Mumps showing up on college campuses

HOUSTON – Cases of the mumps virus have hit a 10-year high, according to the Centers for Disease Control and prevention, and it's spreading on college campuses just as kids are coming home to be with family during the holidays.

Texas A&M freshman Kendall Crawford said she had it bad while she was home at Thanksgiving.

"I had swelling all over my neck and throat and I had a terrible fever," Kendall said.

The flu-like symptoms led to a number of tests including a spinal tap for meningitis.

"The tests that Kendall went through were expensive, and invasive and painful. The mumps could have been detected with a blood test," Kendall's mom, Rene Crawford, said.

Right now, families in every state are facing similar situations. The number of cases this year is nearly triple the number from last year.

Now Kendall's family worries about more people spreading it while home for the holidays.

"Two nights before she got so sick she was with my niece from Rhode Island," Crawford said. "My niece then went home and got the same sickness as Kendall did."

The CDC said outbreaks can occur in places with close contact like in a classroom or dorm.

"They're sometimes started by those who are under-vaccinated or maybe even unvaccinated, and they're sustained by those who have some waning immunity to the vaccine protection," Dr. Creech, Vanderbilt University said.

Creech made a controversial point as Texas lawmakers said they want to create a system where students who opt out of standard immunizations can only do so after watching a video on the medical effectiveness of vaccines.

Crawford said her daughter did get the MMR vaccine as a child, but the CDC said over time the effectiveness may diminish

The CDC also said sometimes during measles and mumps outbreak, and additional, possible third dose of the MMR vaccine may be given.