I was alerted by my Nana to a mumps outbreak back home : 365 confirmed or suspected cases in Iowa, 33 in Nebraska, 13 in Kansas and 18 in Illinois. One of the concerns is that the mumps vaccine offers only 95% protection–that is, 5 out of 100 people will still be susceptible to mumps if they’re exposed.

So please, please , vaccinate your freaking children. (Vaccinate your non-freaking children, too.) Do you want a 5% chance of mumps if your child is exposed, or a risk much higher than that? (Mumps classically causes swollen parotid glands in the cheeks, but can also lead to meningitis, and infertility in post-pubescent boys.)

Just look at the news around the world. Just today I count officials in four different countries worrying about measles outbreaks . If you think this doesn’t matter to you, think again. For most of you, I can guarantee that someone from each of those four countries is coming to your area. Today. ( Measles is generally infectious 4 days before the rash appears to 4 days after. )

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