Despair to Hope: Disease Prevention Through Vaccines
by Mary Anne Jackson, MD, and Christopher Harrison, MD

Synopsis: Brooke was a seemingly healthy 28-year-old woman whose life was tragically cut short when she contracted meningococcal serogroup B disease. A vaccine protective against meningococcus serogroup B only became available in mid-2015 and may now be considered in healthy adolescents. It is approved for use in high-risk adolescents and adults and should soon be approved for younger children. Brooke's Dad was inspired to share her story, and we have included additional stories from other families regarding vaccine-preventable diseases.

This book tells the stories of individual children, teenagers, adults and families who experienced vaccine-preventable infections or other diseases that vaccines have not yet eliminated. Brooke’s Book celebrates successes of the past as we look to the future for more breakthroughs in vaccines. It highlights potential advances that will be made possible from ongoing scientific discovery and innovation in the field of vaccine research, many of them happening at Children’s Mercy.

Children’s Mercy offers this book to the community knowing parents need as much good information about vaccines as possible to make it easier for them to make the decision to immunize their children.

Brooke’s Book would not be possible without the generous donation of time and talent from Sarah Baum (copy development) and Laura Fitzgibbons (photography).