Vaccination urged as mumps cases soar

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) North West has renewed its call for teenagers and young adults to protect themselves against mumps after new figures show the region to be the worst hit area in England and Wales.

Confirmed cases of mumps in the North West soared from 395 in 2008 to 1376 in 2009. More than 900 of those cases involved people aged 15-24.

Professor Qutub Syed, Director, HPA North West, said: “These latest figures, which reveal how the North West compares with the rest of the country, make for alarming reading. We have seen an upsurge in the cases of mumps in the region and the evidence suggests that those unprotected people aged 15-24 are particularly vulnerable.

“For that reason we are re-doubling our efforts to educate young people that vaccination is important. However, it is not merely students who are at risk. We would advise everyone up to the age of 25 to consult their family doctor about having two does of MMR vaccine if they are currently unprotected. The vaccine also gives immunity to measles and rubella.”

Mumps is a serious condition which, on rare occasions, can prove fatal. The usual symptoms are a painful inflammation and swelling of the salivary glands under one or both sides of the jaw, fever and headache.