Mumps
About one out of four men who get mumps have painfully swollen testicles that may lead to sterility in rare cases. For one out of 10 women who get mumps, the ovaries will be infected and painful.
- Read more about the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine that children receive in Alberta.
Mumps outbreak
An outbreak of mumps cases occured in Alberta in 2007/2008, primarily among post-secondary students. The majority of the cases occurred among young people aged 17–26 years.
- People in this age group received only one dose of the mumps vaccine when they were children. Over the years, the single vaccination could wear off, leaving the individual vulnerable to the infection. A second dose of the MMR vaccine is recommended for this age group.
In November 2007, Alberta Health and Wellness and the health regions began offering free mumps immunizations to students and staff of the province’s post-secondary institutions who were born in 1970 or later. In phase two of the campaign, the vaccine will also be made available free of charge to young adults provincewide, born between 1980 and 1990.
- People under 17 years of age do not need to be immunized as they have already received the second vaccine as a child.
- People born in Canada before 1970 and those with a history of mumps are considered immune.
More information
See the mumps immunization promotion posters: Basketballs and Jill.
(Used and modified with permission from the Government of Nova Scotia)
For more information on mumps and mumps immunization, call Health Link Alberta:
- In Calgary, 403-943-5465;
- In Edmonton, 780-408-5465;
- Outside Edmonton and Calgary, 1-866-408-5465 (toll-free); or
