Mumps single vaccine booster?

[merlin]

OK - went down the single vaccine routes with both DS's - eldest (10) is now due his booster but it is no longer available.

Do I pay out for a blood test to see if he has immunity or go for the MMR?

I am going to speak to our GP but just wondered if anyone else has been in this predicament?

We did singles as a toddler and my ds is same age as your eldest.

He had the MMR booster aged 8.

It was a tough decision and we also felt backtracking in a way. But, felt him being older etc (and it was obviously easier) just to eventually toe the line.

Tis a tricky one!

Thanks Furball - the MMR booster does seem to be the way. But I agree about the backtracking - very annoying!!!

I wish the Govt would issue some clear guidelines on this - there must be so many people in the same predicament.

Well the govt would just say you should of had the MMR in the first place.

I would get the blood test first. Why vaccinate against it if he is already immune? He may still be immune from the first vaccine or he may have caught mumps and be immune from that (30% of cases are completely asymptomatic)

I hear today that one clininc is now offering the single mumphs vaccination again - may be incorrect but will check out and report back if it is true.

so far found "MUMPS - Awaiting Supplies
Due Qtr2 2011 " so will speak tothem and report back.

Interesting going back to work - where/who is offering it?

I am speaking to them - not sure if is not a bit dodgey yet - will report back in next few days once spoken to them but it definitely looks like someone is going to be getting a vaccine in july/august

Thanks GBTW - will keep watching!!

Hi
We are in a similar position as Merlin with DS (9) who has had all the single jabs except the mumps booster. If we did the MMR combined jab once, would that count as the mumps booster or would we have to do the MMR twice as if he had never had any jabs at all?

Goingback to work: did you speak to the clinic re single mumps? I've had a conversation with them and am not convinced aa yet if it's genuine or not? I've posted another topic on here with the information I have received to see if I can get some opinions x

LambethWalk - you could do one MMR and then test titres a couple of years later just to see whether the vaccine took. If singles became available until then, you could do the single mumps as a booster then, otherwise, you'd be stuck with another MMR.

On the other hand, as the MMR scare has now been laid to rest... research discredited... author struck off by BMA.
Ten years ago there was still some doubt around on this issue. But it has been resolved now. Time to stop fretting about the MMR and move on.

I'm sure your GP will give you good advice on how to protect your son.

GP (being General Practitioners, after all) generally do not know the ins and outs of a lot of things.

I have never found one (and we move around a lot due to dh's work) who has even the beginnings of a clue about vaccines beyond the DoH party line.

there is a lot of interesting research re: MMR. some very interesting studies being carried out, and some which have replicated the original work on autistic enterocolitis.

The lack of a single mumps vaccine is a problem, but then the mumps part of the MMR frequently does not work effectively anyway...

Growing strawberries - Wakefield's claims have NOT been independently replicated, NOT ONCE -

justthevax.blogspot.com/2010/02/independent-wakefield-way-really.html
justthevax.blogspot.com/2011/05/still-no-independent-confirmation-of.html

These studies either don't see what Wakefield claimed to see, or they were Wakefield, Wakefield's colleague, or paid by Wakefield.

CatherinaJTV is exactly right! Wakefield's research was an abomination to science. He has since been stuck of the medical register and is not aloud to practice in the UK. He was also shown to have a direct conflict of interest in his research; do you know why he was advocating single vaccines? Because he had filed a patent on his OWN brand of single vaccine. MMR is the safest way to protect your child from Measles Mumps and Rubella. Help protect other children also by ensuring your kids get vaccinated and lets together raise the heard immunity once again above 90 percent so never again do we have to watch children die or be seriously affected by preventable diseases.

www.bmj.com/content/342/bmj.c5258.full

Also, please could growingstrawberriews provide a reference for the claim that "the mumps part of the MMR frequently does not work effectively anyway..." as this is counter to all of the scientific literature i have read. Thanks.

Please be careful about clinics that claim they are going to get supplies of Mumps vaccine - specially if they ask for money to put your child on the waiting list. There are some very unscrupulous people out there.

That clinic is lying through its teeth. The only manufacturer with a licence to produce single mumps vaccines is Merck. From their website:

Monovalent vaccines no longer available for measles, mumps, rubella -
Based on input from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), professional societies, scientific leaders, and customers, Merck has decided not to resume production of ATTENUVAX® (Measles Virus Vaccine Live), MUMPSVAX® (Mumps Virus Vaccine Live), and MERUVAX®II (Rubella Virus Vaccine Live). This science-based decision will support vaccination of the largest group of appropriate individuals. Merck will continue to focus necessary resources to ensure that they can help meet current and future global public health needs for their combination measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, M-M-R®II (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Virus Vaccine Live).

Camfraz - that isn't true about the patent for the single vaccine. Have you read the patent yourself? Also, even with over 95% vaccination uptake (the target for herd immunity - The UK has never had above 92%) there are still outbreaks. If you want to get the vaccine because you think it will protect you and yours then go ahead but don't try to guilt others into doing so with the herd immunity argument because it hasn't stopped outbreaks in other countries that have reached the target.

For those concerned about mumps - read about it on the nhs and how websites. It is very very rarely a serious illness in children and over 30% of cases are asymptomatic so it might be worth having immunity tested before you consider getting the MMR.

Strawberries is right about waning immunity from the mumps vaccine.

" A study during the recent UK outbreak estimated that the effectiveness of one dose of mumps-containing vaccine was 95.9% (95% CI: 81.1%-99.1%) in 2-year-olds decreasing to 65.9% (95% CI: 30.3%-83.3%) in those aged 11-12; the effectiveness of two doses was 98.8% (95% CI: 97.0%-99.5%) in children 5-6 years old and decreased to 86.4% (95% CI: 74.1%-92.9%) in children 11-12 years olds.14 This statistically significant relationship of vaccine effectiveness decreasing with increasing age for those who received either one or two doses (p

how = hps stupid autocorrect!

Hpa! Grrrr! :)

that isn't true about the patent for the single vaccine. Have you read the patent yourself?

it is true and I have read it. It specifically mentions the use of the monovalent measles for the prevention of the disease (page 2, from line 8). I will gladly post, but it has been covered in that other thread which you will have read.

Also, even with over 95% vaccination uptake (the target for herd immunity - The UK has never had above 92%) there are still outbreaks.

Only in pockets of non-compliance.

*it hasn't stopped outbreaks in other countries that have reached the target.
*
Link? You were wrong about Saudi Arabia, which country now?

The patent was held by the Royal Free. It was not intended for use as a vaccine, but as a transfer factor. Wakefield would not have gained anything personally even if it had been launched as a single vaccine.

This was also covered in other threads, but I guess people choose to only see what they want to see.

Are you seriously suggesting, Catherina, that eg mumps outbreaks are only in pockets of people who have not been vaccinated?

it is a well known fact that the outbreaks at universities year after year are far more widespread than could possibly be accounted for by non-vaccination.

the MMR (you know, the vaccine that was heralded as "single dose for a lifetime", quickly changed to needing a booster, and even additional doses in outbreak areas, the vaccine whose components have been revised year on year, doses doubled and trebled to try to get immune responses) does not work. the mumps part, especially, is hopelessly ineffective, and the only purpose it has served is to push the disease into and older age bracket, where complications are more likely.