Manitoba health experts weigh in on mumps after NHL hit with outbreak

Your chances of getting the mumps may depend on how old you are.

The highly-contagious disease has been brought to the forefront because of an outbreak in the National Hockey League.

Adult hockey players, it appears, have become the perfect target for the disease.

Experts have linked the vaccine history of hockey players as a possible reason why.

Winnipeg pediatrician Dr. Stan Lipnowski said today’s standards calls for two doses of the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine.

“Right now, we do a vaccine at one year of age and we also do another at four years of age,” said Dr. Lipnowski.

But that wasn’t always the case.

Vaccinations changed in the nineties.

Children born before 1996 only received one dose of the MMR vaccine.

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, people born before 1970 have presumed immunity.

That means anyone between the ages of 19 and 44 may be at greater risk because they only got the single dose.

Even though he got a booster shot, Sidney Crosby and 13 other NHL players infected in the league-wide outbreak would fall into that category.

"These people who are playing hockey right now have probably only received one dose,” Dr. Lipnowski said.

“Plus, you put a whole bunch of people into one room drinking the same water bottles, sharing the bus, sharing the plane -- they're going to spread the germs."

Outside the NHL, mumps doesn’t appear to be much of a problem.

Manitoba Health said there have been zero cases diagnosed in the province in 2014.

In the past 10 years, there have been roughly five cases reported each year.

"I think your cautious in terms of knowing it's out there,” said Winnipeg Jets captain Andrew Ladd.

While no Winnipeg Jets have shown symptoms, Ladd said he and teammates are playing it safe.

"I think most of us got booster shots, but that only goes so far,” he said.

The Public Health Agency lists the mumps vaccine effective up to 91 per cent for one dose, and 95 per cent for two doses.

The outbreak has some recreation-league players looking for other ways to stop the spread of germs. Japper Kolt brings his own water bottle to games.

"Everybody decided - let's bring your own bottle. Let's be safe,” said Kolt after a game at Canlan Ice Sports.