The number of mumps cases continues to climb on Hawaii Island.
Forty-nine cases of confirmed mumps have been documented on the Big Island, according to the state Department of Health’s weekly mumps update.
Statewide, 512 cases have been confirmed, including two on Maui, 44 on Kauai and 417 on Oahu.
State health officials have suggested that most people born after 1957 get booster shots of vaccine, even if they have been vaccinated before.
If it’s been 10 years or more since the last MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccination, even if the person previously received two doses of vaccine, the individual should get another vaccination, state health officials recommend.
If a person has had a single dose of vaccine but it’s been five years or more since, the individual should get another dose.
Health providers should report suspected cases of mumps to the disease reporting line at 586-4586.