AUSTIN, Texas — On Tuesday, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported 422 cases of measles from the outbreak in West Texas since late January.
One unrelated case in Travis County is connected to international travel.
Meanwhile, dozens of volunteers in Central Texas are working to help Austin Public Health (APH) prevent a local outbreak. They’re part of the Austin Travis County Medical Reserve Corps (ATCMRC). It’s a local chapter of a federally run program active since January 2024.
Its goal is to help public health agencies, many of which have limited staff or limited funds, ramp up quickly to respond to emergencies and get ahead of outbreaks.
On Monday, ATCMRC hosted an immunization clinic at Trinity Center in Downtown Austin, which hosts resources and activities for people experiencing homelessness.
“It’s just fulfilling,” said Margie Medrano, one of four ATCMRC volunteers at Monday’s clinic.
Medrano is a retired nurse married to a retired doctor.
“We changed lives,” said Medrano. “We saved lives. That’s what we did. My husband gave thousands and thousands of COVID vaccines as a volunteer, and we want to continue that service to our community in retirement.”
ATCMRC has 25 total volunteers, some with medical experience, others without it. All play a role in making these clinics happen.
“Right now, our main focus has been measles,” said Eleanor Allain, emergency plans officer with APH and unit coordinator for ATCMRC.
The MMR vaccine for measles was one of the shots offered at Monday’s clinic, along with those for COVID-19, flu and Tdap.
“Honestly, demand has remained pretty steady throughout the outbreak, but we do have some pockets of low vaccination rates,” said Allain. “So, we really, really encourage folks to check their status, and if they’re not vaccinated, to please get vaccinated.”
ATCMRC aims to get ahead of health threats. In August 2024, it ran an Mpox vaccination clinic at Montopolis Recreation and Community Center in southeast Austin as case numbers were rising.
APH is currently recruiting volunteers who are at least 18 years old, both with and without medical experience. Anyone interested can apply here.
“We could use the help,” said Medrano. “We could welcome the help.”
An APH spokesperson told KVUE on Tuesday that ATCMRC has not been impacted by recent cuts at the federal level.