Syracuse players are encouraged to get vaccinated for the current mumps outbreak on campus, head coach Dino Babers said Monday morning.

“We’ve taken shots,” he said. “It’s not mandatory. Our guys do what they do.”

In August, the mumps broke out at SU. There have since been 27 confirmed and 45 probable cases of the mumps among members of the university community. There are also two probable cases outside SU.

On Monday afternoon, Syracuse University Health Services sent an email to students advising them to visit the third measles, mumps and rubella booster clinic this Wednesday in Flanagan Gymnasium.

Last week, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory board unanimously voted to recommend a third dose for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine for people who may be exposed to mumps outbreaks. Nearly 3,200 students received the vaccination last week.

Two doses of the vaccine are 88 percent effect, according to the CDC. Symptoms can last for about two to three weeks, according to the CDC.

Among SU students affected by the mumps are members of the SU men’s and women’s lacrosse teams. Both teams cancelled fall season events.

To avoid an outbreak on the SU football team, Babers said players are encouraged to get vaccinated. They are not required.

“We talk about how important this month is and we don’t want anybody to not only get sick,” Babers said, “but to have a guy sick and get the rest of the team sick … (then) you have to shut the rest of the team down. And then you miss out on an opportunity in life that you may never get back again because you do or do not take a shot.”

Published on October 30, 2017 at 2:31 pm

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