What It’s Like to Get Chickenpox as an Adult
What I thought was the flu turned into two weeks of misery, and a new collection of scars that refuse to fade.
The Big Deal About Chickenpox
Chickenpox was almost a rite of passage when I grew up. My perspective changed when I starting working as a triage nurse in a children's hospital.
Being Anti-Vaccine Is Tiring
I am a mother, who was previously in the grips of the anti-vaccine movement. I was first introduced to the idea of not vaccinating during my first pregnancy in an online mom’s message board.Â
Even in a Pandemic, We Cannot Forget the Importance of Routine Immunization
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re focused on this one, novel infection. It’s almost as if time has stopped and we’ve forgotten about…
We Lived the Worst-Case Scenario: Scott’s Chickenpox Story
I want people to learn from our mistakes. Don't bury your loved ones from a disease you can easily prevent. One of those lives lost was my husband.
Lasting Scars from Chickenpox
It all began on a warm afternoon in May of 1996. My 6-year-old daughter was swinging on her swing set when she suddenly stopped and,…
How Effective Are Childhood Vaccines?
Modern vaccines are very effective. But nothing is 100% effective. As people know, children can – sadly – be harmed in a car accident even…
How My Four-Year-Old Became Pro-Vaccine
It was 1998, and the chickenpox vaccine was just coming out. At that time–the chickenpox vaccine became available in 1995—my daughter was four and completely…
I Vaccinate My Kids Because I Wish My Parents Had Vaccinated Me
My name is Grace. I was raised in a cult. There are a lot of things wrong with being raised in a cult— religious brainwashing,…
Not Just a Harmless Childhood Disease
When I was a child, chickenpox was a very common disease. Most children got it, and it didn't seem like a big deal to me…