Mumps cases on the increase

Cases of mumps have shot up more then eight times this year in Greater Manchester, and health workers say it is due to the downturn in MMR vaccinations.

Across the region there have already been 223 notified cases, 34 of them confirmed, and the figure is expected to rise.

This compares to 68 notifications in the same period last year, just four confirmed by laboratory testing.

The picture is far worse than across the North-West, where 287 cases were confirmed in 2008, compared to 159 in 2007.

The Health Protection Agency North West is concerned that many older children and teenagers in the Greater Manchester area missed out on the MMR vaccine as toddlers.

They say mumps is a serious, painful illness, that can lead to complications including viral meningitis, long term hearing problems and painful swelling of the testicles in males and the ovaries in females.

Dr Rosemary McCann, the agency’s regional immunisation lead said: “Every child should receive two doses of MMR vaccine, one at 13-15 months, and a second before starting school.

“Parents are increasingly recognising the importance of having their children vaccinated and uptake rates are increasing, but we have a large pool of older children and teenagers who are not protected.

“In 2009, we are continuing to see a sharp rise in mumps cases compared to last year. Most cases are in the over 15s and many are students at colleges and universities.

“Anyone up to the age of 18 is entitled to vaccination on the NHS through their family doctor.”

The symptoms of mumps are painful inflammation and swelling of the salivary glands under one or both sides of the jaw, fever and headache.