My Life Beyond Vaccines
A Mayo Clinic Patient Story
When dragons are causing sickness in villages around the world, a young warrior must go in search of the dragons’ stones that hold key information to protect villagers. This magical tale creatively illustrates for young readers how vaccines offer critical protection for kids and their communities.
Once upon a time…when four dragons threaten to bring sickness to villages everywhere, wizards around the world need help to protect their communities. One young warrior sets out to gather each of the dragons’ stones, which hold key information about how the dragons move and attack. The warrior will need her skill, bravery, and the knowledge she gains along the way – along with some help from a baby dragon – to succeed on her adventure as she takes on each of the dragons to gather the stones that can bring protection.
Even if all the stones are collected, one more challenge remains: sharing the power of the stones beyond one community so that all can be protected.
In the modern world, our dragon stones – vaccines – may seem nearly as mystical and magical. They’ve been developed through the hard work, skill and knowledge of doctors and scientists. This tale speaks to the importance of our best protection against the infectious diseases that threaten global health, and those that are yet to come.
Mayo Clinic Press Kids creates empowering health and wellness content in partnership with pediatric experts.
Guillaume Federighi (AKA Hey Gee) is a French and American author and illustrator. He began his career in 1998 by exploring the world of street art and graffiti in different European capitals. After moving to New York, Hey Gee developed a reputation for a direct and instantaneous style of graphic design and illustration that brings out unifying ideas, creates distinctive characters, and affects all generations. He is also the owner and creative director of Hey Gee Studio, a full-service creative agency based in New York City.
Grace Bowden learned about HPV during a 9th-grade science project for her biomedical science class. During her research, she learned how important vaccines are in protecting against HPV and many other infections. After the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world, she wanted to use her voice to help people protect themselves by learning about vaccines and getting vaccinated. Creative and high-spirited, Grace loves swimming, plays three instruments and sings in choir, and has a passion for writing.
Medical editor Dr. Robert Jacobson is a pediatrician and infectious disease expert at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, with special expertise in childhood and adolescent vaccines and immunization. He serves as the medical director for the Population Health Science Program at Mayo Clinic's Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery, and he also leads Mayo's Employee and Community Health Research Initiative. His areas of research include population health sciences, such as practical ways to improve vaccination rates.
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