I was recently asked for a copy of this article, only to discover that the link to the original was dead. It was one of my mom's "greatest hits" as far as sharing her experience as a public health officer and nurse. Many people reached out to her after she shared her experience. Here it is the complete text. May the words of my deceased mother continue to promote public health and the importance of immunizations long after her death.
Keep your health: Avoid needless pain and misery. It's a cautionary tale: Learn from Holly's harrowing experience: Get vaccinated.
Although she ends this piece by imploring parents to get their kids vaccinated against chicken pox, I would also advocate for older adults (who had chicken pox) getting vaccinated against shingles. At the time she endured her first bout of shingles, she was not old enough / elligible for the shingles vaccine. You had to be 60 years old then. Now, there's a second vaccine available [Shingrix] which can be given to 50 year olds. I got mine earlier this year.
