Are your kids all up to date on their immunizations for the school year?
Immunization regulations in Maryland have changed for the 2013-2014 school year. As a result, all students enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12 must have received two Mumps and Rubella vaccines prior to the start of school. Most students in the United States already receive two doses of this vaccine in the form of the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine; however, some foreign-born students receive these vaccinations separately.
Mumps and Rubella are serious diseases. Mumps can cause deafness and meningitis whichis an infection of the brain and spinal cord. Rubella (German Measles), if contracted while pregnant, can lead to a miscarriage or serious birth defects. Both Mumps and Rubella are airborne diseases, therefore easily contracted by simply being near someone who already is infected.