Prevention Of Mumps

There was once a time that contracting the paramyxovirus also known as mumps was not uncommon. Prior to the production of the vaccine in 1967, reported cases throughout the U.S averaged 186,000 yearly . Since the development of the mumps vaccination program there has been more than a 99% decrease in these cases. However some outbreaks are still occurring, regardless of receiving the vaccine and due to people choosing not to vaccinate.

Mumps is a viral infection that belongs to the genus Rubulavirus in the paramyxoviridae family, so there is no cure but our immune systems will fight it and resolve it over time usually within a 7-10 day period. Even though there is no treatment for mumps we can treat for comfort with ibuprofen and acetaminophen.
The MMR vaccine helps protect from measles, mumps and rubella and is typically given in two doses. The first dose usually after the first year of life and then the second prior to when a child starts school. Due to more current outbreaks of the mumps a third booster has been introduced as a control measure, but only in select cases. According to the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) in 2013 there was 584 cases reported, 2014- 1,223, 2015- 1,057 and in 2016 forty-five states have reported cases with five of them having over a hundred cases, all totaling 2,345 as of current date. In my opinion, a significant
Forty-five (90%) of the 50 patients with a third dose received it during this outbreak, and five (10%) received it in prior years for reasons unrelated to this outbreak. Some of the 45 persons who received a third dose during this outbreak might have been exposed before vaccine-induced immunity was boosted. Eleven (24%) of the 45 patients had parotitis onset on the same day or within 2 weeks after receiving the third dose, six (13%) within 2–4 weeks, and 27 (60%) >4 weeks after. One (2%) patient received a third dose 3 days after onset.”(Albertson JP, Clegg WJ, Reid HD, et al.2015–2016. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep