Cheeks puff up, jaw aches, and your group chat starts talking about mumps. Plants and Facts EP 123 breaks down the chipmunk cheeks virus with real science and unfiltered millennial commentary.

Pediatrician Dr Yvy and medical researcher Julz explain what mumps is, how it spreads in dorms, teams, camps, and households, and why vaccines dropped yearly cases from hundreds of thousands to a few hundred. You also hear wild history from Hippocrates to World War I barracks, how Maurice Hilleman built the MMR shot from his daughters infection, and why online vaccine myths keep dragging this virus back into the news.

What you learn in this episode

• Classic mumps symptoms in kids, teens, and adults, including parotid gland swelling, fever, jaw pain, and fatigue

• How the virus spreads through droplets in dorms, sports teams, sch ...