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August 14, 2002
INTERNATIONAL IMMUNIZATION NEWS
"Fears Rise of Fatal Mumps Outbreak in Children"
Independent (UK) ( www.independent.co.uk ) (08/14/02) P. 10;
Arthur, Charles
Cases of mumps have increased this year in the United Kingdom,
say British health officials, who warn that there could be an
outbreak of the potentially fatal disease among schoolchildren.
Officials report that 131 cases of the disease occurred in
England and Wales during this year's first quarter, a 14 percent
increase from the 115 cases reported in the previous quarter.
The Public Health Laboratory Service predicts the disease may
spread among secondary school children because they may not have
received the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination or may
have only received one dose instead of two. However, a lab
spokeswoman said the increase in mumps cases had "nothing to do"
with declining MMR vaccination rates or the use of single
vaccines. The rising cases of mumps are among children too old
to have had MMR, which was not introduced until 1988 or among
those who may have had only one dose, given at age 18 months; the
second dose is administered at five years of age.
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