The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 274 No 7350 p604
21 May 2005

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UK mumps epidemic threat

Cases of mumps in England and Wales increased dramatically last year, the Health Protection Agency has announced. In 2004 8,104 cases of mumps were confirmed, compared with a total of 3,907 cases in the previous five years.

Most cases occurred in young adults born before 1988, who would not have been routinely scheduled for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccination. Only 2.4 per cent of confirmed cases in 2004 occurred in children who would have routinely been offered two doses of the vaccine. The scientists suggest that school leavers should have their vaccinations reviewed to ensure that they have received two MMR doses (BMJ 2005;330:1119). A second paper reveals that there were almost 5,000 notifications of mumps in January alone, mainly among 19–23 year olds, and that there is now a threat of outbreaks among under-immunised children, since uptake of the MMR vaccine fell (ibid, p1132).