August 28, 2019
Thom Carroll/PhillyVoice
Temple University experienced a mumps outbreak in March 2019.
One of the major health issues in Philadelphia last spring was a mumps outbreak that hit Temple University and other areas of the region.
While no additional cases of mumps arose over the university’s summer semesters, The Temple News reports that local health officials are still investigating how the disease spread and are calculating the total cost — said to be a “significant” investment — to contain the disease.
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The mumps outbreak, which started in March, spurred the university to change its vaccination policy. This year, newly enrolled students are required to provide proof of two MMR vaccines, student health services told The Temple News.
Temple also will reportedly ask for proof of chicken pox and meningitis vaccinations.
The total count of Temple-related mumps infections included 175 students, two faculty members and nine individuals with no connection to the university, for a final tally of 186 cases.
Read more about Temple’s continued mumps investigation here.
