Steep federal funding cuts have forced public health officials in Dallas County, Texas to cancel over 50 vaccination clinics and lay off 21 workers involved in combating the state’s growing measles outbreak. The cuts, totaling $11.4 billion nationwide, were originally allocated for community health departments during the pandemic. Despite recent use of these funds for public health initiatives like measles prevention, surveillance, and testing, the Department of Health and Human Services has decided to reallocate the money away from what they deem a “non-existent pandemic.”
Dr. Philip Huang, the director and health authority for Dallas County Health and Human Services Department, expressed concern over the decision, stating that being prepared for Covid helps build the capacity to respond to other public health issues. The exact amount of money slashed from his budget is still being assessed but is estimated to be in the millions. The cutbacks have left the community vulnerable to measles cases, of which 422 have been reported in Texas as of Tuesday.
The layoffs in Dallas County included health care providers, epidemiologists, and lab staff involved in measles surveillance and prevention. Meanwhile, vaccine clinics in West Texas, the epicenter of the outbreak, are continuing as planned. Other states reporting measles outbreaks include Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Ohio. Huang and other public health officials emphasize the importance of maintaining funding for public health initiatives to prevent the spread of preventable diseases like measles.
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