What is mumps?
Mumps is a viral illness that spreads easily from person to person. It is painful, takes you out of school, college or work for a least a week, and can have some long lasting effects such as deafness and sterility. This year, we have seen a huge increase in cases of mumps across Ireland in people aged 15-24.
HSE schools campaign summer MMR clinics.
Students in the senior cycle of second level schools who missed vaccination on the day that the HSE vaccination team was in their school can receive MMR vaccine at special HSE clinics over the summer. For further information about dates and location of clinics in their area students should contact the HSE Information Line 1850 24 1850.
Vaccinations will continue in September for students in this campaign where their school was not scheduled for vaccinations before the summer (i.e. these students will be the 5th and 6th years in these schools). Current 6th year students who attended these schools should contact the HSE Information Line 1850 24 1850 for information about getting MMR vaccine.
Gaeltacht and other summer courses or camps for youths
The HSE advises that students in Gaeltacht colleges and other summer courses or camps (language or other) make sure their MMR vaccinations are up-to-date. You need two doses of MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) to be properly immunised.
Did you know?
- MMR vaccine is the only way to prevent mumps
- Mumps can cause deafness
- Mumps will cause a painful swelling of the testicles in around 40% of teenage boys and men
- Mumps was one of main causes of hospitalization in World War I
- In 1940, the Surgeon General of the United States said that mumps was the most disabling of the acute infections among army recruits next to venereal (sexually transmitted) disease
