Tag Archives: Austin Public Health
County gets creative to counter 'staggering' number of fentanyl deaths
In the first half of this year, from January to June, 118 people in Travis County died from an overdose of fentanyl. This equaled the number of fentanyl-related overdoses from the entirety of last year. The outsized opioid-overdose figures spurred…
Public Health • By Seth Smalley • Nov 29, 2022
Travis County secures nearly 10,000 doses of life-saving overdose drug naloxone
Travis County has secured a bulk order of the life-saving drug naloxone in an effort to prevent opioid deaths. The shipment comes after the county issued an emergency declaration triggered by a record-high number of overdoses related to fentanyl last year. At…
Public Health • By Andrew Weber, KUT • Oct 25, 2022
Austin Public Health expands eligibility for the monkeypox vaccine
Austinites at risk of contracting monkeypox are now eligible for the vaccine, health officials said Monday. Previously, the vaccine was limited to people directly exposed to the virus or diagnosed with the disease. “We are really just classifying anyone at…
Public Health • By Laura Morales, KUT • Oct 5, 2022
Update shows slow but steady rise of monkeypox in Travis County
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control, there are just over 15,000 confirmed cases of the monkeypox virus in the United States, and about 1,280 of those cases are in Texas. Travis County currently has 76 presumptive cases…
Public Health • By Seth Smalley • Aug 25, 2022
County acknowledges lag on monkeypox vaccine supply
As of yesterday, the Centers for Disease Control is reporting 992 confirmed cases of monkeypox in Texas, 88 of which are in Travis County (nine confirmed and 79 “presumptive”). On Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court voted to approve a…
Public Health • By Seth Smalley • Aug 17, 2022
Austin-Travis County officials issue emergency order in response to monkeypox outbreak
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…
Public Health • By Seema Mathur, KUT • Aug 9, 2022
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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.…
Public Health • By Andrew Weber, KUT • Aug 8, 2022
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…
Public Health • By Jennifer Stayton, KUT • Jul 26, 2022
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…
Public Health • By Sangita Menon, KUT • Jul 5, 2022
Early April is for respecting public health, county decrees
In a retroactive move that was unanimously approved last Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court proclaimed the week of April 4 Public Health Week. According to the American Public Health Association, the first week of April each year is National…
Public Health • By Seth Smalley • Apr 26, 2022
Austin Public Health to use new Covid-19 risk charts to align with CDC
Austin Public Health is updating its Covid-19 risk guidelines to coincide with new metrics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Previously, APH had been using a five-level scale to showcase Covid-19 risk, with Stage 5 being the highest…
Public Health • By Marisa Charpentier, KUT • Mar 30, 2022
Local health officials lift Covid-19 restrictions as infections hit record low
Lee esta historia en español. Health officials in Austin and Travis County announced Wednesday that they are lifting “all Covid-19 emergency rules and orders, effective immediately.” Masking is now optional in most city facilities, except for the airport, clinical settings…
