CDC sets vaccine guidelines for mumps outbreak.(News)

All health care workers should receive two doses of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine if they don't have evidence of immunity, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted during a special meeting held by telephone in response to the current multistate mumps outbreak that had its beginning in Iowa late last year.

Between Jan. 1 and May 2, 11 states reported 2,597 cases of mumps. Eight states (Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and Wisconsin) reported mumps outbreaks (five or more outbreak-associated cases) with ongoing local transmission or clusters of cases; three states (Colorado, Minnesota, and Mississippi) reported cases associated with travel from an outbreak state.

The majority of mumps cases (1,487, comprising 57%) were reported from Iowa; states with the next highest case totals were Kansas (371), Illinois (224), Nebraska (201), and Wisconsin (176). Of the 2,597 cases reported overall, 1,275 (49%) were classified as confirmed, 915 (35%) as probable, and 287 (11%) as suspect; for 120 (5%) cases, classification was unknown (MMWR 2006;55[Dispatch]:1-5).

To prevent mumps, ACIP has long recommended a two-dose MMR vaccination series for all children, with the first dose administered at ages 12-15 months and the second dose at ages 4-6 years. Two doses of MMR vaccine are recommended for school and college entry unless the student has other evidence of immunity.