Health
Mumps vaccine advice from the CDC
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted June 5, 2006
An ongoing outbreak of mumps in several Midwest states led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to revise its recommendations for determining evidence of immunity to the disease through vaccination.
Physicians and other health care professionals are asked to consider the following definition of immunity: one dose of live mumps virus vaccine for preschool children and adults not at high risk; two doses for children in grades K to 12 and adults at high risk (including those who work in healthcare facilities, international travelers and students at post-high school educational institutions).
The combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine generally should be used and, for children ages 1 to 12, the measles, mumps, rubella and varicella vaccine can be used, the CDC said. Health care facilities also were asked to consider recommending one dose of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine for unvaccinated health care workers born before 1957 who do not have other evidence of mumps immunity.
The revisions were made by the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices in a specially convened May 17 meeting and announced in a May 18 update of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
During an outbreak, and depending on the age groups and institutions involved, the CDC recommends that a second dose of vaccine be considered for adults and children ages 1 to 4 who have received one dose.
As of May 2, 11 states had reported 2,597 cases of mumps. Iowa continues to report the majority of cases with the next highest totals from Kansas, Illinois, Nebraska and Wisconsin.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2006/06/05/hlbf0605.htm.