Miramichi Public Health to hold MMR vaccination clinics for students returning to college or university
Miramichi Public Health Services will be holding day and evening vaccination clinics for Miramichi area individuals who are served within the Miramichi Regional Health Authority, have been born after 1970, and who are attending post-secondary institutions, including college or university. The vaccination clinics will be administered to help protect against measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR). Those eligible are to call the Miramichi Public Health Office at 778-6102 to schedule an appointment.
These immunization clinics are part of the expanded publicly-funded immunization program to protect against MMR to include all individuals age 18 to 24, inclusive, as well as all those attending post-secondary institutions.
“This vaccination will help provide added protection to the age group most affected by the recent mumps outbreak,” says Dr. Denis Allard, medical officer of health for the Miramichi Region. There have been more than 100 cases of mumps reported in New Brunswick, mainly in the Saint John area, since January. Two thirds of these cases have been in the 20 to 29 year old age range.
Mumps can affect people of any age who have not previously had the disease or been immunized. People born before 1970 likely had mumps disease as a child and are considered not susceptible to mumps and will not be part of the expanded program. In adults, mumps can lead to more serious conditions.
Common symptoms include fever, swollen and tender glands at the angle of the jaw.
Anyone diagnosed with mumps or who suspects they may have mumps should not go to school or work until they have seen a doctor.
What is mumps?
· Mumps is a disease caused by a virus.
· Mumps can occur at any age, but can be especially serious in adults.
· Mumps is spread by close contact with an infected person’s saliva (spit). This happens with kissing or sharing food or drinks, etc. Sneezing and coughing can also spread the virus.
· Mumps causes fever, headache and swelling of the salivary glands.
· The swelling is painful and causes the cheeks to puff out.
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