Mumps and its occurrence in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Abstract

Mumps is an infectious viral disease transmitted by droplets. It is vaccine preventable and thanks to the start of compulsory vaccination in 1987, there has been a significant reduction in cases. Nevertheless, over the years, occasional local outbreaks have occurred in the Czech Republic, especially in adolescents, while in Slovakia, since the beginning of vaccination, the situation has been kept under somewhat better control. This may be explained by the differences in the vaccination schedules between the countries and the consequent secondary vaccine failure, the so-called waning of immunity in Czech older children, adolescents, and young adults. The article summarizes current knowledge about mumps and data on its incidence in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.