The Mumps Outbreak: What You Need to Know

Contributed by: Audrey Smith, Pharm.D.

Community Pharmacy Resident

Text Box: Mumps Vaccination Effectiveness Because maintaining a high vaccination rate for mumps is essential to helping prevent and control outbreaks, understanding and promoting the benefits and effectiveness of appropriate vaccination are essential. Data suggests that the effectiveness of the MMR vaccination against mumps is ~80% effective after one dose and ~90% effective after two doses. However, because the vaccine is not 100% effective in providing immunity to the mumps virus, some cases of infection can occur in vaccinated individuals. In addition, post-exposure prophylaxis with the mumps vaccine has not been shown effective primarily because full immunity is achieved anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks after vaccination.

Text Box: Thus, individuals newly vaccinated may develop mumps as long as a month after vaccination. Nonetheless, vaccination is important in controlling future outbreaks and is encouraged for those particularly at high-risk of acquiring mumps, i.e. students on college campuses, or for those at high-risk for transmitting mumps to others with potentially widespread affects, i.e. healthcare workers. Being aware of the mumps outbreak is just one way to reduce the further transmission of mumps in your community. If you suspect that you or a family member may be experiencing symptoms of mumps, follow-up with your physician or local health department immediately for further testing

Text Box: and diagnosis. For more information on mumps, including details about vaccination, prevention, and recent news related to the control of the current outbreak, visit the CDC’s National Immunization Program website at: www.cdc.gov/nip/diseases/mumps/mumps-outbreak.htm. Or, talk to your pharmacist or physician today for more information about what you can do to reduce your risk for exposure to the mumps virus.

Patchy hair loss: What is Alopecia Areata?

Contributed by: Daina Jablonski, Pharm.D. Candidate

KU School of Pharmacy

Text Box: Alopecia areata is a skin disorder where patches of hair loss are present in varying amounts, usually on the scalp, but can involve other hair-bearing sites elsewhere on the body. This condition affects about 2% of the population and has been identified for more than 2000 years. This disease tends to begin suddenly and randomly in childhood, although it can occur in men and women of all ages and ethnicities. What are the signs & symptoms? Ordinarily, hair falls out in small, round patches about the size of a quarter. Some people with alopecia areata get only a few bare patches on the scalp. Others may lose more hair. Rarely, the disease causes total loss of hair on the head or complete loss of hair on the scalp, face (eyebrows, eyelashes), and body. Although hair loss is usually chronic, spontaneous hair growth can occur in some patients when a few, stable patches of hair loss are present. What causes alopecia? Alopecia areata occurs when a person’s immune system attacks hair follicles, the part of the skin where hairs grow, causing an interruption of hair growth. Research has shown that something triggers this dis

Text Box: ease, but it is unknown what that trigger is. About 25% of patients with alopecia areata have a family history of the disease. How is it treated? Currently, there is no cure for alopecia areata. There are some medications that doctors use to promote hair growth, but treatment depends on the amount of hair loss on the scalp. None of the current treatments prevent new patches of hair loss from forming. Sometimes, wigs are a treatment choice for patients with extensive scalp hair loss. Some medications used include: Corticosteroids: used to decrease immune system attack on hair follicles. Can be injected in the skin, swallowed as tablets, or rubbed on skin as cream. Solutions/Cream: used to promote hair growth. Includes minoxidil 5% (Rogaine®) and anthralin. Topical immunotherapy: used to cause an allergic rash on the region of hair loss to stimulate the immune system. Not widely available in the U.S. Life with Alopecia: Alopecia areata does not cause physical

Text Box: pain or make a person feel ill. Patients with this condition are able to function in every day life just as a healthy individual. However, living with hair loss can be difficult to cope with. Talking with other patients with this condition as well as health care professionals and counselors can help patients with alopecia areata foster an optimistic self-image. Future Outlook: As new information is uncovered about this disease, more effective treatments can be expected. For more information about alopecia areata talk with your physician or visit the following websites: www.naaf.org www.niams.nih.gov/hi/topics/alopecia/ff_alopecia_areata.htm

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