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Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staffIn general, you're considered immune to mumps if you've previously had the infection or if you've been immunized against mumps.
The mumps vaccine is usually given as a combined measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) inoculation, which contains the safest and most effective form of each vaccine. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are recommended before a child enters school:
- The first between ages 12 and 15 months
- The second between ages 4 and 6 years, or between 11 and 12 if not previously given
In response to a mumps outbreak in the Midwest, college students and health care workers in particular are encouraged to make sure they've had two doses of the MMR vaccine. A single dose doesn't appear to offer sufficient protection during an outbreak. Since the recommendation for a second dose didn't begin until the late 1980s or early 1990s, many young adults may not have received their second dose and should have one now.
Do you need the MMR vaccine?
You don't need a vaccine if you:
- Had two doses of the MMR vaccine after 12 months of age or one dose of the MMR vaccine plus a second dose of measles vaccine
- Had one dose of MMR and you're not at high risk of measles or mumps exposure
- Have blood tests that demonstrate you're immune to measles, mumps and rubella
- Are a man who was born before 1957
- Are a woman who was born before 1957 and you don't plan to have any more children, you already had the rubella vaccine or you have a positive rubella test
You should get a vaccine if you don't fit the criteria listed above and you:
- Are a nonpregnant woman of childbearing age
- Attend college, trade school or postsecondary school
- Work in a hospital, medical facility, child care center or school
- Plan to travel overseas or take a cruise
The vaccine isn't recommended for:
- Pregnant women or women who plan to get pregnant within the next four weeks
- People who have had a life-threatening allergic reaction to gelatin or the antibiotic neomycin
- People with severely compromised immune systems, unless the benefits of the vaccine exceed the risks
If you have cancer, a blood disorder or another disease that affects your immune system, talk to your doctor before getting an MMR vaccine.
Side effects of the vaccine
You can't get mumps from the MMR vaccine, and most people experience no side effects from the vaccine. A few may experience a mild fever or rash, and some people (mostly adults) have achy joints afterward for a short time. Less than one out of a million doses causes a serious allergic reaction.
Although concerns have been raised about a connection between the MMR vaccine and autism, extensive reports from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Institute of Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conclude that there's no scientifically proven link between the MMR vaccine and autism.
In addition, there's no scientific benefit in separating these vaccines. These organizations note that autism (autism spectrum disorder) is often identified in toddlers between the ages of 18 and 30 months, which happens to be about the time children are given their first MMR vaccine. But this coincidence in timing shouldn't be mistaken for a cause-and-effect relationship.
- Arumugam V, et al. Mumps. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2010. St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/189250272-4/0/2088/427.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05609-0..00022-8--sc0180_8757. Accessed March 17, 2010.
- Gutierrez KM. Mumps virus. In: Long SS, et al., eds. Principles and Practice of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/189250272-5/0/1679/228.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06687-0..50227-7--cesec14_4159. Accessed March 17, 2010.
- Litman N, et al. Mumps virus. In: Mandell GL, et al. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2005. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06839-3..00157-0--s0035&uniq=189250272&isbn=978-0-443-06839-3#lpState=open&lpTab=contentsTab&content=4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06839-3..00157-0%3Bfrom%3Dtoc%3Btype%3DbookPage%3Bisbn%3D978-0-443-06839-3. Accessed March 17, 2010.
- Albrecht MA. Epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis and management of mumps. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 17, 2010.
- Mumps: Questions and answers. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4211.pdf. Accessed March 17, 2010.
- Albrecht MA. Mumps virus vaccine. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 17, 2010.
- Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/Vaccines/MMR/MMR.html. Accessed March 17, 2010.
- Hoecker JL (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 1, 2010.
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