A major increase in cases of mumps and continues measles outbreak across England have prompted people to make sure that they’re immunised.
Around 795 mumps cases have been recorded in the first 3 months of this year than compared to the 1031 cases recorded in the entire 2018, said Public Health England.
Most cases of mumps are associated to teens mixing up with others when they attend university.
A significant outbreak was noticed on the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University in early 2019 and similar rise in cases of mumps have been observed in Northern Oreland and Wales.
Mumps is caused by a kind of virus which infects and then causes excruciating swellings around the parotid glands present under our ears. In a few rare cases, the disease can cause swollen testicles or ovaries and viral meningitis.
The MMR vaccine safeguards against or helps lower the symptoms of mumps up to an extent. However, several students studying at university now were born during a time when there was a crucial MMR-autism scare prevailing. But, the MMR’s connection to autism has since then been entirely disapproved by several researchers.
Hence, students attending university, who have missed the MMR vaccine as a kid, should definitely get it administered now, said Public Health England’s immunisation head, Mary Ramsay.