Search

The introduction of the mumps vaccine more than 20 years ago has resulted in a 98 percent decrease in the incidence of mumps in 1985. The incidence of mumps increased in 1987 but declined again in 1988. Before the use of the mumps vaccine, mumps mainly affected in children aged five to nine years. The disease is now more prevalent among children aged 10 to 14 years and adolescents aged 15 to 19 years. This shift may be due to its limited use before 1977. Hence, many children who were not vaccinated before 1977 may be susceptible to mumps. Failure of the mumps vaccine may also contribute to outbreaks of this infectious disease. A mumps outbreak occurred between October 1988 and April 1989 in Douglas County, Kansas among vaccinated adolescents. Of the 269 reported cases of mumps, 203 children had been immunized. The incidence of mumps affected 8.0 percent of junior high school students, 2.0 percent of high school students, and 0.7 percent of elementary school students. Age at vaccination and type of vaccine did not appear to influence the risk of developing mumps. The incidence was greater among students who received one dose of vaccine compared with those who received two doses of vaccine. The use of two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine is recommended. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)