Campus Alert Archive
Harvard

Harvard's Mumps Outbreak Reaches 41 Cases and Threatens Commencement

MAdisease outbreakadvisorymedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

A mumps outbreak at Harvard University that began in late February 2016 grew to 41 confirmed cases by April 26, threatening commencement and prompting Harvard University Health Services to send six separate community-wide emails over three months. The outbreak ultimately reached more than 70 cases, was the largest in Massachusetts in decades, and contributed to broader Boston-area outbreaks at Boston University, Tufts, and UMass.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
0
Injured
70
Institution
Harvard University
Private R1 · MA
~23,000 studentsHarvard University Health Services
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Approximate reconstructionReconstructed from Harvard Gazette retrospective and HUHS communications described therein1125 chars
Dear Members of the Harvard Community: Harvard University Health Services (HUHS) has confirmed several cases of mumps among Harvard students. Mumps is a contagious viral illness that causes fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, and the distinctive swelling of the salivary glands (parotitis). It is spread through saliva and respiratory droplets. We are working closely with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Cambridge Public Health Department to identify cases, prevent further transmission, and ensure that affected students are isolated until they are no longer contagious. Most Harvard students have received two doses of the MMR vaccine, which is approximately 88% effective against mumps. However, immunity can wane over time, and outbreaks have occurred on college campuses across the country. We urge the entire Harvard community to: avoid sharing food, drinks, lipstick, or smoking devices; wash hands frequently; and contact HUHS at 617-495-5711 immediately if you develop symptoms. Anyone diagnosed with mumps will be required to remain in isolation for five days after the onset of swelling.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed based on the Harvard Gazette retrospective describing six HUHS emails sent between February and May 2016
Phone number 617-495-5711 is the verified Harvard University Health Services main line
The 88% effectiveness figure for MMR against mumps is the CDC-published estimate cited in HUHS communications during this outbreak
UPDATEEmail
Approximate reconstructionReconstructed from WBUR and NBC News coverage of Harvard's April 26, 2016 mumps update869 chars
Mumps Update — April 26: Harvard University Health Services has now confirmed 41 cases of mumps among Harvard students. Despite our isolation and vaccination efforts, transmission has continued. With Senior Week and Commencement approaching, we are taking additional precautions: students diagnosed with mumps within five days of any major event will not be permitted to attend that event; all Harvard students are urged to verify their MMR vaccination status with HUHS before commencement; and HUHS will offer extended walk-in hours for MMR vaccinations and clinical evaluation through the end of May. We continue to ask all members of the community to avoid sharing drinks, utensils, and any objects that contact saliva. If you have any symptoms — fever, swollen jaw, headache, fatigue — do not attend class or social events; contact HUHS immediately at 617-495-5711.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed from WBUR and NBC News coverage of HUHS's late-April 2016 case-count update
Reflects HUHS's specific commencement-related concern, which was a major theme in spring 2016 reporting
By this point HUHS had sent four of the six community emails described in the 2020 Harvard Gazette retrospective
Context

Background

The 2016 Harvard mumps outbreak became a national news story because it reached its peak just as Harvard's most visible event — commencement — approached, putting public health communication on a high-profile stage. The first cases appeared in late February 2016, and by April 26, 2016, 41 cases had been confirmed — all in students who had received the standard two doses of MMR vaccine. The Harvard Gazette later reported that Harvard University Health Services sent six separate community-wide emails between February and May 2016, alongside a coordinated isolation protocol that became a model for subsequent campus outbreaks. By summer 2016, the outbreak had grown to more than 70 confirmed cases at Harvard, contributing to a broader Boston-area outbreak that ultimately produced 210 confirmed cases across Greater Boston between January and August 2016, with secondary outbreaks at Boston University, Tufts, and UMass Amherst. Subsequent epidemiological modeling by Harvard researchers demonstrated that rapid case identification and isolation — implemented within days of the first confirmed case — substantially limited what could have been a much larger outbreak. The 2016 outbreak influenced national CDC guidance, which in 2018 added a recommendation for a third MMR dose during outbreaks at high-density settings such as universities — a recommendation directly grounded in the 2014 OSU and 2016 Harvard experiences.
Analysis

Key Findings

More than 70 cases at Harvard between February and August 2016, with the count reaching 41 by April 26
All confirmed cases were in individuals who had received two doses of MMR — consistent with the broader pattern of waning mumps immunity
Harvard University Health Services sent six community-wide emails between February and May 2016 — a sustained communication cadence that became a model
Harvard outbreak contributed to a broader Boston-area mumps surge of 210+ cases that included BU, Tufts, and UMass
Outcome
More than 70 confirmed cases at Harvard between February and August 2016, with the case count reaching 41 by late April. No deaths or hospitalizations. Harvard implemented strict isolation protocols and ran ongoing MMR vaccine availability through HUHS. Commencement proceeded as planned.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
    The story behind the mumps outbreaks of 2016-17 - Harvard Gazette
    news.harvard.edu
  2. Source
    Mumps Outbreak at Harvard Threatens Graduation - NBC News
    nbcnews.com
  3. News
    At Least 40 Students With Mumps, Harvard Reports - WBUR
    wbur.org
  4. Source
    Harvard mumps outbreak grows; dozens infected - CNN
    edition.cnn.com
  5. Source
    Containing the spread of mumps on college campuses - Royal Society Open Science
    royalsocietypublishing.org
Tags
mumpsdisease-outbreakpublic-healthvaccinationmmrharvardmassachusettsbostoncommencementwaning-immunity
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion