Canadians love their hockey, so when some players came down with the mumps that drew considerable attention to the disease and the vaccine against it.
Mumps easily, unwittingly spread
Mumps is a virus that causes swollen glands, particularly the salivary gland, as well as fever and body aches. It can cause more serious infections in the testicles which can cause sterility, inflammation of the brain and sometimes deafness.
It is easily spread by coughing and sneezing as well as sharing drinks, food, cigarettes and kissing. Symptoms don’t show up for up to two weeks so people may unknowingly spread the virus.
While there is no cure for mumps, there is a vaccine delivered in two injections that is 90 per cent effective in preventing it.
Some resist routine vaccination
Children in Canada routinely receive a series of vaccinations for several diseases including mumps. There are however some people who mistakenly believe that vaccines are not safe and resist having their children inoculated. That permits the virus to circulate more than it should.
Another problem is that people born between 1970 and 1992 may have only partial protection because when they were young only a single shot was administered. The two-dose course did not become standard until the mid-1990s.
There have been some outbreaks of the mumps in 2007 and 2009. Public health officials suggest Canadians check that their vaccines are up to date, and that they frequently wash their hands to prevent mumps and other diseases like the flu which tend to spread more at this time of year when people are indoors and visiting each for the Christmas holidays.
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