MUMPS What!!!!!!

[pooh4evr]

Ok so we visited Dh family for Thanksgiving and his Dad had a pain in his cheek Dr thought it was a blocked gland and gave him antibiotics, I guess they didn't help because he went back the other day and had a positive test for MUMPS!!!! Who gets mumps anymore!!!! The kicker here is we are all going to WDW NEXT week (MIL and FIL aree supposed to leave Sunday!) So I am not worried about my older DD because they are up to date on their shots, but DD #3 is now 11 months old and I am afraid she might get them-- yes the incubation period is 2 weeks and thet's right folks how long ago was Thanksgiving!!!! I hope that test was wrong!!!!!! Good gracious of all the things.......

 

[PrincessPoohsMom]

Yikes!!! I can only imagine your panic! How much did Grandpa handle the little one, though? I'm not up on how contagious mumps is, but hopefully as long as he wasn't feeding her off his plate or letting her drink after him she'll be okay. Maybe you could get her into see the pediatrician and have test done, just to be sure? Better to know now than have her get sick at WDW! Good luck, and some that everything will turn out okay!

 

[JacobsMommy11002]

I really thought I was going to look and see you were from Maine. The local college just had a student diagnosed with mumps, and all the full time students had to be immunized. Its USM in Maine if you want to look it up.

Anyhow, I hope and pray your little one doesn't get it. Good luck to you!

 

[mom2aredhead]

I had the mumps last yeat - came down with it about 2 weeks after visiting Disney as a matter of fact. The doctor could not believe it. He asked me a million times if I had all of my vaccinations...since I'm pushing 40 and my pediatrician is gone, may he rest in peace, I couldn't exactly prove it, but I'm sure I did. After I came down with it, I did a little research and it's actually more common than you think. There are fairly common outbreaks, especially in colleges. I don't know if it's a different strain than I was vaccinated for 30+ years ago, or if I was prone to it for another reason.

I'm sending you some pixie dust and hopes that you all stay healthy. I hate to tell you but it was a painful, miserable 2 weeks for me.

 

[TBGOES2DISNEY]

I've no advice, but I just wanted to comment and say... isn't that weird? I had scarlett fever once. So strange - things you never would have expected...

 

[Mkrop]

It doesnt surprise me. I had chicken pox twice and DS10 got chicken pox despite getting the vaccine.

 

[brandylouwho]

I've no advice, but I just wanted to comment and say... isn't that weird? I had scarlett fever once. So strange - things you never would have expected...

Not to scare you (I am no doctor) but my ucnle had heart problens some 50 years after he had scarlet fever and was told it was due to that illness, so if you don't already know all about it, do some research to make sure you aren't at risk (or to know for what symptons to watch for).

 

[TBGOES2DISNEY]

Not to scare you (I am no doctor) but my ucnle had heart problens some 50 years after he had scarlet fever and was told it was due to that illness, so if you don't already know all about it, do some research to make sure you aren't at risk (or to know for what symptons to watch for).

When I read this, I was like, Huh? What?! Yikes! I googled it, and it sounds like in the past, people did have complications later on some of the time, including heart problems. But it appears that scarlett fever treated with antibiotics has no increased risk for future complications any more so than with strep throat alone.

 

[pooh4evr]

Just to update I think we are in the clear no signs and FIL seems to be well too??? Maybe it was a bad test or something??

 

[mom2aredhead]

Just to update I think we are in the clear no signs and FIL seems to be well too??? Maybe it was a bad test or something??

Glad to hear it! Maybe he just had avirus or soomething. Hope your kids stay healthy too!

 

[GrowingUpDisney]

Are they sure it wasn't mono? I have had mono twice - yes, twice...although you are not supposed to get it twice. Your glands swell up so large that you look like you have mumps and you have absolutely NO energy and want to sleep ALL the time. Basically, you feel like crap. It is HIGHLY contagious....

 

[hematite153]

Actually, mumps isn't quite as rare as we'd like to believe....

Only 58 cases were reported in 2004 (in the US).

But, in 2006 there were 5783 cases (also in the US).

They've found that vaccination doesn't always last through puberty and they now recommend that you get a new MMR vaccine sometime after 18.

In other words, you may also need to worry about the adults having been exposed.

Mumps is actually usually a fairly mild illness for children. So, even if you DD caught it she probably won't have too tough a time. But, the adults could end up miserable.

Plus, there's the issue of whether or not you should be potentially exposing other people (those you wait on line with, etc.) whose medical histories you know nothing about.

I don't actually know how contagious it is, or whether exposure could be live threatening to a MAW child. But, I'd probably want to have a very serious conversation with a doctor about it before heading off on vacation.

Hope you're all okay!

 

[bdcp]

I had mumps as a kid as did every kid I knew. My jaw/neck puffed up for a few days. I'm 47. Its not a big deal for children and in adults, mainly only can be a problem for men as it can cause infertility. I find it interesting how parents panic now when there's mumps, measles or chicken pox, since kids in my generation had all of them and they weren't that serious. My boys (21 and 24) never had mumps, but they did have chicken pox and they'll never have to get the vaccine because they are now immune (but shingles can be an issue), so one less to think about.

BTW, to the poster that said maybe it was just a virus or something, mumps is a virus.

 

[bigredsfan]

I had chicken pox when I was 38 and was scared to death. Not sure if I had it as a kid nor does mommy, lol. Anyhow went to emergency because it was very bad, and my doctor told me I could go blind, be infertile or in odd cases die due to pneumonia!

