Hawaii mumps outbreak is over, Health Department says

A statewide mumps outbreak that began in March 2017 is over.

The state Department of Health officially ended today a public warning about the outbreak that involved nine people on Oahu and up to 900 cases within a year. A total of 1,009 people were diagnosed with mumps during the outbreak.

“We are able to declare the outbreak over because there have been no new cases confirmed in the last 50 days, which totals two maximum incubation periods for the illness,” Sarah Park, state epidemiologist, said in a news release.

The DOH had recommended an additional mumps shot, particularly for adolescents and adults during the outbreak, but is no longer recommending the extra dose. The state is still, however, urging routine vaccination for children and said all adults born in 1957 and later should have documentation of at least one vaccine dose. Adults at high risk of exposure to mumps — including international travelers, post-secondary school students, and health care workers —should receive two doses, the DOH said.

Nationally, more than 6,000 were diagnosed with mumps in both 2016 and 2017, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since the beginning of the year, other states including Alaska, California, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia have also seen upticks in mumps cases.

For more information about mumps, go to health.hawaii.gov/docd/disease_listing/mumps/.