Mumps

Overview

  • Mumps is a serious disease caused by a virus.
  • It is spread person-to-person through the air.
  • Mumps typically causes painful swelling of the salivary glands near the cheeks, but it can also lead to deafness, brain or spinal cord infection, and painful swelling of the testicles.
  • Mumps virus is very contagious, so when one person gets infected, it’s easy for the disease to spread. Mumps outbreaks can start when infected people bring the disease into the United States from other countries.
  • Vaccination is the best way to prevent mumps. Vaccinated people who contract mumps because of very close contact with an infected person typically have a milder illness than unvaccinated people.

Mumps Vaccine Schedule

Mumps Vaccine Schedule

In the United States, mumps vaccine is available as part of the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine. All children should get 2 doses of MMR vaccine starting at age 12 months. Some teens and adults may also need MMR vaccine if they didn’t get 2 doses when they were younger.

RESOURCES

Mumps: Questions and Answers

Information about the disease and vaccines, from Immunize.org.

Clear Answers and Smart Advice About Your Baby’s Shots

An excerpt from Baby 411 by Ari Brown, MD, FAAP, provides clearly written information about safe and effective vaccines.

Partner Resources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Mumps

Fact sheets, resources, multimedia, and more for parents and children from CDC.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Vaccines for Your Children: Vaccine (Shot) for Mumps

Two doses of the MMR shot are recommended for children by doctors as the best way to protect against measles, mumps, and rubella. Learn more about mumps and vaccines from CDC. A Spanish-language version is also available.

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Immunization: Mumps

Find easy-to-understand vaccine information for yourself or your loved ones.

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
A Look at Each Vaccine: Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) Vaccine

Questions and answers about measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) and vaccines from the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Nemours KidsHealth logo
Mumps

About the infection, including signs and symptoms, contagiousness, prevention, incubation, duration, and treatment, from Nemours KidsHealth. A Spanish-language version is also available.

MUMPS PHOTOS

Warning: Some of the images are graphic.

View All Mumps Photos