Personal stories
Faces of Influenza
The American Lung Association’s Faces of Influenza campaign is a seasonal influenza public education initiative to urge families to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Votre histoire : Fondation canadienne de recherche sur le méningite
Faire part de votre expérience personnelle en envoyant votre histoire à la Fondation canadienne de recherche sur la méningite.
What made this vaccine-hesitant couple change their mind?
Tyson and Dawn didn't immunize their first child, but eventually changed their mind about vaccines. Here's their story, from I Boost Immunity.
Your Story: The Canadian Meningitis Research Foundation
You can send your story to the Meningitis Research Foundation of Canada about your experience related to meningitis.
Personal Stories
Vaccines are necessary because the diseases they prevent still exist. Although readers may not know someone who has had a vaccine-preventable disease, many families have endured the consequences of these infections. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (US) has collected and continue to collect some of their stories and post them on its website.
Sharing these stories is an important aspect of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s work, because many people are not familiar with vaccine-preventable diseases, and, unfortunately, that means some people do not feel it is important to continue immunizing their children against these diseases. As anyone who has lived through a vaccine-preventable disease will tell you, it is much easier to endure the brief moment of pain from a vaccine than to endure a serious illness.
Voices for Vaccines: Parents Speaking Up for Immunization
Voices for Vaccines (VFV) is a parent-driven organization supported by scientists, doctors, and public health officials that provides parents clear, science-based information about vaccines and vaccine-preventable disease, as well as an opportunity to join the national discussion about the importance of on-time vaccination. (US)
Pandemic influenza storybook
The CDC's Pandemic Flu Storybook provides readers with a look at the impact pandemic flu events have had on both survivors and the families and friends of non-survivors. These stories are not folklore, but personal recollections. This collection of stories was first released in 2008 to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the 1918 flu pandemic.
Unprotected people reports
Includes case reports, personal testimonies, newspaper and journal articles about people who have suffered or died from vaccine-preventable diseases.
A personal story of polio
Features the personal story of a polio survivor and how she continues to suffer from Post Polio Syndrome.
Grandparents : polio could be just an airplane flight away
Personal story of a polio survivor who describes the effects of the disease many years later. She cautions against becoming complacent about the seeming eradication of the disease and promotes childhood vaccinations against polio so that it will not return.