We're Never Really Out of the Woods

Tim Cavanaugh | April 20, 2006

Largest epidemic of mumps in 20 years hits Iowa and spreads to surrounding states. More than 1,000 cases have been reported, and about half the 800+ cases in Iowa have been college students with childhood vaccinations. (Adults run greater risks from the infection.) The United States normally experiences 250 to 300 mumps cases in a year. An outbreak last year in the United Kingdom resulted in 56,000 cases. Canucks issue travel warning. Freepers are already making the mumps-immigrants connection.

Comments

Timothy|4.20.06 @ 3:47PM|#

I remember having an MMR booster a couple of years before I went to college. Fortunately, it didn't make me autistic.

|4.20.06 @ 4:28PM|#

Timothy-the thing about this version is that it seems to bypass the vaccine in an unusual number of cases. The immunization is supposed to be 80% effective with one shot, and 95% with a two-shot course, but the numbers suggest that the failure rate may be a bit higher.
On the positive side, it's not all that scary a disease. In about 20% of cases, it never even becomes symtomatic. Serious complications are rare, although they do occur.

|4.20.06 @ 5:47PM|#

Hmmm....lots of scare stories in conservative cirlces about immunizations causing Autism followed by lots of kids in those regions getting mumps. Cause and effect?

|4.20.06 @ 6:14PM|#

EB: No, since I think most of us got our MMRs 20+ years ago...

In a strange coincidence, my wife and I just got over a bacterial throat infection that behaved a hell of a lot like the mumps... She swelled up around the throat, had a fever, sore throat, etc.. but after three(!) trips to the Dr they finally did a lab test and found a bacterial infection.

|4.21.06 @ 7:51AM|#

Had mumps when I was in elementary school -- all I really remember is that it was unpleasant, and I spent a long time out of school (at least 2 weeks, I think).

Out of all the diseases I knew of that kids had when I was in school, I think whooping cough sounded the scariest. Imagine having a bronchitis-like cough for months on end, holy christ, pass the codiene, please...