How does mumps spread?
If your child hasn’t been vaccinated, he can catch mumps by breathing in the virus from someone who is ill or becoming ill. Symptoms don’t develop until two to three weeks after exposure. Your child will be contagious for a few days before he shows symptoms and for about five days after they appear. Once he’s had mumps, he won’t get it again. Almost a third of the time, the illness is so mild that any symptoms go unnoticed.
