My flu shot protects the loving father fighting cancer, and gives me more days I can play with my friends at nursery school. My pertussis shot protects the young woman with cystic fibrosis who just got a lung transplant, and keeps me out of the children's hospital. My chickenpox vaccine protects my baby sister, and means I'll never have to experience the excruciating pain of shingles. My pneumococcus vaccine protects my classmate with sickle cell disease, and means "spinal tap" will just be a weird old movie my parents enjoy. My rotavirus vaccine means the "runs" I'm most familiar with are the ones around the schoolyard at recess with my friends.