Vaccines, along with chocolate, Beyonce and sweatpants, are one of the greatest, most important creations in human history. They have saved millions upon millions of lives and continue to provide health and opportunity for children and families in every corner of the world. 

But sometimes, as much as we know we are thankful for vaccines and their incredible, life saving super powers, it’s harder to appreciate them more than chocolate because most of us don't interact with them on a daily basis. And it can be easy to forget what a vital part of global health that they truly are. 

The Art of Saving a Life is an amazing project, turning vaccines into something beautiful, something tangible, something to be thankful for. It’s a collection of the stories behind the history and future of vaccinations, told by more than 30 world-renowned painters, sculptors, photographers, writers, filmmakers and musicians. 

After finding the website and thinking I would have a quick look at a few of the videos, I found myself hooked on the incredible variety and magic of some of the art that has been created. 

One of the simplest but most effective pieces on the site is this photograph by Annie Leibovitz titled ‘Vaccine Heroes’ (see above). The portrait captures the people linked to the development of several life-saving vaccines and it’s incredible to look at their faces and think of what an unimaginable difference they’ve made in the world. 

I’m a huge fan of Mauro Perucchetti’s sculptures, and his piece for The Art of Saving a Life combines two of his best known pieces; 'Jelly Baby Family' and 'Love Serum' (above). Perucchetti said that he hoped his new artwork 'Vaccines As Love Serum' would help bring a smile to children and hopefully make the fear of needles and syringes a little less scary. 

One of the most moving pieces that I found is a photo series by Mary Ellen Mark titled 'Rubella’s Lasting Impact on Adult Lives'. Mark photographs Jimmie Carey and Damali Ashman, both of whom were born with congenital rubella syndrome (or CRS), to show the challenges that living with CRS can contain. CRS is completely preventable with a rubella vaccine, and these photos provide a powerful reminder of why vaccinations are so important. 

Art truly has the power to turn things that can seem remote and removed into something personal and beautiful, and every piece in this fantastic exhibiton really made me rethink the way I see vaccines. Despite the great strides that vaccinations have made, one in every five children worldwide is still not fully protected with even the most basic vaccines, and as a result an estimated 1.5 million children die each year - one every 20 seconds - from completely preventable diseases. 

Join me in signing the petition so that more children have access to life-saving vaccines. Then, make sure you check out The Art of Saving a Life to see all the amazing, incredibly important, artwork. 

Test!