The Alaska Department of Health and Social Services identified 214 confirmed and 33 probable mumps cases related to an outbreak that began in Anchorage last summer, according to a state public health advisory issued Wednesday.
In response to the outbreak, Alaska health officials altered state immunization guidelines to allow individuals who received a second dose of the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine more than five years ago to obtain a third dose to boost immunity.
"We are definitely concerned," said Amanda Tiffany, PhD, an epidemiologist at the Alaska Division of Public Health, according to KTUU. "In the five years prior to 2017 when our outbreak began, Alaska saw three mumps cases so the fact that we are now reporting 248 cases is concerning."
The recent surge in mumps cases marks a 98.7 percent increase in cases since 2012, according to KTUU.
To learn more about the mumps, click here.
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