Miles Pharmacy Blog

Mumps is a viral infection that was once very prevalent in the western world but is now much less common due to the mumps MMR vaccination that is available worldwide. Mumps is an airborne disease that is commonly spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes. 

The mumps vaccine is usually administered as part of a suite of inoculations given to children following the current NHS protocol. The mumps vaccine is given as part of the triple jab or MMR which stands for Measles, Mumps and Rubella. 

The UK is a country with excellent childhood vaccinaton programmes so it is easy to underestimate the seriousness of certain diseases like mumps which are not commonly seen because most children are protected.

Mumps and rubella are viral infections that were once much more prevalent in the western world. They are both airborne diseases that are most commonly spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

While the sight of the tell-tale swelling of mumps may make you giggle, it is a serious viral infection that causes a host of troublesome symptoms.

In the instance that you might feel the bottom of your jaw is painful and you notice that it is growing in size, you may be experiencing mumps; a contagious disease that was mostly prevalent in children before the MMR vaccine was produced. 

In 2019, the Public Health England (PHE) confirmed that over five thousand lab-confirmed cases of mumps were recorded in the country, the highest number of cases recorded since 2009. The rise in mumps infections continued into 2020. 

Mumps is one of the most contagious diseases in history. Due to the mumps virus (MuV) which is usually airborne, it may spread rapidly among individuals. The development of themumps vaccine halted the prevalence of the disease since becoming available to the public in the 1980s. 

As a parent, you naturally want the best for your child, and that includes keeping them healthy at all times. To do this, you must be aware of the possible conditions and infections that may occur through childhood, so you can adequately address them if they occur. Mumps is one such condition which frequently affects children. 

Mumps might give you the hamster look, but it’s not fun to have mumps at all. It’s excruciating, and people who have had mumps would always tell you to avoid it at all costs available.