Immunization Campaign to Protect Against Mumps

The province will begin an immunization campaign to protect health-care workers and the health system during the current mumps outbreak, and future outbreaks.

The campaign will begin rolling out as early as next week, and will continue over the summer months. Roughly 40,000 doses of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine will be made available throughout the province for the campaign.

"We feel this is an important public health measure," said Dr. Shelly Sarwal, medical officer of health. "A vaccination campaign will not stop the outbreak, but what it will do is help to manage absenteeism in health-care workers as a result of the mumps, and therefore help sustain the health-care system for Nova Scotians."

Dr. Sarwal said the campaign is a step in the right direction in terms of preventing and managing future outbreaks.

Since the beginning of the outbreak in February, 222 cases of mumps have been reported across the province.

As predicted, the number of new cases in the Halifax Regional Municipality is declining, while the number of new cases across the province increased from last week. The majority of cases remain in the 20-25 age group.

Public health officials spoke earlier this week with officials in the United States and the United Kingdom about lessons learned from management of their respective mumps outbreaks.

Work is also underway to assess options for immunizing the university-age population.

The most common symptoms of mumps include fever, head and muscle aches, and swollen and tender glands at the angle of the jaw. Public health officials continue to encourage people to see their family doctor if they have symptoms.

Mumps is spread by contact such as coughing, sneezing, sharing drinks and kissing. The virus can be spread for about seven days before symptoms appear, and up to nine days after. Dr. Sarwal stressed the importance of not going to school, work, any public places or participating in social activities during this period.

To avoid spreading mumps, or any other disease:

• wash hands often or use hand sanitizer
• do not share drinking glasses or eating utensils
• cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or sleeve

For more information on mumps, see the website at www.gov.ns.ca/hpp/mumps.html