Steven Schwab, an Elon University senior, is exposed to more germs than the average student. As a barista and bartender at The Oak House, he is in contact with students, faculty, and locals throughout his entire day.
Handling hundreds of people’s credit cards a day, passing off coffee to unknown hands and working in one of the most popular places on campus, Schwab is constantly at risk for catching germs, and currently, the mumps.
However, this doesn’t seem to concern him. He has taken the precautions he feels necessary, and now, it’s out of sight out of mind.
“I got the vaccine before coming to school,” he said. “So, it doesn’t freak me out at all. I just feel like if I have the vaccine, I won’t get the mumps.”
On a campus with 7,000 students, and only ten current confirmed cases, Schwab feels protected with his vaccines. However, some students feel quite the opposite. Junior, Phoebe Mock, has yet to get her third dosage of the MMR vaccine.
“I’m afraid if I get it (the vaccine), then I’m going to get sick,” she said. “But I’m also a hypochondriac.”
The mumps have spread less quickly at Elon than at other campuses across North Carolina, however most students are still stressed about it. So should you be worried about the mumps? While Schwab and Mock’s feelings about the issue are quite different, they do have something in common: easing your mind in whatever way works for you is the best plan of action as of now.