Update: Urgent Care Needs to Get the Mumps Message Across

You’ve read here that mumps has been spreading like wildfire in certain states, especially on college campuses and among school-aged children. Instead of winding down, however, outbreaks are actually picking up steam in multiple states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, underscoring the need for urgent care centers to help raise awareness about prevention in their communities. The CDC says cases of mumps has been confirmed in 37 states and the District of Columbia, with 1,077 people diagnosed between January 1 and February 25 alone. Urgent care providers can help by continuing to stress that patient should ensure their vaccinations are up to date (offering to administer vaccines for patients who are not up to date), and that proper exclusion practices are followed for people who have mumps and those around them. Confirmed cases of mumps should be reported to local health agencies. Given current incidence data, providers have been advised to consider mumps for any patients presenting with parotitis, other salivary gland swelling, and/or orchitis—even if the patient has been vaccinated.