Mumps
cases throughout the state should prompt parents to vaccinate
cases throughout the state should prompt parents to vaccinate
- Multiple
cases of mumps have been reported throughout Colorado, but Mesa County hasn’t
had any reports in 2017. - Two cases
were reported in Mesa County between 2012 and 2016. Both of those cases
occurred in children younger than 18 years. - Although
mumps isn’t often reported in Mesa County, residents should still be sure to
vaccinate themselves and their family members against the disease. - The Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends children get two doses of
the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine. - First dose
at 12 to 15 months of age - Second dose
at four to six years of age - Teens and
adults should also be up-to-date on MMR vaccination, so discuss your
vaccination records with your health care provider. - Vaccination
is important to keep our community healthy, but it’s especially so if you
intend on traveling to the Front Range during this time of outbreak. - Mumps is
spread through saliva or mucus from the mouth, nose or throat through coughing,
sneezing or even talking. - Mumps can
also be spread by sharing items such as cups or eating utensils or after
touching objects or surfaces with unwashed hands that have been touched by
someone with the mumps. - This is
especially important for younger age groups who are in close quarters and
sharing things. - Talk to your
kids about healthy
handwashing habits. - Mumps is
best known for the puffy cheeks and swollen jaw that it causes, due to swollen
salivary glands. - Other
symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness and loss of appetite. - Complications
due to mumps can be serious sometimes resulting in encephalitis, meningitis or
deafness. - Mesa County
Health Department offers MMR vaccination on a sliding scale basis. Call
248-6900 to make an appointment or contact your health care provider.