Global Resurgence of Mumps Outbreaks: Causes, Vaccine Challenges and Special Reference to India

Background: Traditionally mumps was perceived as mild childhood self-limiting disease. But it’s resurgence with demographic shift, affecting increasing proportion of young adults irrespective of their vaccination status raised concerns among public health experts. In these contexts, with the aims to synthesize evidence on cause of mumps resurgence and evaluate policy options for India a review was done. Methods: An online database search was performed which include PubMed, Embase, Scopus, World health organization (WHO) and governments portals during 1st July 2025 to 30th August 2025. Articles published in English from Jan 2000 to December 2024 were included. After selecting the articles, potential information related to epidemiology and vaccine effectiveness, waning of Immunity etc. were extracted and classified into categories and results were summarized. Results: During recent years mumps outbreaks are known to occur periodically from several countries from east and west irrespective of the vaccination status was due to waning of immunity. It was understood that there is a mismatch between currently circulating wild strains and vaccine virus strains and studies and evidence are scarcely available about their cross protection. It was seen that in outbreak situation the VE lower than non-outbreak situation. To know the duration of protection offered by the third dose no study has yet been done. Conclusion: There are evidence gaps in protective efficacy of MuCV to prevent current outbreaks among young adult population. In India MuCV should be introduced universally in phased manner after cost effective studies and intensifying mumps surveillance system in the country.