Amid increased mumps activity since 2006, the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on Wednesday recommended a third dose of the mumps, measles and rubella vaccine for people who are at increased risk for infection when an outbreak occurs, according to a report from The Washington Post.
Currently, the CDC recommends children receive two doses of the MMR vaccine — on at 12 to 15 months of age and another at 4 to 6 years of age. While this seems to offer sufficient protection against the mumps among the general population, waning immunity is allowing for renascent outbreaks in crowded environments like college campuses. Research published in The New England Journal of Medicine in September suggested an additional dose of the MMR vaccine could result in a 78 percent lower risk of contracting the mumps.
The CDC tallied more than 6,000 cases of the mumps last year, the highest total in a decade.
To learn more about the mumps, click here.
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