Why do some people think that mumps is not a reportable disease?

Amazingly, nothing in this post is true...

The usual suspects...

Is Mumps a Reportable Disease?

Of course mumps is a reportable disease and it is easy to see where we "got these numbers."

"Mumps is a nationally notifiable disease, and all cases should be reported to the state or local health department. Contact your state health department for more information on how to report mumps in your state."

CDC - Mumps for Healthcare Providers

All cases of mumps should be reported to a health department by your health care provider.

"Nationally notifiable infectious diseases are those that public health officials from local, state, and territorial public health departments voluntarily report to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Surveillance for nationally notifiable infectious diseases helps public health agencies monitor the occurrence and spread of disease across the nation and evaluate prevention and control measures, among other purposes."

Appendix III: Nationally Notifiable Infectious Diseases in the United States

These health departments then report the cases to the CDC.

Mumps is a Nationally Notifiable Disease.

This helps ensure that we have accurate statistics and know how many people have mumps each year.

Mumps is a Reportable Disease

And not only is mumps a reportable disease now, it has been a reportable disease since 1968!

"Mumps became nationally notifiable in 1968 with about 152,000 cases reported. After the use of the mumps vaccine, cases began to decrease rapidly. By 1985, fewer than 3,000 cases were reported annually."

Pink Book Mumps

Complications of mumps are also reportable to the CDC.

"Marked declines have also been observed in the number of mumps-associated encephalitis and aseptic meningitis cases and deaths, the only complications of mumps officially reportable to CDC. There were 849 mumps-associated encephalitis cases in 1967, and seven in 1981; there were 53 mumps-associated aseptic meningitis cases in 1969, and eight in 1979))**; and there were 43 mumps-associated deaths in 1966, and two in 1980."

Current Trends Mumps -- United States, 1980-1983

So not surprisingly, as cases of mumps dropped with increased use of the mumps vaccine, so did the complications of mumps, including encephalitis, meningitis, and death!

"Mumps encephalitis accounted for 3.9% of all reported encephalitis cases in 1976, compared with 35.8% of all
cases in 1967."

Surveillance Summary Mumps - United States 1978

You haven't heard of mumps encephalitis, have you?

Even before we tracked cases of mumps, health officials tracked cases of mumps encephalitis and mumps deaths.

In 1962, there were at least 358 cases of mumps encephalitis in the United States!

"Since licensure of live mumps vaccine in December 1967, more than 70 million doses have been distributed in the United States, with an accompanying 98.1% decrease in reported cases."

Current Trends Mumps -- United States, 1984-1985

And tragically, mumps encephalitis is a life-threatening complication, affecting as many as 1 in 300 children and adults who have mumps.

So no matter how you look at it, the mumps vaccine has been a big success!

We have very good statistics on mumps cases and deaths.

It's easy to see.

Today's record years are far below the peak years in the pre-vaccine era and they aren't associated with all of the complications that we once saw.

Even if we do have occasional outbreaks because of waning immunity, we are not seeing the widespread epidemics nor the complications that we once did in the pre-vaccine era.

What happened when they started using the mumps vaccine in Massachusetts in 1969? Not surprisingly, cases of mumps quickly decreased, just as they did in the rest of the United States as mumps vaccination programs expanded.

So don't be fooled by any new propaganda trying to trick you in to thinking that the mumps vaccines doesn't work or isn't necessary.

Is Mumps a Reportable Disease?

Is Mumps a Reportable Disease?

Mumps is a Reportable Disease

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