Personal Stories


A Mother’s Plea: Don’t Let Flu Steal Your Healthy Child

This guest post by Serese Marotta, Chief Operating Officer of Families Fighting Flu, is part of the CDC Flu Blog-A-Thon held in honor of National Influenza Vaccination Week. As parents, we...


One Mom’s Advice: Get Your Kids A Flu Vaccine As Soon As It Becomes Available

For the most recent information on flu vaccines and flu season, visit Vaccinate Your Family’s website. A flu vaccine is recommended for everyone age 6 months and older because...


I Lost My 20 Year Old Child to Flu. Don’t Think It Can’t Happen to You.

Losing your 20 year old healthy child to flu is something no parent ever expects to happen. by Franki Andersen Seven months ago, I lost my beautiful daughter, Brittany...


My 16 Year Old Son Has Suffered More Than 7 Weeks With Pertussis

This guest post was written by Carolyn who works as a Home Health Community Nurse and who originally shared her son’s story on the Nurses Who Vaccinate blog to help...


I Want Parents to Know About the Additional Meningococcal Vaccine That Could Have Saved My Daughter

This guest post has been written by Patti Wukovits, a Registered Nurse and Executive Director of The Kimberly Coffey Foundation, as part of National Immunization Awareness Month’s week-long focus on...


One Mother’s Mission to Save Lives And Prevent Meningococcal Disease

After losing her son Evan to meningococcal disease, Lynn Bozof’s life became a mission to prevent other families from experiencing similar tragedies. She has since co-founded the National Meningitis...


Your Vaccination Status is a Matter of Life and Death to My Autistic Son

This guest post was written by Alethea Mshar out of concern for her son Ben.  A version of this post originally appeared on her blog Ben’s Writing, Running Mom....


My Polio Story is an Inconvenient Truth to Those Who Refuse Vaccines

by Judith Shaw Beatty In 1949, the year I was hit by the poliovirus, 42,000 cases of polio were reported in the United States and 2,720 people died, most...


Parents Play Key Role as Local & National Vaccine Advocates

Parents who have watched their child suffer from a vaccine preventable disease can often feel blindsided.  Prior to their own personal experiences they’re usually unfamiliar with the dangers of these diseases....


How My Vaccinated Daughter Died From Meningitis and What I’m Doing About It

This is a guest post, written by Alicia Stillman, Director of the Emily Stillman Foundation.  One of the missions of the Foundation is to raise awareness of meningococcal disease and the various...