Mumps jab..... Have you had yours??

Mumps jab…… Have you had yours??

And somebody else has mumps…. I automatically cringe after hearing this.
Firstly, because this; when in living in close quarters as I am at university, is usually followed by the word ‘outbreak’, and I assume it has got out of hand. It always appears to be uncontrollable!
Secondly I’m a complete hypochondriac, I don’t like illness. Frankly it scares me.

My concerns are completely irrational and totally unjustified as I have little knowledge of what it actually entails. Except that I’m sure it causes you to have a hamster like resemblance which doesn’t appeal to me at all.

The university website has kindly calmed the panic with a notice causing me confusion as to whether I have had the MR or MMR jab?! Apparently I should have records of, or at the very least have some sort of idea of how many of these jabs I’ve had. I hope I’m not alone in having absolutely no recollection of receiving it once let alone twice!

The symptoms (which I plucked up the courage to read before I began my self diagnosis) include; fever, shivers, tiredness and painful swelling of the glands. Men come off worst from the virus as their testicles swell (painfully apparently!) It can also reduce their fertility. It’s not treated with antibiotics…. unusually. Painkillers simply do the job.

There are complications. For the benefit of the over paranoid among us I wont list them.

According to the very reliable BBC health website the prevention is of course the bloody jab! You receive the first one when you are between 12 and 15 months and you receive your second jab when you are between 3 and 5 years. And there is my explanation as to why I can’t remember having it!

For more information check out the BBC Health website, (a recommended source) http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/conditions/mumps2.shtml
See the university website for information on 'the probable outbreak': http://resources.glos.ac.uk/staff/news/mumps.cfm