Guam - With the number of mumps cases on the rise, it's important that you recognize the signs and symptoms.  Mumps can be prevented with the proper vaccinations, yet nearly 250 cases have been reported on Guam in the past few months. 148 of those cases are children between the ages of 6 to 18 - according to Student Support Services Administrator of the Department of Education Jessica Camacho, who says students must have updated immunization records in order to enroll in school.

She said, "When there is and outbreak look again to see if there is any specific immunization that needs to be double-checked like if the mump series has to be validated to make sure its and accurate mumps series."

Dr. Vince Akimoto with the American Medical Center added, "Well, we know some of the kids weren't vaccinated the problem the outbreak people got one or two of vaccines or none at all case where record not available or unfortunately just not correct."  He physician says the mumps vaccine does have a 10% fail rate however, adding that 1 in 10 people just won't be strong enough to avoid infection.

Akimoto says a member of the center of disease control is currently on island looking into the outbreak, noting, "And in the school system it suggest there was a break down in the screening and we know that's possible because there were several schools that had no nurses at the beginning of school year."

KUAM News asked Camacho how it is possible that so many school age children have been infected, if it's mandatory that students shot records be updated, to which she replied, "This is what the CDC and Public Health are doing right now: gathering data on what may actually be happening with the outbreak. So data has been collected in the last two weeks, probably even longer, just to find out what is occurring here and what other measures may need to be taken with the students."

For Dr. Akimoto, measures need to be taken with in the system to prevent this type of outbreak.  "The Department of Education does need to look at its School Immunization Program, of which I am the volunteer medical director, and admit it's failed - it's not functional, it doesn't work, it doesn't exist.  They don't have vaccination program to catch-up people and they are relying on Public Health to do it and Public Health has made it clear the schools to do it and this needs to be corrected."