Child Deaths after VXs (part 1 - HOLLY / MMR)

Child Deaths after VXs (part 1 - HOLLY / MMR) Five-year-old Holly Stavola died in February 2000 after developing encephalopathy about a week after receiving her second MMR VX and other routine childhood VXs. Her condition rapidly deteriorated, beginning with a 107-degree fever and seizure, and she was declared brain dead roughly 65 hours later. Holly’s family later filed a claim through the National VX Injury Compensation Program, and the federal government conceded that her death was compensable. This is Holly’s story — what happened after her VXs, how doctors responded, and why her family has spent years calling for greater awareness of VX risks and informed consent.