Island escapes mumps surge

GUERNSEY is well prepared to fight any potential mumps outbreak. Figures released yesterday showed that incidences in England and Wales surged in the first three months of the year.

The increase is likely to be blamed on the downturn in vaccinations following the scare over the measles, mumps and rubella jab, which some parents claim causes autism.

More than 70% of cases reported in the first three months were among the 14-22 age group.

The Health Protection Agency said that this group was at an increased risk of mumps, which can lead to fertility problems, because they either received no MMR jab or only one dose as a child.

Director of public health Dr David Jeffs said: 'Not everything that happens in the UK comes here and of course we have historically higher rates of MMR immunisation.'

The latest local figures show that between 1997 and 2002 there has only been one notified case of mumps in the island.

In the UK from January to March there were 578 reported cases, with 331 in the last quarter of 2003 - the highest quarterly total since surveillance began in 1995.

Dr Jeffs said that he was unaware of any increase in local cases.

But he warned that it was impossible to say that Guernsey was not being affected by the surge because the susceptible age range included many youngsters who had gone to university in the UK.