So glad we could help

When S-Boogie went in for her 2 month checkup and her first vaccines, our pediatrician asked if we wanted to participate in a vaccine study. I didn't have any problem with it, so over the course of a few months she got a few doses of a vaccine for rotavirus, we kept track of her temperature and any side effects (there weren't any) in a little book, and in the end we got paid $75, which we used to get her a new carseat. It was relatively painless and I felt good knowing that we were helping the cause of science.

Today I just read in the New York Times that they've now approved the rotavirus vaccine for distribution around the world. That news made me want to cry: rotavirus causes diarrhea and vomiting and contributes to the deaths of about 500,000 children every year. Yes, half a million babies die each year because they get sick in countries where no one can help them get better. And now, hopefully, a lot less of them will be getting sick, and if they do it won't be as severe an illness. Sometimes I get so frustrated by all the unfairness in the world, but I feel good now that one more good thing is happening to help people out more. And we got to have a little part in it.