CSC nurse addresses concerns about mumps
As most Chadron State College students are preparing to leave Chadron for the summer, college nurse Ann Dockweiler is telling them to take precautions to avoid contracting mumps, but said most should be safe from the disease.
Dockweiler said CSC students should be immune because two doses of anti-mumps vaccine is required to enroll at Chadron State. However, she noted that a small percentage of people who have been vaccinated still contract the disease.
The nurse said that she has received many calls from concerned students, employees and parents in recent weeks.
More than 200 suspected, probable or confirmed cases of mumps have been reported in Nebraska, most of which are in the southeast. The Nebraska Panhandle Public Health District has received one probable report of mumps in Dawes County and has ruled out two others in the region.
Because the MMR vaccine is not required for CSC employees, Dockweiler is encouraging those who aren’t sure about their vaccination record to talk to their health care provider for recommendations. She noted that a blood test can be done to determine immunity.
Mumps, an infection caused by a virus, is spread by airborne transmission with mucus or droplets from the nose or throat of an infected person, usually from coughs or sneezes. Common symptoms of the disease are fever, headache and swollen salivary glands under the jaw. In rare cases, mumps can lead to inflammation of the brain, hearing loss or death.
Category: Campus News