By Kelley Weiss
Kansas City, MO – Summer break for many Kansas Citians means family vacations and going to summer camp. In the midst of a mumps outbreak health officials recommend a few tips to prevent catching or spreading the virus this summer. KCUR's Kelley Weiss reports.
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Before sending the kids off to summer camp or taking that family vacation state health officials say to check your mumps immunization records. A Midwest mumps outbreak continues to spread, with Missouri reporting more than 100 cases and Kansas, logging almost 700. Roberta Renicker, a Missouri Health Department nurse, says to protect yourself from catching the virus people need both doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.
Roberta Renicker: "The main thing is whether its summer camp or whether you're going on vacation, maybe you're going to Disney Land, just make sure that you have checked that vaccination record and make sure you're fully immunized no matter where you are going."
Renicker says summer camps are checking all campers and employees immunization records to make sure they've had both MMR shots. And, she says, practicing good hygiene and limiting public contact if sick will also help reduce the spread of the mumps.
Funding for health care coverage on KCUR has been provided by the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City.