Before the introduction of widespread vaccination programs, mumps was a very common childhood disease. Although the mumps virus usually causes a mild illness, in some tragic cases it can take away a child’s hearing, or even their life. Despite efforts to eradicate the mumps virus, outbreaks continue to occur, even in countries such as the Netherlands, where more than 90% of the population have been vaccinated.
A recent study examined patterns of mumps immunity1 in the Dutch population, and concluded that certain communities are at greater-than-average risk of suffering outbreaks of mumps. One crucial finding of this research is that a single shot is not enough to protect against mumps—in order for antibody levels to stay high throughout life, a second vaccination must be given.
The researchers used Luminex® Technology to perform immunoassays on serum samples taken from thousands of patients. They found that antibodies against the mumps virus were present in the highest concentrations in the blood of patients who had recently been vaccinated. After the first vaccination—which, in the Netherlands, takes place at the age of 14 months—the concentration of mumps antibodies increased rapidly, then gradually declined over the next few years. The second measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination, which is administered at the age of nine, was found to be crucial for maintaining high levels of mumps antibodies in the population.
There is also a group of very young children who are at risk of mumps infection. Newborn children are protected by mumps antibodies passed on to them from their mothers, but the study found that these antibodies had almost disappeared from the children’s bodies by 6-9 months after birth. Since the first MMR vaccination in the Netherlands does not take place until children reach 14 months of age, the gap between the end of this natural immunity and the first mumps vaccination could potentially leave children vulnerable to infection. The researchers concluded that herd immunity in the rest of the community is currently giving effective protection to these children, but they also advised monitoring this age range closely to watch out for outbreaks of mumps among the very young.
Mumps can be a serious illness, particularly in young children. Getting all the recommended vaccinations for your children is the best way to protect them from mumps and other potentially serious illnesses, such as measles and rubella.
Learn how you can develop assays similar to those used by the Dutch mumps research team. Download the xMAP Cookbook now.
References
- Smits G, Mollema L, Hahné S, de Melker H, Tcherniaeva I, et al. Seroprevalence of mumps in the Netherlands: dynamics over a decade with high vaccination coverage and Recent Outbreaks. PLoS ONE 2013;8(3):e58234.