Healthcare Worker Exclusion

Mumps Prevention and Control in Healthcare Settings

 

Exclude healthcare personnel with active mumps illness and those who lack presumptive evidence of immunity who have had an unprotected exposure to mumps. Unprotected exposures are defined as being within three feet of a patient with a diagnosis of mumps without the use of proper personal protective equipment (e.g., mask). Irrespective of their immune status, all exposed healthcare personnel should report any signs or symptoms of mumps illness during the incubation period, from 12 through 25 days after exposure.

Management of healthcare personnel with illness due to mumps

Healthcare personnel with mumps illness should be excluded for 5 days after the onset of parotitis.

 

Management of healthcare personnel who are exposed to persons with mumps

For healthcare personnel who do not have acceptable presumptive evidence of immunity:

• Healthcare personnel without evidence of immunity should be excluded from the 12th day after the first unprotected exposure to mumps through the 25th day after the last exposure. The mumps vaccine cannot be used to prevent the development of mumps after exposure. Hence, previously unvaccinated healthcare personnel who receive a 1st dose of vaccine after an exposure are considered non-immune and must be excluded from the 12th day after the first exposure to mumps through the 25th day after the last exposure.

For healthcare personnel with partial vaccination:

• Healthcare personnel with documentation of 1 vaccine dose may remain at work and should receive the second dose as soon as possible, but no sooner than 28 days after the first. They should be educated about symptoms of mumps, including non-specific presentations, and should notify occupational health if they develop these symptoms.

For healthcare personnel with presumptive evidence of immunity to mumps:

• Healthcare personnel who have presumptive evidence of immunity do not need to be excluded from work following an unprotected exposure. However, because 1 dose of MMR vaccine is about 80% effective in preventing mumps and 2 doses is about 90% effective, some vaccinated personnel may remain at risk for infection. Healthcare personnel should be educated about symptoms of mumps and should notify occupational health if they develop these symptoms.

 

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