Health Care / Medicine, Law Schools

Another Year, Another Law School Mumps Outbreak

It's awful that we have to discuss mumps prevention every year.

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MumpsIt’s time for your annual reminder that all your law school classmates are swarming with disease and if you’re not vaccinated you need to go to Torts in a bubble. Hell, even if you are vaccinated it may not be enough for some law school contagions.

This year’s mumps outbreak features the Chapman University Fowler School of Law, where campus media reports at least five students have come down with the disease you thought went out with Li’l Rascals flicks.

Five cases of the mumps have been identified in Fowler School of Law students after they attended a back-to-school event in Newport Beach Jan. 27, according to Associate Dean of Students DeAnn Yocum Gaffney.

In an email sent to the Chapman community Feb. 23, Yocum Gaffney wrote that four students had the virus, but she told The Panther Feb. 24 that another student contacted the university that he or she had the mumps after reading the email.

This isn’t new at all. University of Illinois Law had the same problem last year. Whether these cases are the result of ill-informed vaccination overreactions coming home to roost or just dumb luck — the Mumps vaccine isn’t perfect and has a 12-22 percent fail rate — we don’t know, but this is California, so one has to be wary that it’s the former.

Repeating the advice we offered last year:

So if you aren’t afflicted: wash your hands, cover your mouth, and go get your vaccinations. If you are feeling any symptoms — hopefully not the “painful testicular swelling” — don’t go to class! Notify the school and they’ll work something out.

And while it’s hard to see the bright side of the mumps, at least this is happening in February instead of the eve of finals.

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UPDATE: 5 law school students reported to have the mumps [The Panther]

Earlier: Law School Announces Mumps Outbreak

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