Odyssey of the Mind® 2006 World Finals | ||||||
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Iowa State University and Odyssey of the Mind will take every precaution to minimize your potential exposure to mumps during World Finals. Keep in mind that the people in attendance at World Finals are not local residents, they are visitors like you. As always, there will be medical facilities available if you get hurt or sick. What to do to avoid getting mumps wherever you are and before traveling to World Finals: In order to reduce the risk of contracting mumps, individuals should be fully vaccinated or have history of mumps infection. A fully vaccinated individual in the general public is: - ages 1 year to 49 years: 2 doses of MMR vaccine - ages 50 years and older: 1 dose of MMR vaccine What to do while at World Finals: Using general good manners and being considerate of others is the best policy now and always.
Are You Worried About Mumps? Some teams that are traveling to Iowa for World Finals are concerned about getting the Mumps. We have been in communication with authorities in Ames, Iowa State University, and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) who have uniformly told us that the risk is minimal. We would like to assure everyone that while this is a situation to be aware of, it is unlikely that you will become infected. According to local officials, the medical plan for Mumps in Ames is very aggressive and although there are reported cases in Iowa, there are reported cases of Mumps in every state. Dr. William L. Atkinson of the National Immunization Program at the CDC wrote us that "as long as all students have had two doses of MMR vaccine the risk to them is minimal. Those who have not had two doses of MMR should do so now." This standard vaccinnation is part of the routine for most children. Anyone who has general concerns and would like to speak to someone about the Mumps in Iowa can call: 1-800-232-4636, and press 1 for General Information. This will direct you to FAQ’s and to an expert that you can speak with directly. The websites listed below offer helpful information about the Mumps. Here is the information from the Center for Disease Control: http://www2.ncid.cdc.gov/travel/yb/utils/ybGet.asp?section=dis&obj=mumps.htm Here is information from the Iowa State Department of Public Health concerning the recent reported cases of the Mumps in Iowa: http://www.idph.state.ia.us/adper/common/pdf/mumps/mumps_update_051606.pdf For basic information about the Mumps: http://www.idph.state.ia.us/adper/mumps.asp |
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World Finals