High school students across the Island are scheduled to receive the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine this month in an effort to reduce the possibility of an outbreak in high schools.
In Prince Edward Island, high school and post-secondary students born after 1970 would have been offered only one dose of MMR vaccine during their preschool years.
“High school students fall into an age category that puts them at an increased risk for contracting mumps,” says Dr. Heather Morrison, Chief Health Officer. “The National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommends that students in secondary and post-secondary institutions be offered a second dose of MMR vaccine if they have had only one dose. A second dose of the MMR vaccine provides improved, longer-lasting effectiveness.”
With the university and community college clinics near completion, public health nurses will be moving into the high schools to offer, what will be for most students, their second dose of the MMR vaccine. It is important for all students to receive two doses of the vaccine, in order to provide complete protection against measles, mumps and rubella.
The Department of Health will begin the immunization program in high schools in the upcoming week and will continue until all high schools are completed. Eligible students will be given a fact sheet and consent form to review with their parent/guardian prior to their school clinic date. Students and parents are reminded that this may be a requirement of admission to universities and colleges in the future.
In an effort to ensure that students are protected against these diseases, parents/guardians are asked to return the completed consent forms back to school with the student. High school students and their parents will be advised of the clinic date by school administration and the public health nurse assigned to their school.
Over the past year, ongoing outbreaks of mumps have resulted in over 850 cases of this disease across the country, with about 800 occurring in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. To date, there have been 10 cases of mumps reported in Prince Edward Island in the past year, with all cases occurring in young adults, 18-24 years of age.
Mumps is an acute infectious disease caused by a virus, and is easily spread through exchange of saliva, close contact with an infected person, or coughing and sneezing. It can cause fever, headaches, swollen painful neck and cheeks and may result in deafness, meningitis and in rare instances, could lead to infertility in men.
Measles is a highly contagious disease spread through infected secretions of the nose or throat, and while most people recover from measles, it can cause serious complications including brain damage and in most severe cases, death.