For every generation, vaccines work: Fatou’s story of trust, protection, hope
But science lives in people. Like Fatou Bintou Ceesay of Fajikunda. From questions to trust Fatou still remembers the afternoon she first heard about an MRCG study. Sitting with other women as the team explained their work, she listened closely — but with questions. Like many in her community, she wondered what it meant for her family’s wellbeing. How to keep her children safe. How to make the right choice for her future. When she enrolled in 2021, it was more than joining a trial. It was a decision to support research that could protect her family and generations to come. “Since joining the trial, I have learned so much about my health,” Fatou says. “MRCG supported us and made sure we understood the study and its potential impact. That gave me confidence.” A family decision What began as a personal choice became a family one. After seeing the benefits firsthand, Fatou’s trust grew. She enrolled all three of her sons — aged 9, 6, and 1 — in different studies. Her story reflects this year’s World Immunization Week theme: For every generation, vaccines work. Care beyond the injection For Fatou, the most important part was the follow-up care. “After vaccination, they come to your home for several days to check on the child,” she explains. “If they see anything unusual, they treat it immediately. For my children, I have never seen anything abnormal.” The experience changed how she views vaccines — not just as an injection, but as part of a system of care that protects her children. “Taking part in different vaccine studies has brought quality healthcare to me and my family,” she says. “And this is why I always advise others to join.” According to WHO, immunisation saves 3.5 to 5 million lives every year from diseases like measles, diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough. For families like Fatou’s, those numbers are not abstract. They reflect global health goals and MRCG’s vision: to save lives and improve health across the world. At MRCG at LSHTM, studies like the one Fatou joined are built on research, partnerships, and community engagement. “For me, there is no benefit greater than healthcare,” Fatou says. “My children are healthy as a result.” Spreading the message Today in Fajikunda, she shares her experience with others who remain unsure. “I tell them not to be afraid,” she says. “It is for our own good and for our children.” By working closely with families and ensuring follow-up care, MRCG shows how science protects generations. That is the spirit of World Immunization Week: vaccines go beyond preventing disease. They support families, strengthen communities, and protect the future. (Source: MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM)
Black News 
But science lives in people. Like Fatou Bintou Ceesay of Fajikunda.
From questions to trust
Fatou still remembers the afternoon she first heard about an MRCG study. Sitting with other women as the team explained their work, she listened closely — but with questions.
Like many in her community, she wondered what it meant for her family’s wellbeing. How to keep her children safe. How to make the right choice for her future.
When she enrolled in 2021, it was more than joining a trial. It was a decision to support research that could protect her family and generations to come.
“Since joining the trial, I have learned so much about my health,” Fatou says. “MRCG supported us and made sure we understood the study and its potential impact. That gave me confidence.”
A family decision
What began as a personal choice became a family one. After seeing the benefits firsthand, Fatou’s trust grew.
She enrolled all three of her sons — aged 9, 6, and 1 — in different studies.
Her story reflects this year’s World Immunization Week theme: For every generation, vaccines work.
Care beyond the injection
For Fatou, the most important part was the follow-up care.
“After vaccination, they come to your home for several days to check on the child,” she explains. “If they see anything unusual, they treat it immediately. For my children, I have never seen anything abnormal.”
The experience changed how she views vaccines — not just as an injection, but as part of a system of care that protects her children.
“Taking part in different vaccine studies has brought quality healthcare to me and my family,” she says. “And this is why I always advise others to join.”
According to WHO, immunisation saves 3.5 to 5 million lives every year from diseases like measles, diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough.
For families like Fatou’s, those numbers are not abstract. They reflect global health goals and MRCG’s vision: to save lives and improve health across the world.
At MRCG at LSHTM, studies like the one Fatou joined are built on research, partnerships, and community engagement.
“For me, there is no benefit greater than healthcare,” Fatou says. “My children are healthy as a result.”
Spreading the message
Today in Fajikunda, she shares her experience with others who remain unsure.
“I tell them not to be afraid,” she says. “It is for our own good and for our children.”
By working closely with families and ensuring follow-up care, MRCG shows how science protects generations. That is the spirit of World Immunization Week: vaccines go beyond preventing disease. They support families, strengthen communities, and protect the future. (Source: MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM)
