SOCIAL GOOD: A Global Vaccination Epiphany

SOCIAL GOOD: A Global Vaccination Epiphany

It’s near the end of the pediatrician’s visit.  Time for the vaccinations.  Ugh. My heart sinks.  “It’s just a pinch!” I say with a fake smile on my face.  “You will be just fine.”

My daughter begins to climb under the examination table and repeat out loud, “I don’t want a shot! I don’t want a shot!”  Tears begin to pour out, anxiety levels rise in the room, including my own.

“Why do I have to have one, Mommy?”  “It prevents you from getting a really bad disease that can make you really sick”, I say. She can’t really comprehend the enormity of that statement at 4 years old.  She continues to protest, from under the table.

The doctor and nurse softly try to get her out.  Finally, they just pick her up and sit her back on the table. I sit right next to her, holding her. My heart is in my stomach. (more…)

Jennifer Burden

Jennifer Burden is the Founder and CEO of World Moms Network, an award winning website on global motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. World Moms Network writes from over 30 countries, has over 70 contributors and was listed by Forbes as one of the “Best 100 Websites for Women”, named a “must read” by The New York Times, and was recommended by The Times of India. She was also invited to Uganda to view UNICEF’s family health programs with Shot@Life and was previously named a “Global Influencer Fellow” and “Social Media Fellow” by the UN Foundation. Jennifer was invited to the White House twice, including as a nominated "Changemaker" for the State of the World Women Summit. She also participated in the One Campaign’s first AYA Summit on the topic of women and girl empowerment and organized and spoke on an international panel at the World Bank in Washington, DC on the importance of a universal education for all girls. Her writing has been featured by Baby Center, Huffington Post, ONE.org, the UN Foundation’s Shot@Life, and The Gates Foundation’s “Impatient Optimists.” She is currently a candidate in Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs in the Executive Masters of Public Affairs program, where she hopes to further her study of global policies affecting women and girls. Jennifer can be found on Twitter @JenniferBurden.

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