Recent
Mumps Outbreaks
How
many cases usually occur in the
U.S. each year?
In
the United States, since 2001,
an average of 265 mumps cases (range:
231-293) have been reported each
year. (See related MMWR article:
MMWR
Dispatch—Mumps
Epidemic-Iowa, 2006 (.pdf)
March 30, 2006 [55(13);366-368] )
When did the outbreak in the Midwest start?
The
first cases of mumps-like illness
were reported from Iowa in December
2005. More cases have been occurring
since then in Iowa, and in several
other states. (See Recent
Mumps Outbreak page for related
MMWR articles.) UPDATED
Nov 6
Where did the outbreak in the Midwest start?
The current information indicates that the outbreak may have begun on a college campus. Colleges that have group living, dining, studying, and sports are areas that make disease transmission more likely, and increase the chance of outbreaks. Once started, such outbreaks sometime spread to the community, causing illness in persons who do not attend college. For this reason, CDC recommends that all college students have two doses of measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine. Studies have suggested that strict enforcement of these recommendations is important for preventing and stopping outbreaks.
Why are people who have been vaccinated getting sick?
One dose of mumps vaccine prevents approximately about 80% of mumps and two doses approximately about 90% of cases. Even though the vaccine is effective, if most persons in a population are vaccinated, most cases in an outbreak would also be expected to be vaccinated. However, if the vaccine hadn't been used, the outbreak would have affected everyone, rather than a small percent of the population.
Does the current vaccine work against the mumps virus that is causing the outbreak?
Yes.
The strain of mumps virus in the
Midwest is the same as the one that
is found in other countries, and
that caused a large ongoing outbreak
in the United Kingdom (UK) with
more than 60,000 cases. In 2005
a small mumps outbreak occurred
in the US after a person visited
from the UK and mumps vaccine was
effective in controlling this outbreak.
Have there been other mumps outbreaks?
Yes.
There has been an ongoing mumps
outbreak in the United Kingdom (UK).
This outbreak was mostly among unvaccinated
young adults, 3.3% of them had 2
doses of mumps vaccine, and 30.1%
had one dose of mumps vaccine. (See
related MMWR
article or printable .pdf
version.)
There
was a mumps outbreak in a camp in
New York in 2005 that was believed
to have begun after a camp counselor
from the UK developed mumps.
(See
related MMWR
article or
printable .pdf
version.)
Will
there be an outbreak in the school
I or my child attends?
Many different things affect whether or not an outbreak of mumps might begin in a school, but outbreaks can only begin when there are enough people in an area (school or community) who are not immune from the disease. The best way to prevent a mumps outbreak in a school is to make sure that everyone in that school has had two doses of mumps vaccine (MMR).
What can be done to stop the spread of mumps?
Anyone
with mumps should not go back to
child care, school or work for 9
days after symptoms begin. People
who come in contact with a mumps
case should have their immunization
status evaluated. Anyone who has
not received mumps-containing vaccine
(preferably MMR vaccine) should
be vaccinated. The local health
department or a physician can help
determine if a person needs one
or two doses of MMR vaccine. Persons
who may have been in contact with
a mumps case should be educated
on the signs and symptoms of mumps
disease and should seek medical
attention if any of these symptoms
begin.
In
an outbreak, should people born
before 1957 get the vaccine--I heard
people that age were immune?
As
noted in the Health
Advisory released
April 14, 2006, birth before 1957
is generally accepted as proof
of mumps immunity. But birth before
1957 does not guarantee mumps
immunity. So,
in
an outbreak, vaccinating persons
born before 1957 with
1 dose of MMR should be considered
if the epidemiology of the outbreak
suggests increased risk of disease
in persons of this age.
Is
the MMR vaccine safe for elderly
persons?
Yes, the MMR
vaccine is safe for most elderly
persons; some with certain
medical problems should not
get the vaccine. Most
elderly persons are probably immune to mumps
because they had mumps as a
child. However, if this
group is affected by the outbreak, vaccinating
elderly persons with
1 dose of MMR should
be considered.
Should
an infant receive MMR to
prevent mumps before
age 12 months?
No. The
MMR vaccine has not been studied
extensively in
infants who are not 1 year old
yet. Antibody
from the mother may protect
the infant during the
first year of life,
but this wears off during
the first year.
How
many doses of MMR do children
need?
Children
should receive 2 doses of MMR
vaccine. Infants
should be vaccinated with
the first dose as
close to the first birthday
as possible. The second
dose is routinely recommended
for ages 4–6.
Can
I get my child's second
MMR dose before age 4?
Yes.
The second dose is routinely recommended
for ages 4-6; but, vaccinating before
age 4 should be considered if the
epidemiology of the outbreak suggests
increased risk of disease among
young children. The second dose
of MMR can
be given any time after the
first dose a long as 28 days
have passed
since the first dose.
Talk with your healthcare provider
about the need to get dose 2 of
MMR for a child before age 4.
I
am concerned about the news of this
outbreak. What can I do?
Check
with your health care provider to
make sure that you and your family
have been fully vaccinated. The
vaccine is safe. Before vaccine
was available, almost every person
got the mumps. Today, in communities
where vaccination rates are high,
the number of people getting mumps
is very low compared to the time
before vaccine. In those who
get mumps, serious side effects
are rare.
For
technical information on mumps, please
refer to the Mumps--Technical
FAQs page.
 Return
to Mumps Main Page
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