Mumps Surge Sparks Calls for MMR Vaccine Inclusion in India

A severe mumps outbreak in Keralam, which began in late 2023 and continued into 2026, has intensified demands for the MMR vaccine's inclusion in India's Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP).

The outbreak, which caused school closures in Alappuzha, Thrissur, and Kottayam, is linked to studies revealing immunity gaps, potential long-term disabilities, and genetic differences between circulating mumps virus and vaccine strains. Keralam reported a substantial increase in cases, from over 2,000 annually to 74,907 in 2024 and 26,462 in 2025, with 6,606 cases reported so far in 2026.

Mumps has been a low priority in India's immunisation policy due to its low mortality rate. The UIP offers the measles-rubella (MR) vaccine, but not the MMR vaccine, despite the latter being available privately since the 1980s and recommended by the Indian Academy of Paediatrics.

Official responses suggest that national health bodies consider mumps-associated disability not a significant public health concern, and adding the mumps component would more than double the vaccine cost compared to MR without proportionate health benefits.

However, pediatricians dispute this, arguing that the disease burden and long-term complications, including pancreatitis, encephalitis, and hearing loss, are poorly documented. They advocate for systematic surveillance and cost-benefit analyses, especially given the inclusion of more expensive vaccines like PCV and HPV in the UIP.

A September 2026 study from Keralam's National Institute of Virology identified genotype C circulating mumps viruses, genetically distinct from the vaccine strain, further fueling the debate on vaccine efficacy and highlighting the need for ongoing molecular surveillance.