The cases of mumps have remained stable at 15 confirmed and 15 suspected in the UC Berkeley community, according to the California Department of Public Health.
The City of Berkeley Public Health Division is monitoring the outbreak, though most of the medical testing is conducted by the University Health Services, as the outbreak is still confined to the campus.
Although there has been no increase in the number of cases reported in the last few days, health officials consider those in shared living facilities such as student and cooperative housing as high-priority candidates for the mumps vaccine because the probability of spreading the virus is greater.
UC Berkeley student Jessica Martinez-Esquivel, a cognitive science major, said she wanted to take extra precautions after a classmate contracted mumps.
“Someone in discussion class missed because he contracted the virus,” Martinez-Esquivel said. “Our GSI informed the class, and that reinforced our decision to get the shot.”
As the outbreak spread, University Health Services made it a priority to provide as many vaccinations as possible to the community, holding its third mumps vaccination clinic Friday.
“We are thrilled at the turnout,” said Kim LaPean, University Health Services communications manager. “The goal is to stop the spread and transmission of the virus.”
The data currently available indicate that a third shot of the mumps vaccine significantly helps slow the outbreak, though it does not help if you have already been exposed, she said.
“I have already had two shots,” said Huyen Vo, a UC Berkeley student. “Since I am coming down with a cold, I wanted to be extra careful, so I decided to get another shot.”
Earlier this week, the department reported that it had identified the source of the mumps outbreak as a student who was exposed to the mumps virus while traveling through Europe.
The Tang Center will continue with vaccination clinics throughout the months of October and November.
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