Broomfield offers mumps vaccine
for Medicaid clients

Broomfield public health officials will be offering the mumps vaccine to Broomfield Medicaid recipients. 

Broomfield has a very limited number of doses of the vaccine available, so doses have been ordered for local Medicaid recipients.  For Health and Human Services (HHS) clients over the age of 19, the cost is $5 per shot.  For children, the shot is available at no cost under the Vaccinations for Children program. 

With confirmed cases of mumps now reported in Colorado, HHS has a plan in place should any cases occur locally. Adults born before 1957 are considered to be immune or naturally protected against the disease because it was very common at that time.  Public health experts now believe that those born between 1957 and 1993 may have a decreased immunity. Those individuals are encouraged to consult a physician for current vaccination information.  

“Our mission is to keep everyone in our community healthy and safe,” reports John Pickle, Broomfield public health officer.   

Mumps is spread by direct exposure to someone who has the disease, through coughing, saliva, or touching infected objects.   Symptoms include fever followed by swelling of the glands in front of the ear. Mumps often results in swelling of other glands that secrete saliva.  In adults and in the more serious cases, the disease can lead to deafness, complications to the male reproductive system and even risk to a fetus.  

Like many other diseases, mumps is preventable, but only when individuals are properly immunized.   

Additional information may be obtained from the Broomfield Health and Human Services Department at 720.887.2220.