Some 1,800 students at Sir John Deane's Sixth Form College and St Nicholas High School in Hartford have been offered the MMR vaccine as a precaution.

The measure has been taken after five students at the college and two students at the school developed mumps.

A team of nurses from Central Cheshire Primary Care Trust will administer the vaccine.

The students are said to be recovering well despite one of them suffering a complication associated with the infection.

Notification of mumps cases has soared across the north west in the past 12 months.

Since January 1 this year, 1,195 cases have been reported, almost three times as many as the 415 cases reported in the whole of 2003.

Older teenagers and university-age young people who missed out when the MMR vaccine was introduced in 1988 seem particularly vulnerable.

Some 600 pupils in Years 11, 12 and 13 at St Nicholas High School have been invited for vaccination in the school hall today, Wednesday, while 1,200 students at Sir John Deane's College are being urged to take up the offer of immunisation on Friday.

Dr Nick Phin, consultant in health protection in Cheshire and Merseyside, said: "Mumps can be a nasty disease and occasionally it will lead to serious complications.

"I would strongly urge students in the appropriate age groups to take up the offer of MMR vaccinations and the protection it affords against mumps, measles and German measles."

Wendy Meredith, Central Cheshire Primary Care Trust's director of public health, said: "MMR is a safe, proven and effective vaccine that offers lifelong protection against a range of serious diseases."

Andrew Jones, principal of Sir John Deane's said: "Although we do not see this as a major cause for concern, we are working closely with the health authority to monitor the situation.

"All the students have been offered the MMR vaccine and have been given full details about what symptoms to look out for."

Peter Jennings, from St Nicholas High School, said: "We are just taking advice from the health authority.

"We are hopeful that as many students as think it is appropriate will take up the offer of the vaccine."

vkandel@guardiangrp.co.uk

MMR JABS FOR PUPILS AS BUG STRIKES