Immunization Stories

Minnesota parents and families share personal stories about why they feel immunization is important.

Ashley's story - My decision to immunize
Ashley shares her story of hesitating to give her son a vaccine but then realizing that not vaccinating would be a much greater risk.

 

Emily's story - Pertussis (whooping cough)
Emily tells the story of her daughter who contracted pertussis, also known as whooping cough.

 

Ginny and Andy's story - Meningococcal disease
Ginny's son, Andy, contracted meningococcal disease while in college. Ginny and Andy share their family's story in hopes that other families won't have to go through what they did.
 

Gwen's story - Flu
Gwen's 17-year-old daughter, Shannon, died after catching the flu. Gwen shares her family's story to help others understand how severe flu can be and why vaccination is so important.
 

Jaimilynn's story - Why I immunize
Jaimilynn is the mother of four young boys. She shares her thoughts on the importance of immunization.

 

Kelly and Dan's story - Flu
Kelly and Dan's son got sick with influenza (flu) when he was 8 months old and spent five long days in the hospital fighting the disease.

 

Laura's story - We rely on the community for immunity
Laura’s son was exposed to measles while receiving chemotherapy, which severely weakened his immune system. Laura explains why they rely on the community to be immunized so her son, and others like him, are protected.

Lily's story - Cervical cancer caused by HPV
At the age of 27, Lily received the devastating news that she had cervical cancer. She is sharing her story to encourage women and girls to get the HPV vaccine and do regular cervical cancer screenings.
 

Shannon's story - Pneumococcal disease
Shannon shares the story of her daughter, Abigale, who died after contracting a vaccine-preventable disease.

 

Steve's story - Oral cancer caused by HPV
Shortly after getting married, Steve learned he had an oral cancer caused by HPV. He is sharing his story to encourage parents to protect their children from HPV-related cancers by getting them vaccinated.
 

Sumer's story - Flu and pertussis (whooping cough)
At 7 weeks old, Sumer's youngest daughter, Amalia, became sick with flu and pertussis (whooping cough). Amalia was too young to be vaccinated. Her mom encourages all parents to vaccinate their kids to protect them and others.

More resources for immunization stories

Shot By Shot: Stories of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases
View real stories about vaccine-preventable diseases from the people who have been touched by them. This site is a project of the California Immunization Coalition.

Personal Stories
Stories from families who have endured the consequences of vaccine-preventable diseases collected by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Personal Testimonies
Stories compiled by the Immunization Action Coalition. The stories can be sorted by disease and age group.