on Monday, DSHS officials said the state was planning to develop measles PCR testing in three counties: El Paso, Bexar, and Tarrant.
“The threat of measles making its way to a large urban county like Tarrant County definitely exists,” said Alisa Simmons, Tarrant County Commissioner for Precinct 2.
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SIGN UP County leaders said although the disease hasn’t been recorded here yet, it was a possibility they’ve been preparing for.
The Tarrant County Health Director told 온라인카지노사이트 5 the state was working to bring measles testing here because Tarrant has a Level 3 health lab that covers more than 30 other counties.
“We have a very big lab here in Tarrant County. It’s very functional. We have excellent leadership in that lab, and the state wants us to be able to put it to use if we need it,” said Dr. Brian Byrd.
In its new measles response plan, leaders of the county health department said if a case is found in Tarrant County, they’ll deploy a mobile strike team to the area that will offer testing and vaccines.
If cases pop up in multiple areas, the county will open a main testing and vaccine site where they can test up to 1,000 people a day.
The county said it’ll be up to six weeks before its lab can test for measles in-house, and until then it would have to send samples to private or state labs.
“We’ve sent a few samples down to the state that have been sent to us, they’ve all come back negative at this point,” said Byrd.
This plan comes as data from the Texas Department of State Health Services showed 84% of Fort Worth ISD kindergartners were vaccinated against measles last year, significantly less than the largest school districts in Collin, Denton and Dallas counties, where the rate was at least 91%.
County leaders said they’ll keep working to warn the public about the dangers of the disease.
“Measles is preventable, and people die from it, and they don’t have to,” said Simmons. “And so people need to know what happens when you’re not vaccinated.”
MEASLES
What is measles?
Measles is a respiratory virus that can survive in the air for up to two hours. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, up to nine out of 10 people who are susceptible will get the virus if exposed.
Most kids will recover from measles if they get it, but infection can lead to dangerous complications like pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling, and death.
Is the vaccine safe?
Yes, the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe and highly effective in preventing measles infection and severe cases of the disease.
The first shot is recommended for children between 12 and 15 months old, and the second for children between 4 and 6 years old. The vaccine series is required for kids before kindergarten in public schools nationwide.
Before the vaccine was introduced in 1963, the U.S. saw some 3 million to 4 million cases per year. Now, there are usually fewer than 200 in a normal year.
There is no link between the vaccine and autism, despite a now-discredited study and health disinformation.
Why do vaccination rates matter?
In communities with high vaccination rates — above 95% — diseases like measles have a harder time spreading through communities. This is called “herd immunity.”
But childhood vaccination rates have declined nationwide since the pandemic and more parents are claiming religious or personal conscience waivers to exempt their kids from required shots.
The U.S. saw a rise in measles cases in 2024, including an outbreak in Chicago that sickened more than 60. Five years earlier, measles cases were the worst in almost three decades in 2019.
Gaines County has one of the highest rates in Texas of school-aged children who opt out of at least one required vaccine, with nearly 14% of K-12 children in the 2023-24 school year. Health officials said that number is likely higher because it doesn’t include many children who are homeschooled and whose data would not be reported.
What are public health officials doing to stop the spread?
Health workers are hosting regular vaccination clinics and screening efforts in Texas, as well as working with schools to educate people about the importance of vaccination and offering shots.
