An outbreak of mumps is developing at Temple University; "Strong recommendation" to be vaccinated

Epidemics usually occur among people who have close contacts, such as on university campuses and among sports teams.

Symptoms may occur 12 to 25 days after infection and may include fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue and loss of appetite. The punch, however, is swollen ganglia under the ears that are sensitive. But not everyone has symptoms, especially if they have a mild case of the disease.

"One of the most important things you can do if you have symptoms is to isolate yourself, avoid movement and limit contact with others for five days from the onset of symptoms," says the notification. . Denys also reminded people to cover their mouths when they were coughing, to wash their hands frequently and avoid sharing food and drink.

The best way to prevent mumps is to use a vaccine. According to the CDC, the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine is 88% effective when two doses are given.

The university recommends anyone who has not received two doses of the vaccine and a booster to be vaccinated now. This is not a requirement, but a "strong recommendation," said Ray Betzner, Associate Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Communications at Temple, in an email. "We encourage those who have received both MMR vaccines to get the booster."

According to an information sheet from the Public Health Department of the City of Philadelphia, "a third dose can strengthen protection during an outbreak and help prevent the virus from spreading."

There will be two free immunization clinics at the university next week for students, faculty and staff.

Unsatisfied with the university's response, a group of students filed a petition on exchange.org to temporarily close the university in order to stop the epidemic, saying, "It's time that Temple take the necessary steps to stop the epidemic before this epidemic becomes unmanageable. "The petition, which has more than 10,000 signatures to date, says the epidemic is making the epidemic University "a dangerous environment for all students and faculty", which is especially true for people with autoimmune diseases. "The fact is that as long as Temple remains open and classes and activities continue to be organized, this epidemic will not stop." By Friday afternoon, the exchange.org petition was no longer available on the site.

"We are not discussing closure because of mumps," said Betzner. "The Philadelphia Department of Health does not recommend closing the university [as] this will not stop the continued spread of mumps. He said that infectious disease experts and other universities that have had mumps outbreaks are in agreement.

Denys said the university "was taking steps to" update its vaccination policy in order to require two doses of MMR vaccine; two doses of varicella vaccine; and one dose of tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough vaccine known as Tdap.