Poor immunity sparks mumps outbreak

SEVEN out of 10 cases of mumps reported to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) in the past five years were not immunised or were insufficiently protected against the disease, figures have shown.

An outbreak of mumps at NUI Maynooth resulted in the cancellation of the college’s open day for Leaving Certificate students last Friday.

It was the second time there was an outbreak of the virus on a college campus.

Earlier in the month, the Health Service Executive Mid-West issued a warning about an outbreak of mumps with more than half of the 18 cases reported to be among University of Limerick students.

HPSC specialist in public health medicine Dr Suzanne Cotter said this year’s increase in mumps was a reflection of continuing susceptibility in young adults to the disease.

“This is happening because many of them did not receive a second MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) dose,” said Dr Cotter.

“At least 70% were either unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated,” she said.

Updated figures from the HPSC show there were 420 cases reported in 2004, 1,079 in 2005, 427 in 2006, 150 in 2007 and this year to date there were 153.

While close contact living conditions, like on college campuses, helps spread the disease, the decrease in immunity is being blamed.

Dr Cotter pointed out students going to university for the first time are encouraged to ensure they have had two doses of MMR.

Mumps became a notifiable disease in 1988 when the MMR vaccine was included in the childhood immunisation schedule

In 1992, a second dose of MMR was recommended for children aged 10 to 14 and in 1999 the age of the second dose was lowered to four to five years as a result of outbreaks in 1996 and 1997 that mostly affected primary school children.

The uptake of MMR in children aged two years has ranged between 69% and 88%, well below the target uptake of 95% to prevent outbreaks of the diseases.