Mumps Outbreak May Not Lead to Increased Immunization Rules

Students don’t have to be immunized to attend Ohio colleges, but don’t expect that to change anytime soon despite a recent mumps outbreak at Ohio State University.

The central Ohio mumps outbreak will likely inspire immunization legislation, but lawmakers said attacking the problem will take more than mandatory immunizations.

As of Friday afternoon, 244 people ranging from 9 months to 80 years old have contracted mumps in central Ohio — 151 have a connection to Ohio State University.

The disease, marked by swollen salivary glands on the face, is spread through saliva or mucus from the mouth, nose or throat. More than 95 percent of people who receive a single dose of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine develop immunity to all three viruses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A second dose usually gives immunity to the 5 percent who didn’t respond to the first dose.

Twenty-four states require incoming freshmen to have received at least one dose of the MMR vaccine.

Ohio does not.

Ohio does not require any immunizations for college students, but nursing and other health programs may have immunization requirements.

In 2005, state lawmakers enacted an “educate, not vaccinate” law for meningococcal and Hepatitis B immunizations. Students who live in campus housing must sign a form indicating they have received both vaccinations, they plan to receive them or they have read about the risks of the diseases and plan not to get vaccinated.

House Health and Aging Committee Chairman Rep. Lynn Wachtmann, a Napoleon Republican, said it’s too soon to talk about mandating MMR or other vaccines for college students.

Wachtmann said not enough information is known about who has been immunized against what in Ohio. Wachtmann suggested doctors, nurses, pharmacists and others who administer immunizations file that information in the Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System, a state database used to track drug prescriptions.

Public health officials could use the database to see if certain populations are more at risk for developing an outbreak. The proposal was inserted into a larger package of proposals in House Bill 485.

“College is only one setting where you have large group of people who intermingle for a period of time,” Wachtmann said. “Attacking this situation by situation is probably not the best way to go. How do we give more people the immunization they need?”

Click here to read more of this story.