Adults May Be Losing Immunity to Mumps. Are Boosters Needed?

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• January 10, 2023
• Full Page

Despite routine use of a childhood vaccine, the United States still sees outbreaks of mumps. Now, a new study reinforces the belief that it's due to waning immunity post-vaccination.

Mumps is a viral infection best known for causing puffy cheeks, a swollen jaw, fever and...

Is the Mumps Vaccine Becoming Less Effective?

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• December 2, 2021
• Full Page

Children and teenagers vaccinated against the mumps virus have accounted for one-third of infections in recent years, a new U.S. government study finds.

The reasons are unclear, and experts stressed that routine childhood vaccination remains the best weapon against mumps...

Could the MMR Vaccine Help Prevent COVID-19? New Trial May Tell

• Steven Reinberg
• September 4, 2020
• Full Page

A new clinical trial will try to determine whether the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine can protect health care workers from being infected with COVID-19.

Hundreds of millions of people have received the MMR vaccine since it was developed nearly 50 years ago....

In NYC at Least, Routine Child Vaccinations Rebound After Lockdown

• E.J. Mundell
• July 30, 2020
• Full Page

After the COVID-19 pandemic had millions of New Yorkers in lockdown, the rate of routine child vaccinations plummeted -- as it did in cities across the United States.

That had pediatricians worried that a second wave of illness outbreaks -- measles, whooping cough, m...

About 1 in 15 Parents 'Hesitant' About Child Vaccines: Survey

• Robert Preidt
• June 15, 2020
• Full Page

One-quarter of U.S. parents are hesitant about seasonal flu shots for their kids, and roughly 1 in 15 feel the same way about routine childhood vaccinations, a nationwide study finds.

The issue has gained added urgency this year, as fears around coronavirus keep many...

Study Confirms Safety, Effectiveness of Children's Vaccines

• Robert Preidt
• April 23, 2020
• Full Page

Vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chickenpox) are highly effective and do not cause autism, say researchers who reviewed 138 studies that included 23 million children.

"In terms of safety, we know from previous studies all around the world that the ...

Vaccinations Rose After California Curbed Exemptions

• Amy Norton
• December 23, 2019
• Full Page

If new research is any indication, tougher vaccine exemption laws work.

After California eliminated nonmedical exemptions from vaccinations in 2016, the number of children receiving recommended immunizations rose -- especially in counties where "vaccine hesitancy" ru...

Some People Vaccinated Against Mumps May Not Be Protected: Study

• Robert Preidt
• September 6, 2019
• Full Page

There are gaps in immunity against mumps among college-aged Americans who were vaccinated in childhood, researchers say.

New findings show the need to learn more about the immune system response to mumps and mumps vaccination.

Mumps is a highly contagious v...

Mumps Outbreaks Hitting U.S. Migrant Detention Centers

• E.J. Mundell
• August 29, 2019
• Full Page

A new government report finds more than 900 cases of dangerous and highly contagious mumps have occurred at 57 U.S. migrant detention facilities over the past year, with nearly half of cases occurring in Texas.

"Mumps is a highly contagious viral disease and can spre...

Vulnerable Preemie Babies Often Behind On Vaccines

• Amy Norton
• August 7, 2019
• Full Page

Preemies often lag behind full-term babies in getting routine vaccinations -- and the difference remains at age 3, a new study finds.

Misguided parental "hesitancy" over the safety of vaccines for preemies might be to blame, researchers said.

The study foun...

Parents, Protect Your Kids as Measles Outbreaks Spread

• Robert Preidt
• April 29, 2019
• Full Page

As measles outbreaks spread across the United States, there are a number of things parents need to know, a leading pediatricians' group says.

The most important is to make sure your children are fully protected against the disease, which can be deadly, the American A...

What Drives 'Anti-Vaxxer' Parents? It's a Mixed Bag, Study Shows

• Amy Norton
• March 21, 2019
• Full Page

Anti-vaccination campaigns abound on social media, but the people involved are not necessarily driven by any single motivation, a new study suggests.

Instead, researchers say, people who voice their anti-vaccine sentiments online range from conspiracy theorists to pa...