Mumps vaccination of young adults is unwarranted.

A clinical and epidemiological study of mumps was carried out over a 18-month period and included 104 soldiers (61% of the reported cases in the Israel Defence Forces). The average number of days off work was 12.9 +/- 9.2 days. The most common complication was orchitis (19/72 men; 26%), followed by 3 cases of pancreatitis (3%) and 2 cases of meningitis (2%). 13 men with orchitis were tested, and all had normal spermograms. No long term important sequelae were described. The transmission rate was low with no respondent reporting more than one secondary case among soldiers serving in the same unit. The socio-economic level of mumps patients was comparable to that of the general army population at the time of the study. Our data do not support a mass immunization program of the adult population.