Mumps
Description
Mumps is a viral illness characterized by fever,
swelling, and tenderness of one or more salivary glands, usually
the parotid and sometimes the sublingual or submaxillary glands.
Occurrence
Before the vaccine was licensed in 1967, 100,000–200,000
mumps cases are estimated to have occurred in the United States each
year. Incidence declined to approximately 5,000 cases per year from
1980 to 1990. Since 1995, <1,000 cases have been reported annually.
The decline since 1995 is believed to be a result of the widespread
use of a second dose of measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
Mumps primarily affects school-aged children and young adults.
Risk for Travelers
The risk for exposure to mumps outside the United
States can be high. Because only 38% of countries use vaccine, mumps
remains a common disease in many parts of the world.
Prevention
Mumps vaccine contains live, attenuated mumps virus.
It is available as a single-antigen preparation or combined with
live, attenuated measles or rubella vaccines, or both. Combined MMR
is recommended whenever one or more of the individual components
are indicated.
Although vaccination against measles, mumps, and
rubella is not a requirement for entry into any country (including
the United States), persons traveling or living abroad should ensure
that they are immune to all three diseases. Immunity to mumps is
of particular importance for children approaching puberty and for
adolescents and adults who have not had mumps. Persons can be considered
immune to mumps if they have documentation of receipt of one or more
doses of a mumps-containing vaccine on or after their first birthday
or physician-diagnosed mumps, or laboratory evidence of mumps immunity.
Most adults born before 1957 are likely to have been infected naturally
and generally can be considered immune, even if they did not have
clinically recognizable disease. However, mumps or MMR vaccine may
be given to older persons if there is reason to believe they might
be susceptible.
The first dose of MMR should be routinely administered
when an infant is 12–15 months of age. A single dose of MMR
vaccine induces antibody formation to all three viruses in at least
95% of susceptible persons vaccinated at least 12
months of age. A second dose is expected to induce immunity in most
persons who do not respond to the first dose. The second dose should
be separated from the first dose by at least 28
days. (See Vaccine
Recommendations for Infants and Children for
a discussion of mumps immunization schedule modifications for infants
who will be traveling.)
Adverse Reactions
Refer to Travelers'
Health Information on Measles (Rubeola) for
information on adverse reactions following MMR vaccine.
Precautions and Contraindications
Refer to Travelers'
Health Information on Measles (Rubeola) for
information on precautions and contraindications for MMR vaccine.
— Susan
Reef, Laura Zimmerman
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