Mumps: Hi everyone, It seems my granddaughter who... - PMRGCAuk

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Mumps

Mythemm profile image
23 Replies

Hi everyone,

It seems my granddaughter who visited at the weekend may have been carrying Mumps.

I had mumps in my late twenties but does my immunity still work ? (I have been on Pred for 41/2 years for GCA, currently on 7mg)

They were planning to visit again on Friday and stay for a couple of nights - but my son thinks I may need to avoid contact for a while to be on the safe side :(

Thanks so much, have tried googling this with no luck.... it's so good to have this forum to talk to, I'd have been totally lost over the last few years without you all.

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Mythemm
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23 Replies
PMRpro profile image
PMRproAmbassador

Yes, I've googled it and can only find information for the people born since 1957 or so and who will have had the MMR vaccine! Sod us oldies!

However - one theory is that having met these diseases as children and developed immunity, it used to be that we kept meeting cases and boosting the immunity every so often. That no longer happens as almost everyone is vaccinated and so there aren't outbreaks to do that. So they seem not to be too sure how long immunity lasts.

Mumps is contagious for 7 days before the glands start to swell and for a further 8 days, You could hope you didn't pick it up last week - and avoid adding to the chances next week.

HeronNS profile image
HeronNS in reply toPMRpro

Almost makes you think maybe there should be occasional booster vaccinations throughout lifespan as there used to be for polio and smallpox before they were (touch wood) eradicated, especially as in some communities there is no longer a reliable herd immunity with so many people not having their children vaccinated.

Mythemm profile image
Mythemm in reply toPMRpro

Thank you PMRpro & HeronNS - I know it makes sense, there are always other days or in this case birthdays. We’ll just have to have a party another day 🎈🥂

I really appreciate all the information. ⭐️⭐️

Soraya_PMR profile image
Soraya_PMR in reply toMythemm

Arrange a half-year birthday. More fun for all :)

DorsetLady profile image
DorsetLadyPMRGCAuk volunteer in reply toPMRpro

“Sod us oldies” - might just as well, we get the blame for everything!

Free uni, bought houses cheaply (what about the interest rates in the 70s/80s), ruined the ozone layer, spent the kids inheritance, now want health care and increases in Stare Pension (who paid their taxes for 40 years!).

Do we care? Have to agree the 60s was the best decade to grow up in though!

Ce la vie!

loopeyloo72 profile image
loopeyloo72 in reply toDorsetLady

Absolutely agree, Dorset Lady!

PMRpro profile image
PMRproAmbassador in reply toDorsetLady

You remember the 60s??????? I was too busy at school... ;-)

I will never forget the bank manager saying to OH "How do you feel about a mortgage that takes almsot all your monthly disposable income?" Luckily MIL was paying going to be "rent" for her granny flat that was the reason for us getting this particular house and my freelance work was going well. That was right at the end of the 80s and it was IRO 15% interest! And sorry - did our generation EVER think it was feasible/to be expected that you bought a house on your own? Or that it should be big enough for the entire family to come and stay and be perfect the day you moved in? I think not...

DorsetLady profile image
DorsetLadyPMRGCAuk volunteer in reply toPMRpro

Mine was fairly busy as well...but in a different way.

At the beginning of the 60s was still at school, by the end was married with a baby, and no we didn’t expect a full furnished mansion and overseas holidays, car(s) in the garage! ......

......but I did get some of that -a fully equipped married quarter (army style, no personal choice of decor nor furnishings) and an overseas posting to Dortmund! With an army coach to take me shopping to ,the nearest NAAFI *shop once a week.

*Navy Army Airforce Institution

HeronNS profile image
HeronNS

I agree with your son. You may be immune but not worth doubling your chances, as PMRpro said. All the best!

Soraya_PMR profile image
Soraya_PMR

Mumps was one that I couldn’t catch. My brother had it, and his used tongue depressor was snatched up by little-me and immediately sucked! (So I am told, I’m too young to remember this incident, but it sounds like the sort of thing I’d do!) of course in those days passing around the various diseases was almost encouraged, get it over with when you’re young. I was a bit worried that I’d get it as an adult when it can be much worse, but thus far nothing. Of course as said above, somewhat more difficult to catch it nowadays.

I hope I haven’t just jinxed myself, and hope you haven’t contracted it Mythemm.

GOOD_GRIEF profile image
GOOD_GRIEF in reply toSoraya_PMR

I remember my Mom giving me my brother's chewing gum when he had mumps, hoping I'd get my case before I started school. Back in those days, it was simply expected that children would get measles, mumps, chicken pox, rubella...no vaccines then.

That was also back in the days when doctors made house calls...

Jeezaloo, as if I didn't feel old enough today...

Soraya_PMR profile image
Soraya_PMR in reply toGOOD_GRIEF

And did you get it?

GOOD_GRIEF profile image
GOOD_GRIEF in reply toSoraya_PMR

Not that anybody noticed. But mumps can be like that.

I did get a major, very serious case of the measles, though, but no one ever figured out where I picked it up. None of the kids in the neighborhood had it that year.

They have measles parties now I understand.. .especially the anti vaccine parents. Then again who believes everything they read.

GOOD_GRIEF profile image
GOOD_GRIEF in reply to

Oh, it's true. They used to have them in the old days , too.

But having become very, very, very ill with the measles (and I was a healthy kid), I don't recommend it. I lost part of my eyesight in one eye to measles. And it was a very near thing that it wasn't a lot worse.

I recommend the vaccine.

in reply toGOOD_GRIEF

My friend who worked as a nurse in infectious disease specialism in the 50s and 60s gets upset about it and says the parents don't realise the seriousness of it.

There is Skype or FaceTime for that special day and showing pressies etc.

TooSore profile image
TooSore

Wait - please explain...I'm in the US. I thought everyone got the MMR vaccine(measles, mumps, rubella) I've actually gotten it a few times. The dead one at the doctors when I was an infant and a live one a few years later at elementary school when they lined up the kids and did everyone (can you imagine that today!). Couldnt prove I had it when there was a measles scare and I wanted to take an extra college class so was given it again! The concern has been the measles but here they are lumped into one shot. My mother said that I had something as a baby that they think was the mumps too. I guess I just figured that they did everybody when the live vaccine was developed - late 60s?

PMRpro profile image
PMRproAmbassador in reply toTooSore

The date I gave, 1957, is the DOB that means you will have been given mumps vaccine as of early 60s. If you are older and in the UK - probably not. MMR is a relatively late development and previously they were all given separately.

TooSore profile image
TooSore in reply toPMRpro

Learn something new every day! I guess I just thought they would have "caught people up on it" when it became available.

PMRpro profile image
PMRproAmbassador in reply toTooSore

Playing catchee-upee with vaccines is mega-expensive and logistically a nightmare - so they rarely do it. Many older people will have had naturally gained immunity.

GOOD_GRIEF profile image
GOOD_GRIEF in reply toTooSore

I'm 62. By the time the MMR was available, I'd had measles and rubella. Must have had mumps, too, but a very mild case (no one noticed).

Carrollee profile image
Carrollee in reply toGOOD_GRIEF

Snap GOOD_GRIEF, 62 also. My family moved around a lot (RAF) so never had the MMR. It was offered in one school then we moved on before it was administered and the next school had finished doing it. Hence I got mumps and German measles in my 20's which I really don't recommend 😳 . Have hever had measles, my brother did as a kid so maybe I got some kind of immunity from being around him who knows. I assumed once you had mumps you didn't get it again like chickenpox. 🤗 cc

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