HALIFAX - As New Brunswick announced plans Friday to begin vaccinating students and health-care workers to combat a sudden increase in mumps and measles cases, health officials in Nova Scotia confirmed the number of mumps cases in the province had risen again.
In New Brunswick, health official Dr. Wayne MacDonald said the vaccination program was needed because students entering Grade 12 would likely have had only one dose of vaccine against mumps, measles and rubella when they were infants.
The extra dose this fall will give them added protection against the viruses that cause mumps and measles, he said.
There have been more than 100 cases of mumps in New Brunswick since January, mainly in the Saint John area. As well, there have been sporadic outbreaks of measles.
New Brunswick's vaccination program for Grade 12 students will run for six years and is expected to cost the province about $1 million. The province will also offer a one-year vaccination program for health care workers.
In Nova Scotia, the number of mumps cases has risen to 429 since the outbreak began in February.
Health officials had warned that an increase is part of the natural cycle of the disease, and they expect to see the number rise throughout the summer.
The outbreak spread across the country after students started returning to their home provinces for the summer.
Nova Scotia health officials are now working on an immunization plan for students returning to school in the fall.
As of last week, there were 530 confirmed cases in eight provinces, with Nova Scotia still seeing the majority of cases.
