Extra MMR Clinics set up to prevent further spread of mumps in students

24 March 2009

Liverpool John Moores University (JMU) is also planning to put on vaccination sessions. These are currently being organised.

And as a precautionary measure although they do not yet have cases on the campus, Student Health Services at the University of Chester are writing to students to recommend that anyone currently not protected by two doses of MMR vaccine should contact their GP to arrange vaccination.

Since the week beginning on Monday 9 March, 27 students at the University of Liverpool and six at Liverpool JMU have developed mumps. The additional clinics at the University of Liverpool will be held on:

• Tuesday 24 March from 5.00pm - 7.00pm in Carnatic Halls of Residence
• Wednesday 25 March from 12.00noon - 2.00pm in Student Health in the main University campus

Dr. Roberto Vivancos, Consultant in Communicable Disease Control with the Health Protection Agency's Cheshire and Merseyside Health Protection Unit, said: "It's worrying but perhaps not surprising that we are seeing so many cases of mumps in student populations, in Liverpool and elsewhere.

"The problem is that we have a large pool of teenagers and young adults who missed out on MMR vaccination when they were toddlers. Mumps is very infectious and it can spread rapidly when it gets into closed communities such as schools and university halls of residence where unprotected young people live and study together in close proximity. The average age of the reported cases in Liverpool is 20 years.

"Mumps should not be dismissed as a childhood illness. It can be very serious and it has a potential for serious side-effects, including viral meningitis, long-term hearing problems and painful swelling of the testicles in men and the ovaries in women.

"Students who don't know if they had full MMR vaccination when they were younger should ask their GP or Practice Nurse to check their records. It is not worth leaving things to chance when there is as much measles and mumps around as there is at present."

Note to editors

Mumps symptoms are: painful inflammation and swelling of the salivary glands under one or both sides of the jaw, fever and headache.

As stated in the body of this press release, complications of mumps can include viral meningitis, long term hearing problems and swelling of the testicles in males and the ovaries in females.

For more information visit:
http://www.hpa.org.uk/webw/HPAweb&HPAwebStandard/HPAweb_C/1195733851374?p=1191942172905
http://www.immunisation.nhs.uk/Vaccines/MMR
Press release issued by Laura Hall, HPA North West, tel. 0151-482-5732, and Hugh Lamont 0151-482-5728 or 07764-906508.

Last reviewed: 23 March 2009