Distribution will take place at the Sandusky Artisans, 138 East Market Street, from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on the following dates.

February 25th
March 31st
April 28th
May 26th
June 30th
July 28th
August 25th
September 29th
October 27th
November 24th
December 22nd

The Erie County Health Department is investigating a case of mumps at Margaretta High School.

The Erie County Health Department is working with the Ohio Department of Health and Margaretta Local Schools regarding a case of mumps at Margaretta High School. This is the first mumps case identified in Erie County in 2019.

Mumps is a contagious viral disease. The symptoms include fever, headache, and swelling of the salivary glands. Other symptoms associated with mumps are fatigue, muscle aches, and loss of appetite.

Anyone with symptoms should contact their healthcare provider for evaluation. If you do not have a primary health care provider or are unable to get into them today, the Erie County Health Department / Erie County Community Health Center will be offering a walk in clinic today.  If an exposed person has not been vaccinated against mumps, receiving the vaccine after exposure to the virus will not help prevent disease if the person has already been infected. However, if they did not become infected after this particular exposure, the vaccine may help protect him or her against future infection with the mumps virus.

Mumps is spread through saliva or mucus on objects or surfaces touched by an infected person. Mumps does not linger in the air, so people at highest risk are those who share personal items with or who are within 3 feet of an infected individual (close contacts).

The Erie County Health Department is working to notify close contacts and has provided recommendations to all school districts in Erie County. The general public, including those who live in the same community, have a low risk of getting mumps from this case.

All individuals have some risk of getting mumps, vaccinated and unvaccinated. However, someone who is fully vaccinated is 9 times less likely to get mumps than someone who is unvaccinated with the same exposure to the mumps virus. Also a vaccinated person is likely to have a less severe illness than an unvaccinated person. Mumps that occurs in pregnant women is generally benign and not more severe than in women who are not pregnant, like other infections there is a theoretical risk that mumps during early months of pregnancy may cause complications.

To help reduce the risk of mumps, take these simple precautions:

• Do not share food, drinks, water bottles, utensils or other personal items that may contain saliva.
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Wash your hands before eating or before touching your mouth.
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you sneeze or cough. If a tissue is not available, sneeze or cough into your upper sleeve or elbow, not your hands.
• Clean and disinfect objects and surfaces that may be contaminated with germs. Clean and disinfect communal surfaces frequently.
• Get vaccinated with two doses of MMR vaccine if you haven’t already.
• People who get mumps should stay home for five days after onset of symptoms and limit contact with others in their household.

For more information:

• Visit Erie County Health Department’s website eriecohealthohio.com
• CDC Mumps webpage: cdc.gov/mumps/
• Immunization Action Coalition Mumps Q&A: https://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4211.pdf

 For more information please contact Erie County Health Department Epidemiologist Ashley Franks, MPH, RS at 419-626-5623 ext. 200 or at afranks@echdohio.org.