Health topics and the occasional health scare are no strangers to New York parents. NYC students, hit hard by the H1N1 flu last year, were at the forefront of a vaccination effort this year in order to reduce the number of children and families getting sick. The focus on the H1N1 flu has taken the focus slightly off the regular flu season and flu vaccination, however, and some families have not gotten their regular flu shot, thinking they have no need for it.
There are plenty of germs and viruses to go around, however, and not all of them the flu or the common cold.
The NY Daily News reported on a recent outbreak of mumps in Brooklyn:
City health officials warned Thursday of an outbreak of the old-fashioned childhood disease mumps in the Borough Park section of Brooklyn.
City health officials say there are 57 confirmed or probable cases and they are investigating more. Those infected are mostly between 10 and 15 years old.
“We know that approximately one in every 20 people who are vaccinated may not develop antibodies,” said Dr. Jane Zucker, assistant commissioner of immunization. “If the vaccine was not effective we would have many, many more cases. ”
Typically, it causes a painful swelling of the salivary glands. In rarer cases, patients can be rendered deaf.
It spreads through coughs and sneezes, and a person becomes ill about two weeks after exposure.
Make sure your NYC student is vaccinated appropriately and take special care of your family’s health.
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