Nottingham is one of the universities immunising its students

If the current trend continues, almost 3,000 students and young people could be infected by the end of the year.

The highest total of mumps cases since surveillance began in 1995 was seen between April and June this year.

The Health Protection Agency said outbreaks were occurring in people who were too old to have been offered MMR routinely as a child.

School leavers and those starting university, who have not received MMR or had only one dose, should be offered MMR Dr Mary Ramsay from the HPA

Dr Mary Ramsay from the HPA said: "These youngsters (currently aged between 14 and 22 years, born 1982-1990) would have been offered a single measles vaccine, and most will have had the combined measles and rubella vaccine.

"However, only a few will have received MMR vaccine and hardly any will have received a second dose of MMR, which is important in securing good levels of protection.

"We recommend that those in this age group, for example school leavers and those starting university, who have not received MMR or had only one dose, should be offered MMR."

Vaccinate

HPA figures show an increase in mumps from about 1,500 for all age groups in 2003 to about 3,700 cases in only the first nine months of this year.

Birmingham, Kent, Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham and Oxford Universities are among those following the advice of the HPA to protect their students.

Mumps is a viral infection that is transmitted through airborne droplets from the coughs and sneezes of infected people.

It takes about 16-21 days between coming into contact with an infected person, and symptoms, such as painful swelling of saliva-making glands found on either side of the face, developing.

The vast majority of people make an easy recovery from mumps infection.

However, it can rarely cause unpleasant and painful complications and can be particularly dangerous in young men who may develop swelling of the testis that can cause infertility.

A spokesman from Leeds University said: "There has been a steady rise in the number of young people in Leeds and other parts of the UK suffering from mumps.

"Leeds Primary Care Trust is making the vaccine available free of charge to students."

Kent University completed a similar round of immunisations for new students at the start of term last week.