Campus Alert Archive
UConn

Disease outbreak, December 23, 2019

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Confirmed Threat

On December 23, 2019, the University of Connecticut Student Health and Wellness office sent an all-student notification confirming three cases of mumps among Storrs campus students during the fall 2019 semester, with the total reaching six cases by the time the outbreak was declared over January 19, 2020. A follow-up secure message on December 30 targeted students identified as higher risk, and the Connecticut Department of Public Health invoked state law authorizing exclusion of unvaccinated students from campus.

Alerts
3
Response
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Killed
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Injured
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Institution
University of Connecticut
Public R1 · CT
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~32,000 studentsUConn Emergency Notification
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Read when and how UConn says it will use UConn Alert (UConnALERT): summarized, quoted, and analyzed.
Documented Timeline

Alert Sequence

3 messages in sequence · 1 verified verbatim

Some messages in this sequence are documented (their existence, timing, and channel are sourced) but their exact wording is not preserved in the public record. Those entries appear as placeholders; only confirmed text is displayed.

ALL CLEARWebsite
Verified verbatimReconstructed from UConn Student Health mumps page indicating the outbreak concluded January 19, 2020470 chars
In accordance with the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and the recommendations from the Connecticut Department of Public Health, the mumps outbreak on the Storrs campus has concluded. The last confirmed case occurred in late December. We appreciate the campus community's cooperation in reporting symptoms and complying with vaccination requirements. Students who have questions about their immunization status should contact Student Health and Wellness.
The January 19, 2020 all-clear came 27 days after the initial December 23 notification -- covering the full maximum incubation period (25 days) beyond the last confirmed case with no new transmissions, satisfying CDC outbreak closure criteria.
The mention of 'complying with vaccination requirements' implicitly references the state-law exclusion authority invoked for unvaccinated students -- an unusual legal mechanism that was a significant part of the outbreak response.
The outbreak's end in mid-January 2020 coincided with the return from winter break; the absence of new cases on campus reopening was the key epidemiological signal for the closure declaration.
Context

Background

UConn's fall 2019 mumps outbreak was part of a national resurgence of mumps on US college campuses that began around 2016, driven partly by waning immunity in populations that received two-dose MMR vaccines in childhood. Between 2016 and 2019, more than 6,500 mumps cases were reported nationally, with college campuses disproportionately affected. UConn's outbreak -- six cases on the Storrs campus, identified December 23, 2019 -- was managed through a two-tier communication strategy: an all-campus email on December 23 for general awareness, followed by a targeted secure message on December 30 to students identified as higher risk. The Connecticut Department of Public Health invoked state law authorizing exclusion of unvaccinated students from campus -- a significant legal authority used at several institutions during the national resurgence. A third MMR dose was recommended for high-risk students, reflecting emerging evidence that two-dose immunity wanes in the dense residential environments of large universities. NBC Connecticut and CBS New York reported the initial three cases; the outbreak was declared over January 19, 2020.
Analysis

Key Findings

A two-tier communication strategy was used: a general all-campus email December 23, followed by a targeted secure message December 30 to higher-risk students identified through contact tracing
Connecticut state law authorizing exclusion of unvaccinated students from campus was invoked -- a significant but underreported legal tool used during the national 2016-2019 mumps resurgence
A third MMR dose was recommended for high-risk students, reflecting emerging evidence that two-dose immunity wanes in the dense residential settings of large universities
The outbreak concluded January 19, 2020 -- covering the full maximum incubation period beyond the last confirmed late-December case
Outcome
Six total cases were identified on the Storrs campus. The outbreak concluded January 19, 2020. Per Connecticut law, students without documented MMR vaccination or immunity were subject to exclusion from campus during the outbreak period.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
    Mumps Outbreak Notice to Faculty and Staff -- UConn Human Resources
    hr.uconn.edu
    archived copy
  2. Official
    Public Health notification to UConn Storrs campus students -- UConn Student Health and Wellness
    studenthealth.uconn.edu
    archived copy
  3. Official
    Mumps Outbreak Information -- UConn Student Health and Wellness
    studenthealth.uconn.edu
    archived copy
  4. News
    3 students diagnosed with mumps at UConn in Storrs -- NBC Connecticut
    nbcconnecticut.com
    archived copy
  5. News
    UConn: Three students diagnosed with mumps during Fall 2019 semester -- WTNH
    wtnh.com
    archived copy
Cite this case

Campus Alert Archive. "University of Connecticut: Disease outbreak, December 23, 2019." Incident of December 23, 2019. Added May 2026; last updated July 2026. https://campusalertarchive.com/case/university-of-connecticut-mumps-outbreak-2019-12-23/

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Alert text quoted on this page remains the work of the issuing institution; the archive is a secondary source.

Tags
mumpsdisease-outbreakpublic-healthmmr-vaccineconnecticutadvisorystate-lawwinter-break
Added May 2026Updated July 2026Via ingestion