GOING VIRAL
HERE’S WHY THE RECENT MUMPS OUTBREAK IN AUCKLAND IS CAUSE FOR CONCERN
It’s a shocking statistic, but in the 11 months to the middle of November, more than 800 people, mostly in Auckland, were diagnosed with confirmed or likely cases of mumps. That’s nearly three times as many as the 286 people who caught the disease in the 20 years from 1997 to January 1, 2017. That’s right, in less than a year, almost three times as many people got mumps than in the previous 20 years. And yet the disease can be prevented thanks to a vaccine that is free. Here are the facts on the outbreak from the Ministry of Health and what you need to know about this childhood disease that can also affect adults.
The vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) is given in two doses. The first is usually given to babies at 15 months, followed by a second dose at age four. It is available from your GP and doesn’t cost anything.
Most of the people affected by the mumps outbreak this year have been aged between 10 and 29, as this group has lower immunisation rates. Many teenagers and young people are not fully protected against mumps, measles or rubella because they missed one or more doses of the vaccine as young children. The National Immunisation Schedule changed several times between 1990 and 2005, and people born in this period may have slipped through the cracks and missed a dose as a result.
People born in Fiji, Tonga, Nauru, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu, as well as parts of mainland Asia, have a greater risk of getting mumps because immunisation is not available there.
The vaccine will protect around 85% of people from mumps (and
95% from measles and rubella). Protection against measles and rubella is long-lasting, but immunity to mumps can lessen over time. It is possible for some people to still get mumps even if they have been immunised, but they usually have much milder symptoms than those who haven’t been vaccinated.
The Ministry of Health is recommending that everyone aged 48 or younger (ie everyone born after January 1, 1969) checks to see whether they have had two doses of the MMR vaccine. This information should be in
your Plunket or Well Child Tamariki Ora book – if you no longer have it, you can ask staff at your GP’s surgery to check your medical files. If you haven’t had both doses, then it is recommended you get fully vaccinated. If you can’t find your records and are not sure if you or your child have had the vaccine, the Ministry recommends you get vaccinated as there is no additional risk associated with having a third dose. Anyone aged 49 and over, as of November 2017, is likely to have had measles and mumps as a child, and to be immune to these diseases.
There are some cases where it is not a good idea to get vaccinated. If you have had a severe reaction to a vaccine in the past, are being treated for cancer or another serious illness, or have had a blood transfusion or other blood products in the last year, you should talk to your doctor about whether it is safe to be immunised. The MMR vaccine is not recommended during pregnancy. People who have asthma or allergies, or who are getting over a minor illness such as a cold, can be immunised.
The MMR vaccine is a live virus vaccine that does not contain mercury-based preservatives or aluminiumbased adjuvants, which are substances that enhance the body’s immune response.