Well, all was okay, I can see, not dead, and have a beautiful 5.5 month old girl (our second), so guess my fishies still swim

 

[disneymarie]

Ok so we visited Dh family for Thanksgiving and his Dad had a pain in his cheek Dr thought it was a blocked gland and gave him antibiotics, I guess they didn't help because he went back the other day and had a positive test for MUMPS!!!! Who gets mumps anymore!!!! The kicker here is we are all going to WDW NEXT week (MIL and FIL aree supposed to leave Sunday!) So I am not worried about my older DD because they are up to date on their shots, but DD #3 is now 11 months old and I am afraid she might get them-- yes the incubation period is 2 weeks and thet's right folks how long ago was Thanksgiving!!!! I hope that test was wrong!!!!!! Good gracious of all the things.......

hematite153
Actually, mumps isn't quite as rare as we'd like to believe....

Only 58 cases were reported in 2004 (in the US).

But, in 2006 there were 5783 cases (also in the US).

I was really surprised to learn at the PCP doctors last Friday that my previous shots have to be updated ASAP, Pertusis, and also in another 10 years for Pertusus for one thing and Mumps another, and if you did not have measals as a child.

There is a form of Whooping cough really bad going around, and we do not have protection in our old shots we had. The other thing is the Mumps wearing off.
Not only school kids or daycare kiddos bringing it home, but where ever large groups gather like Disney, parks etc.

I would as an Adult contact your PCP before any trips and talk with them of need for updated shots for all families.

Not to sound mean, but we have had a large influx of of people crossing boarders, and likely were never vaccinated or di carry other strains of viruses,
The kids enter our play schools, schools, programs and recreational areas and those that had been protected no longer have that reassurance.

As I said, I was shocked of the whooping cough rise too, so a week after my Flu shot, I was getting another one.
Oh, I did have both types of Measles as a child, one was not bad, they other horriable sick.'
'
My 12 year old had a chicken pox vaccine as infant, but I wonder now if that will wear off at college age or earlier? Also I never had Chick pox, unless I brought them home to the other 5 siblings
Wirth a follow up call to your doctor not to lose a vacation plan.
Dianne

 

[bdcp]

I was really surprised to learn at the PCP doctors last Friday that my previous shots have to be updated ASAP, Pertusis, and also in another 10 years for Pertusus for one thing and Mumps another, and if you did not have measals as a child.

There is a form of Whooping cough really bad going around, and we do not have protection in our old shots we had. The other thing is the Mumps wearing off.
Not only school kids or daycare kiddos bringing it home, but where ever large groups gather like Disney, parks etc.

I would as an Adult contact your PCP before any trips and talk with them of need for updated shots for all families.

Not to sound mean, but we have had a large influx of of people crossing boarders, and likely were never vaccinated or di carry other strains of viruses,
The kids enter our play schools, schools, programs and recreational areas and those that had been protected no longer have that reassurance.

As I said, I was shocked of the whooping cough rise too, so a week after my Flu shot, I was getting another one.
Oh, I did have both types of Measles as a child, one was not bad, they other horriable sick.'
'
My 12 year old had a chicken pox vaccine as infant, but I wonder now if that will wear off at college age or earlier? Also I never had Chick pox, unless I brought them home to the other 5 siblings
Wirth a follow up call to your doctor not to lose a vacation plan.
Dianne

Shots do not provide lifetime immunity for most viruses. Actually having a full up version of the illness usually does though. Everyone and I mean everyone I knew as a kid had chicken pox, mumps, etc. They were normal childhood illnesses. The biggest problem I see in the future is all the kids who have had vaccines will not maintain them so there will be adult epidemics of illnesses with more complications that everyone should have had as children with no complications. How do they enforce vaccine updates once a child is out of school? Whooping cough has never really gone away. Vaccines do not provide 100% protection, ever.

 

[hematite153]

Shots do not provide lifetime immunity for most viruses. Actually having a full up version of the illness usually does though. Everyone and I mean everyone I knew as a kid had chicken pox, mumps, etc. They were normal childhood illnesses. The biggest problem I see in the future is all the kids who have had vaccines will not maintain them so there will be adult epidemics of illnesses with more complications that everyone should have had as children with no complications. How do they enforce vaccine updates once a child is out of school? Whooping cough has never really gone away. Vaccines do not provide 100% protection, ever.

Intriguingly, I both completely agree with this and yet disagree.

I had chicken pox as a kid, but was vaccinated for MMR. I came through the chicken pox relatively unscathed. I was six, was considered quarantined (unable to go to school) for 2 weeks, I have one scar and memories of it as the worst I have ever felt. But, my 1.5 yo sister, who caught it from me, had spots for about 4 days from beginning to end and didn't really complain. I've seen teenagers and adults get chicken pox and it's not pretty. I imagine the same is true for mumps, measles, etc.

Thus, it almost seems like we've done ourselves in, by over vaccinating, if people end up getting these diseases as adults.

However, required vaccines have made schools safer for many children with health complications and I think that this is a good thing.

Keeping vaccines updated after you are out of school isn't difficult and it seems like an easy way to keep oneself healthy. So, I find it odd how many adults don't follow up on this for themselves. After all, all it takes is a doctor's visit--I've been asked about whether or not I got an adult MMR vaccine so many times, and I've been tested for the antibodies twice simply because the doctor wanted to be 'sure'.

Oh well, perhaps this discussion will help remind a few people that doctors can help you stay healthy as well as treat sick people.