Doses of defense

Due to the mumps episode earlier this month, UTRGV Health Services is now offering free measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccinations to students, faculty and staff on the Edinburg campus.

Earlier this month, UTRGV health authorities told The Rider there were eight cases of mumps in Hidalgo County as of April 3.

Mumps causes cheeks to swell, flu-like symptoms and is contagious.

The Hidalgo County Health Department has given Health Services a supply of vaccinations for distribution to the UTRGV community.

Cristel Escalona, medical director of Health Services and an assistant clinical professor in the School of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics, said the Hidalgo County Health Department gave them about 140 doses last Tuesday for its first MMR drive held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. last Thursday at the Student Union on the Edinburg campus.

There have not been any more cases of mumps on campus, according to Escalona.

“As soon as we run out, they’re going to give us more,” she said, referring to the vaccines. “So, honestly, I have no idea how deep that well is … but so far, they’ve told us that they’ll give us whatever it is we need, but we’ve not run out yet.”

Staff and faculty can get their free MMR vaccine at the UTRGV Employee Health Clinic and students at the UTRGV Edinburg Health
Services Clinic.

Asked about the goal for these free vaccines, Escalona replied, “To try and get as many students boosted as possible, especially because, like, over time, your immunity can wane.”

She said individuals get two doses of the MMR vaccine, “once when you’re 1 year old,” and the second “when you’re 4 years old.”

“At 1, it’s about 75 percent effective, once you get that one shot,” Escalona said. “Once you get that second shot, it’s about 90 percent effective, but in that shot, you get an immunization for measles, mumps and rubella. It’s really well known that the mumps part of it, kind of, like, wears out over time or has the ability to wear out more so than the other two.”

She said a way to determine whether someone is immune to a disease or not would be to get their titers done. Titers is a way the lab must analyze people’s antibodies and seeing if they are sufficient for immunity.

Escalona said they are experienced with conducting titer tests since they conduct them routinely for health students in order for them to go into hospitals.

“We have to make sure you’re immune; otherwise, the hospitals won’t let [health students] in without knowing you’re immune to all three, so we run titers all the time,” she said.

Escalona said students can visit the Health Services Clinic and get their titers done anytime.

Asked about her thoughts on the free vaccines, Lorenah Vasquez, a biology senior, replied, “I think it’s good that it’s giving more people chances at receiving the vaccines if they haven’t gotten theirs.”

Vasquez said she was surprised when she first heard of the “mumps outbreak,” especially since it was “mostly adults that were known to have it, since it usually affects children more.”

“At first, I considered getting a booster when I heard there was a mumps outbreak, but after looking into it on the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] site, I read it isn’t necessary to, if you’ve evidence of immunity against them,” she said.