Mumps vaccine

Mumps vaccine is a vaccine used to prevent mumps. Mumps is a viral disease that causes fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, loss of appetite, and swollen and tender salivary glands. Serious complications can occur from mumps, including deafness, meningitis, and inflammation of the ovaries or testicles.

Effectiveness

The mumps vaccine is very effective at preventing mumps. Two doses of the vaccine are 88% (range: 66-95%) effective at preventing mumps; one dose is 78% (range: 49%–92%) effective. The vaccine was first licensed in 1967 and its use has resulted in a decrease of more than 99% in the incidence of mumps in the United States.

Side Effects

Like any medicine, a vaccine could cause a serious problem, such as a severe allergic reaction. The risk of the mumps vaccine causing serious harm, or death, is extremely small. Getting mumps is much more dangerous to your health than receiving the vaccine to protect against it. Most people who get mumps vaccine do not have any serious problems with it.

Usage

The mumps vaccine is given as part of the Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine. The MMR vaccine is a live, attenuated (weakened) combination vaccine that protects against the measles, mumps, and rubella viruses. It is recommended for children 12 months of age and older.

See Also

• Measles vaccine
• Rubella vaccine
• MMR vaccine

References

Mumps vaccine Resources
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