Why You Can Still Catch the Mumps, Even If You've Been Vaccinated
The vaccines we have - while highly effective - do not confer 100 percent immunity.
So if the vaccine is supposed to protect you from catching the mumps, why are vaccinated people still getting sick? "It's because the vaccines we have – while highly effective – do not confer 100 percent immunity, said Roberto Posada, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Infectious Diseases, and Medical Education at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. "With measles, it's about 95 percent of people who are vaccinated [who] have immunity and lifelong protection," said Dr. Posada. "But with mumps, it's a little less – it's probably 85 to 90 percent." Learn more.