HALIFAX - Post-secondary and Grade 12 students in Nova Scotia will be offered a vaccine against the mumps as the province responds to an outbreak that has infected more than 460 people.
The outbreak began in February, mostly affecting young adults who are in an age group that only received one does of a vaccine against mumps, measles and rubella as children.
A second dose of the vaccine will be offered to all students at post-secondary students in Nova Scotia, as well as Nova Scotians studying at post-secondary institutions outside of the province.
The vaccine will also be given to Grade 12 students during the coming school year, and any Grade 11 students who have not yet received a second dose.
This will be the only year for the high-school immunization, since most students 17 years old and younger have already received a second booster shot.
Symptoms of the mumps include aches, pains, fever, loss of appetite and swollen saliva glands, although complications can sometimes be much more serious.
People with the mumps are typically told to stay home for nine days to prevent infecting others but can actually be contagious up to a week before they even show symptoms.
Nova Scotia has had far more cases than any other province, but cases spread to other parts of the country as university students returned home for the summer.
