About 10,000 students are being offered immunisation

Public health officials revealed on Tuesday that six people at the University of Kent at Canterbury had contracted the illness.

It has not been confirmed if the two suspected cases are at the university.

Immunisation sessions for some 10,000 students and 2,000 staff are being held on Thursday, Friday and Monday.

Quarantined immediately

A sports hall is to be used as a makeshift clinic for the MMR vaccination to be administered.

A helpline has been set up, manned by volunteers, to advise concerned students.

Kent Health Protection Unit staff said immunisation was being offered as a precaution.

Dr Mathi Chandrakumar, director of the unit, said: "It's very important to prevent any form of infection.

"Mumps is a mild infection but rarely you can have serious side effects; therefore it is important that the whole population is protected."

The six people already infected were quarantined immediately after going to medical staff on the campus on Friday.

They did not need hospital treatment and were said on Tuesday to be making a good recovery at home.