Local leaders issued an emergency order Tuesday in response to the monkeypox outbreak in Austin-Travis County. Since the first case in Travis County was reported on June 23, the number of monkeypox infections has risen to 68, including nine women and two children. There are currently 702 cases in Texas, according to the Centers for […]
Public Health
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Austin officials expect more doses of the monkeypox vaccine after U.S. declares a health emergency
Austin health officials say they expect more monkeypox vaccine doses to head to Central Texas after the Biden administration’s declaration of a public health emergency Thursday. Medical Director Desmar Walkes said Austin Public Health anticipates the extra doses next month. It’s unclear how many doses the area will get, though, so public health officials are […]
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Texas has an official death count from the 2021 blackout. The true toll may never be known.
In Minal and Rajeeta Shah’s backyard, there once stood a cedar tree. The tall, broad canopy provided shade for the sisters’ garden below, a garden with sunflowers and tulsi and lemongrass. It’s a garden their mother, Manjula, pruned and nurtured for nearly two decades. It still flourishes, despite the best efforts of the Texas sun. […]
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Young people working to build a world without gun violence
“We need to fight like hell to fix this problem,” a 13-year-old girl yelled from the Capitol steps. The crowd of hundreds cheered and hollered its approval. The girl was one of a few young people who spoke at the March for Our Lives rally at the Texas Capitol building on June 11. The organization […]
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County holds listening session as part of effort to fight public health crisis
Travis County Health and Human Services updated the Commissioners Court last week on the county’s May declaration of a public health crisis due to a sharp increase in drug overdose and opioid addiction rates. The declaration included eight directives from the Commissioners Court to help ameliorate the crisis. Part of that work included HHS and […]
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What Austinites should know about Covid-19 during this summer’s surge
Austin Public Health officials say they realize many people are tired of talking and hearing about Covid-19. But with “remarkably contagious and infectious” omicron subvariants circulating this summer, they say now is the time to “redouble our efforts” to protect ourselves and others. Here are the top five messages Austin Public Health has about Covid-19 this summer. […]
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Austin City Council votes to decriminalize abortion
The Austin City Council has approved a resolution that will effectively decriminalize abortion in Austin. The resolution, called the Guarding the Right to Abortion Care for Everyone (GRACE) Act, was proposed by Council Member Chito Vela. It asks law enforcement agencies to make prosecuting abortion-seekers and providers their lowest priority. The resolution will also stop the […]
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Commission for Women supports the GRACE Act, abortion access
Austin’s Commission for Women passed a recommendation this week in support of the GRACE Act, which would de-prioritize abortion investigations and prevent city funds from being used to report procedures, which will soon be completely illegal in the state. While City Council is currently in recess, the GRACE Act will be discussed when Council convenes on […]
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AFD on the front lines of effort to combat overdose crisis
The Austin Fire Department spoke about its use of naloxone to combat drug overdoses in its quarterly report at the Public Safety Commission’s July 5 meeting. The department’s report coincides with City Council’s declaration of opioid overdose deaths as a public health crisis. Council approved a resolution officially declaring a public health crisis at its […]
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County moves ahead with plan to expand community access to naloxone
Travis County Health and Human Services has identified a vendor to implement its plan to increase access to the opioid overdose-reversing drug naloxone in the community. The plan, which will cost approximately $350,000, is part of HHS’ response to the Travis County Commissioners Court’s May 24 declaration of a public health crisis related to drug […]
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A limited supply of monkeypox vaccines and tests is heading to Travis County after case confirmed
Austin Public Health is requesting testing supplies and vaccines from the federal government to help address the potential spread of monkeypox in the area. The rare disease is caused by the monkeypox virus. Symptoms include fever, aches, chills and a rash of pimples or blisters. It can spread when someone comes in contact with an […]
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Harper-Madison looking for improved help during heat emergencies
Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison expressed concern on the City Council Message Board this week about “how the city is addressing the stability of our electrical grid, local outages,” and the impact that has on “marginalized communities at the greatest risk of heat-related illness or death.” She said her concerns arose from a situation with two […]