Calvin College student health is reporting a possible mumps case on campus. The Grand Rapids, Michigan school expects confirmation testing complete by mid-day tomorrow.

Image/Calvin College Twitter
Image/Calvin College Twitter

Student Health Services has been following Calvin protocols designed to guide us and are  working closely with the Kent County Health Department to mitigate exposure and risk. Our primary concern has been for those students who, according to our records, are not vaccinated for mumps.

These students have been contacted and have been offered vaccination. If the test results come back positive on Monday, those students who choose not to get vaccinated will be asked to leave campus immediately for 26 days by order of the Kent County Health Department.

Students who chose to receive a vaccination will be welcome to remain on campus for the remainder of the academic year.

Mumps is an acute viral disease characterized by fever, swelling, and tenderness of one or more salivary glands. Mumps is not common in the United States due to robust vaccination programs. The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine protects against mumps, though follow-up doses are sometimes needed.

Mumps is spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes and sends the mumps virus into the air. The virus can land in other people’s noses or throats when they breathe or put their fingers to their mouth or nose after handling an infected surface.

Mumps is generally transmitted from about 3 days before symptoms appear to about 5 days after, although the virus has been isolated from saliva as early as 7 days before to as late as 9 days after the onset of symptoms.

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