Notes from the Field : Use of Social Media as a Communication Tool During a Mumps Outbreak — New York City, 2015

Abstract

On 16 August 2015, a case of parotitis in a resident of the Rockaways neighbourhood of Queens, New York City (NYC), USA was reported to the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) as a suspected mumps case. This article reports on the subsequent investigations by DOHMH that led to the discovery of an outbreak of mumps in the Rockaways, with 52 confirmed and probable mumps cases. DOHMH conducted a Facebook advertisement campaign providing information about mumps and the outbreak, which was targeted to Facebook users in the Rockaways neighbourhood. The advertisement was shown to 86 111 persons during an approximately 2-week period, and provided a timely and inexpensive means of effectively communicating with a large, targeted population.