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IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — University of Iowa health specialists will be providing students with a third dose of the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella for free in an effort to stem a mumps outbreak on campus.
The university announced the news Friday, the Iowa City Press-Citizen reported (http://icpc.com/1kBfF7h ). The school has ordered 3,000 doses of the vaccine and will being holding vaccination clinics next week for students under 25, said Lisa James, an associate director for the university's clinical outreach.
"Right now, we're seeing somewhere between 100 and 110 confirmed cases on campus," James said. "Most of the cases have been found in patients between 18 and 24 years old, so that's the age range the vaccinations have been narrowed to."
There are usually only 10 to 20 reported cases a year statewide, although there have been isolated outbreaks — such as when hundreds of cases were reported in 2006. Doctors say most of the current cases involve students who had met the university's vaccination requirements.
Since August, the Johnson County Public Health Department has seen a steady growth in the number of mumps cases, largely on campus.
The viral infection's symptoms include swollen salivary glands, fever and muscle aches. It spreads easily in confined spaces.
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Information from: Iowa City Press-Citizen, http://www.press-citizen.com/
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