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Eugene

(61,595 posts)
Tue Feb 7, 2017, 06:48 PM Feb 2017

Mumps Outbreak Reaches 367 Cases in Washington State; Numbers Expected to Rise

Source: ABC News

Mumps Outbreak Reaches 367 Cases in Washington State; Numbers Expected to Rise

By GILLIAN MOHNEY Feb 7, 2017, 2:51 PM ET

An ongoing outbreak of the mumps virus has continued to grow in Washington state, with at least 367 people either diagnosed or suspected of having the mumps, according to the Washington State Health Department.

The vast majority of those infected have been school-aged children, according to Paul Throne, manager of the Washington State Immunization Program. Of the school-aged children infected in this outbreak, 87 percent were up to date on their mumps vaccinations, Throne said today, but lower vaccination rates among school-aged children in general may be contributing to the growth of the outbreak.

Despite the large number of mumps cases, health officials believe the vaccine is providing protection against more serious mumps complications, Throne told ABC News.

"We do think it's still protecting people who get sick. We have not seen the serious side effects that you might expect in an outbreak," he said.

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Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/mumps-outbreak-reaches-367-cases-washington-state-numbers/story?id=45320986
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