MMR Vaccine: The Best Protection against Mumps

One of the best ways to protect children from vaccine-preventable diseases is to vaccinate them on time. Check your child's medical records to see whether he or she has already received the MMR vaccine (for measles, mumps, and rubella).

Mumps is traditionally thought of as a childhood disease. The mumps virus affects the saliva glands, causing the puffy cheeks and swollen jaw that used to be almost a routine part of childhood. This scene became less common after the mid-1960s, when a vaccine was developed against mumps. Due to widespread use of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine, most parents today are unfamiliar with mumps.

But mumps has not disappeared entirely in the United States. Every year, a few hundred cases are reported to public health agencies. In 2006, an outbreak of mumps focused in the Midwest affected more than 6,000 people. Public health experts believe that the high vaccine coverage with two doses of MMR vaccine considerably limited the size of the outbreak, which may otherwise have numbered in the tens or even hundreds of thousands. Since June 2009, a mumps outbreak has been occurring in the Northeast. By late February 2010, more than 2,500 persons had been infected. Most of them were vaccinated, but, as in 2006, the outbreak would have been a lot larger without the high vaccine coverage in the affected communities. Group settings where persons had close contact for long periods of time may have made it easier for the disease to spread in both the 2006 and the 2009–10 mumps outbreaks.

Mumps virus usually causes fever, general discomfort, and (in most, but not all cases) the characteristic swollen jaw. However, complications can occur and might be more severe in teenagers and adults. Mumps can cause headache and stiff neck (called meningitis), inflammation of the testicles (called orchitis), deafness, and, in rare cases, inflammation of the brain (called encephalitis), which can lead to permanent disabilities or even death.

The Best Protection against Mumps—the MMR Vaccine

The mumps vaccine was licensed in 1967 and is usually administered as part of the MMR vaccine. MMR is a combination vaccine that provides protection from three viral diseases: measles, mumps, and rubella. The MMR vaccine is strongly endorsed by medical and public health experts as safe and effective. Two doses are recommended for children—the first dose at 12 to 15 months of age and the second dose before entering school at 4 to 6 years of age. 

See If Your Child's MMR Vaccine Is Due

• Check your child's immunization record,
• Contact their healthcare provider, or
• Visit the immunization scheduler for newborn to 6-year-old children.

Paying for the MMR Vaccine

Most health insurance plans cover the cost of vaccines, but you may want to check with your insurance provider before going to the doctor. If you don't have insurance, or if it does not cover vaccines, the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program may be able to help.

The Vaccines for Children (VFC) program helps families of eligible children who might not otherwise have access to vaccines. The program provides vaccines at no cost to doctors who serve eligible children. Children younger than 19 years of age are eligible for VFC vaccines if they are Medicaid-eligible, American Indian, Alaska Native, or have no health insurance. "Underinsured" children who have health insurance that does not cover vaccination can receive VFC vaccines through Federally Qualified Health Centers or Rural Health Centers. Parents of uninsured or underinsured children who receive vaccines at no cost through the VFC Program should check with their healthcare providers about possible administration fees that might apply. These fees help providers cover the costs that result from important services like storing the vaccines and paying staff members to give vaccines to patients. However, VFC vaccines cannot be denied to an eligible child if a family can't afford the fee.

Some Adults Need MMR Vaccine Too!

Anyone born during or after 1957 who has not had mumps or has not been vaccinated is at risk of getting mumps and should receive at least one dose of MMR vaccine. Some adults need two doses of the vaccine because they are at higher risk of getting the disease. Adults at higher risk include college students and other post–high school students, international travelers, and healthcare personnel.