Third level students have been urged to get the MMR vaccination by the Eastern Regional Health Authority (ERHA) following an increase in reported cases of mumps in universities throughout the State.
ERHA public health specialist Dr Davida de la Harpe said that in 2003, there were 20 cases of mumps notified to the ERHA. So far, this year, 64 cases have been reported, he said.
The ERHA is working with student health services to provide vaccinations in Maynooth and Trinity College.
Hundreds of students in the Republic have already recieved the MMR vaccination at special clinics set up in the wake of outbreaks in three regional colleges.
The largest outbreak was at the Athlone Institute of Technology, where 75 cases were recorded.
The Midland Health Board said "greater social mixing" could be a factor in the rapid spread of the virus throughout the college.
Another outbreak in the Letterkenny Institute of Technology and surrounding community led to the North Western Health Board organising vaccination clinics.
A spokeswoman said there were ten cases of mumps in the college and 32 in the community.
In Maynooth, five cases of mumps were recorded and about 300 students have been vaccinated.
The National Disease Surveillance Centre (NDSC) has stated that the number of reported mumps cases has doubled since last year.