AUSTIN, Texas — As Texas grapples with a deadly measles outbreak, Austin-area children’s facilities are doing what they can to keep the space children share clean and safe.
State health officials have reported 158 measles cases so far with one case being reported in the Austin area.
Tot Box Play Cafe owner Suzette Reynoso-Bivens said during the COVID-19 pandemic when fears were heightened and she became a mother, she wanted to have a safe space for children.
“It’s our job and duty to protect them and to keep them safe the best way that we that we can,” Reynoso-Bivens said. “We’re taking precautionary measures.”
The staff at the Round Rock indoor playground follows a three-step cleaning process where they clean, sanitize and disinfect between every play session. Reynoso-Bivens said about 20 kids ranging from 1 to 6 years old are allowed to play at once.
However, play areas such as Tot Box can only do much to prevent diseases such as measles. According to the World Health Organization, it’s an airborne illness that remains active in the air or on infected surfaces for up to two hours.
Kimberly Ruiz, who takes her daughter to the indoor playground, noted that her daughter is vaccinated. Despite this, there is a small concern over the recent outbreak.
“Definitely coming to places like this is where I have a little bit more concern, but it seems like they’re doing a great job here with cleanings,” Ruiz said.
The World Health Organization said that community-wide vaccinations are the most preventative approach to tackling measles as Texas officials said vaccination rates in certain parts of the state are low.
On Monday, Dr. Jennifer Shuford with the Texas Department of Health Services, gave lawmakers an update on the state’s response to the recent outbreak. A major topic was the effectiveness of getting the MMR vaccine, which Shuford said would make the consequences “less severe.”
While health experts navigate the spread, Reynoso-Bivens said she and her staff will keep doing their part.
“What we do is something that we’ve always done is health and safety is paramount,” Reynoso-Bivens said. “It is something that we take very seriously here at Play Cafe.”