Health officials recommend additional vaccines for at-risk populations

Adults over 50 are advised to get a shingles vaccine, in addition to a measles, mumps and rubella booster, according to new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Over the past three years, cases of mumps have skyrocketed, and officials said the trend may continue in 2018. The disease causes the glands that create saliva around your neck to swell and become painful.

Nationwide, 130 cases were reported from Jan. 1 to Jan. 27.

In 2000, the CDC reported that measles, which often emerges as a severe body rash, was eliminated in the United States after 12 consecutive months with no infections; rubella, which doctors say is a milder version of Measles, although a different viral strain, followed suit four years later.

While the neither of the diseases originate in the U.S. anymore, Del Sol Medical Center dir. of infection prevention and control Jose Luis Salas said those who are not vaccinated and travelers can still spread them.

“I could be right here in El Paso, and the next day in China,” said Salas. “You have the clash of people in the same plane in the little vacuum, and so you could have those diseases that could be easily transmissible.”

Should an outbreak occur, Salas said people who may have been exposed need to get a third vaccine.

Normally, children from 12 to 15 months old get the MMR vaccine, and a booster anywhere from 4 to 6 years old; however some parents avoid doing so due to health concerns.

“If you think about it, these are diseases that have been previously eradicate with the usage of vaccines,” said Salas.”However, because of some misconceptions families or parents, at this time, have stop vaccinating.”

The CDC reported that scientists in the U.S. and around the world have done careful research, and found no link between vaccinations and autism.