Last time we had looked at syphilis as one of the medical conditions that should be taken care of by applicants during the course of taking on the Immigration Medical Examination. Here is one more physical condition that is rapidly occurring in adults too:

Mumps

Despite vaccination programs for this condition that took place in large numbers over the years the United States of America is recently witnessing sporadic outbreaks of mumps, and what is alarming is that it seems to be affecting adults in more and more numbers. You must know that mumps has always occurred in children, but due to many parameters and shifts in public health outbreaks are occurring in adults too, especially in foreign- born immigrant populations.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IF YOU HAVE MUMPS AND WISH TO TAKE THE MEDICAL EXAM

Mumps is an acute viral disease that is spread from person to person by coughing or sneezing,; most people may have no symptoms or very mild symptoms, but they can still pass on the virus to others.

SYMPTOMS: Mumps has peculiar symptoms:

• Low-grade fever
• Swelling or tenderness in one or more of the salivary glands in the jaw
• Symptoms usually appear between 12 and 25 days after a person has been exposed to the virus.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IF YOU HAVE MUMPS

There is a vaccine to protect against mumps. If you run the risk of contracting mumps – somebody has recently had it in your family and you have not taken the vaccine, then it is best to consult the USCIS-approved Civil Surgeon during the Immigration Medical Examination, who will then arrange to have you vaccinated. The mumps vaccine is given as part of the MMR combination – a vaccine that jointly protects measles, mumps and rubella.

The mumps vaccine is very safe and highly effective with minimal side effects. Sometimes mild reactions such as fever, redness or swelling at the injection site may be experienced. Consult the USCIS Civil Surgeon for advice.