What is Mumps Virus Vaccine?

Mumps is a serious diseases caused by a virus. It is spread from person to person through the air.
Mumps virus causes fever, headache, and swollen glands, but more serious symptoms include hearing loss, and painful swelling of the testicles or ovaries. Mumps can cause breathing problems or meningitis, and these infections can be fatal.
The mumps vaccine is used to help prevent this disease in children.
This vaccine works by exposing your child to a small dose of the virus or a protein from the virus, which causes the body to develop immunity to the disease. This vaccine will not treat an active infection that has already developed in the body.
Measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine is for use in children who are at least 12 months old.
Like any vaccine, the mumps vaccine may not provide protection from disease in every person.

What is the most important information I should know about Mumps Virus Vaccine?

The mumps vaccine is usually given as one shot, followed later by a booster vaccine with measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The first mumps vaccine is usually given when the child is 12 to 15 months old. The MMR shots are then given before the child starts elementary school. Your child’s individual booster schedule may be different from these guidelines. Follow your doctor’s instructions or the schedule recommended by the health department of the state you live in.
Be sure your child receives all recommended doses of this vaccine. If your child does not receive the full series of vaccines, he or she may not be fully protected against the disease.
Your child can still receive a vaccine if he or she has a cold or fever. In the case of a more severe illness with a fever or any type of infection, wait until the child gets better before receiving this vaccine.
Your child should not receive a booster vaccine if he or she had a life-threatening allergic reaction after the first shot.
Keep track of any and all side effects your child has after receiving this vaccine. If the child ever receives a booster dose, you will need to tell the doctor if the previous shots caused any side effects.
Becoming infected with mumps is much more dangerous to your child’s health than receiving the vaccine to protect against it. Like any medicine, this vaccine can cause side effects, but the risk of serious side effects is extremely low.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking Mumps Virus Vaccine?

You should not receive this vaccine if you have ever had a life-threatening allergic reaction to any vaccine containing mumps virus, or if you are allergic to:

gelatin; or
neomycin (Mycifradin, Neo-Fradin, Neo-Tab)

You should also not receive this vaccine if you have:

severe immune suppression caused by disease (such as cancer, HIV, or AIDS), or by receiving certain medicines such as steroids, chemotherapy or radiation
a cancer such as leukemia or lymphoma; or
if you are pregnant

Before receiving this vaccine, tell the doctor if you have:

thrombocytopenia purpura (easy bruising or bleeding)
active tuberculosis infection
a history of seizures
a neurologic disorder or disease affecting the brain (or if this was a reaction to a previous vaccine)
a weak immune system caused by disease, bone marrow transplant, or by using certain medicines or receiving cancer treatments; or
if you have received an immune globulin or other blood product within the past year

You can still receive a vaccine if you have a cold or fever. In the case of a more severe illness with a fever or any type of infection, wait until you get better before receiving this vaccine.
You should not receive a mumps vaccine if you are pregnant. Wait until after your child is born to receive the vaccine.
A woman should avoid becoming pregnant for at least 3 months after receiving a mumps vaccine.
A woman should not receive this vaccine without telling the doctor if she is breast-feeding a baby.

Mumps Virus Vaccine Side Effects

What are the possible side effects of Mumps Virus Vaccine?

Keep track of any and all side effects your child has after receiving this vaccine. If the child ever receives a booster dose, you will need to tell the doctor if the previous shots caused any side effects.
Becoming infected with mumps is much more dangerous to your child’s health than receiving the vaccine to protect against it. Like any medicine, this vaccine can cause side effects, but the risk of serious side effects is extremely low.
Get emergency medical help if your child has any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Call your doctor at once if the child has any of these serious side effects:

problems with hearing or vision
extreme drowsiness, fainting
fussiness, irritability, crying for an hour or longer
easy bruising or bleeding, weakness
seizure (black-out or convulsions)
high fever (within a few hours or a few days after the vaccine); or
swelling of the testicles (scrotum) in a male child

Less serious side effects include:

burning or stinging where the shot was given
low fever
mild fussiness or crying
cough, runny nose; or
diarrhea

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report vaccine side effects to the US Department of Health and Human Services at 1-800-822-7967.

Mumps Virus Vaccine Interactions

What other drugs affect Mumps Virus Vaccine?

Before receiving this vaccine, tell the doctor about all other vaccines your child has recently received.
Also tell the doctor if your child has recently received drugs or treatments that can weaken the immune system, including:

an oral, nasal, inhaled, or injectable steroid medicine
medications to treat psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, or other autoimmune disorders, such as azathioprine (Imuran), efalizumab (Raptiva), etanercept (Enbrel), leflunomide (Arava), and others; or
medicines to treat or prevent organ transplant rejection, such as basiliximab (Simulect), cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral, Gengraf), muromonab-CD3 (Orthoclone), mycophenolate mofetil (CellCept), sirolimus (Rapamune), or tacrolimus (Prograf)

If your child is using any of these medications, he or she may not be able to receive the vaccine, or may need to wait until the other treatments are finished.
There may be other drugs that can affect this vaccine. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications your child has received. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your child’s doctor.

What should I avoid while taking Mumps Virus Vaccine?

Your child should not receive a “live” vaccine such as measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), oral polio, yellow fever, or varicella (chickenpox) for at least 4 weeks after receiving mumps vaccine. The other live vaccine may not work as well during this time, and may not fully protect your child from disease.

Mumps Virus Vaccine Dosage

How should I take Mumps Virus Vaccine?

This vaccine is given as an injection (shot) under the skin. Your child will receive this injection in a doctor’s office or other clinic setting.
The mumps vaccine is usually given as one shot, followed later by a booster vaccine with measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The first mumps vaccine is usually given when the child is 12 to 15 months old. The MMR shots are then given before the child starts elementary school. Your child’s individual booster schedule may be different from these guidelines. Follow your doctor’s instructions or the schedule recommended by the health department of the state you live in.
Your doctor may recommend treating fever and pain with an aspirin-free pain reliever such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, and others) when the shot is given and for the next 24 hours. Follow the label directions or your doctor’s instructions about how much of this medicine to give your child.
It is especially important to prevent fever from occurring in a child who has a seizure disorder such as epilepsy.
This vaccine can cause false results on a skin test for tuberculosis. Tell any doctor who treats you if you have received a mumps vaccine within the past 4 to 6 weeks.

What happens if I overdose on Mumps Virus Vaccine?

An overdose of this vaccine is unlikely to occur.

What happens if I miss a dose of Mumps Virus Vaccine?

Since this vaccine is usually given as only one dose, your child may not be on a booster schedule. If the child is on a booster schedule, contact your doctor if you will miss a dose or if you get behind schedule. The next dose should be given as soon as possible. There is no need to start over.
Be sure your child receives all recommended doses of this vaccine. If your child does not receive the full series of vaccines, he or she may not be fully protected against the disease.
Edited from everydayhealth.com

Mumps Virus Vaccine