the right place, at the right time, with the right people.” However, he does not plan to do it again. “One and done,” he says. “What I learned from this is how hard it is to make a vaccine.” Today he sees patients, teaches medical students, and works with families at the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He has written several books about vaccines. “I enjoy the process of writing,” he says. “I think I have something to say.” Dr. Offit’s goal is to educate the media and the public “in a compelling, passionate manner” about all the good things vaccines do for people’s health. He wants parents and children to know that vaccines are helpful, not harmful. “They save children’s lives,” he says. He tells the story of a 5-year-old boy who had an appointment for his vaccinations. He was nervous. To calm him, his mother told him the vaccinations would make him stronger. She used the word immune to explain that the vaccinations would protect his body from certain diseases. After the boy was vaccinated, he emerged from the doctor’s office, stood with his hands in the air, and exclaimed, “I’m immune!” Dr. Offit wishes everyone would respond that way. —By Healthy Hawk staff Highland Park Elementary School 23 Illustration by Alyany Santos, St. Veronica Healthy Hero