1. Battle Vaccine Skepticism with Facts
Recent data show that over 10 percent of Americans doubt the efficacy of vaccines.
In this article from Our World in Data, the authors write, “Perhaps this pushback would be lower if we spent more time explaining the huge numbers of children saved by vaccines.… Tomorrow, newspapers could run the headline ‘Almost 10,000 children were saved by essential vaccines yesterday.’ They could have printed this headline daily for decades.”
With reliable scientific data, we can show that deaths from whooping cough and many other diseases have fallen dramatically since worldwide vaccination campaigns began in the middle of the 20th century.
Using the skills you practiced in the warm‐up about whooping cough, use the CDC, Our World in Data, and other reputable sources to learn more about one of the following diseases (all of which have vaccines available):
Working with a partner, choose one of the diseases above. Answer the following questions in a 250‐word report.
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What pathogen causes the disease?
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What is the scientific name for the disease? Why is it called that?
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How does the disease affect humans?
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What are the symptoms?
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Who is at greatest risk of getting the disease?
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How does it spread?
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How do we prevent and treat it?
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How have vaccination efforts affected infection rates in the past 50 years?
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Where is the disease still prevalent?
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What can we do to help slow and eventually eradicate the disease?
2. Does Saving More Lives Lead to Overpopulation?
In the late 20th century, Bill Gates became one of the world’s wealthiest individuals building the Microsoft Corporation. He and his ex‐wife, Melinda French Gates, have used their fortune to help people in developing countries.
Since 2000, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has donated billions of dollars to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Working with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, and the vaccine industry, they aim to increase the availability of vaccines in low‐income countries. As a result, in the past two decades, over a billion children have been vaccinated, preventing 18 million deaths.
In a video message, Gates asks, “As we make the world healthier, is the population going to get so big that feeding everybody and maintaining the environment is going to be impossible?”
Watch the video to learn his answer, and then answer these questions:
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What do families worldwide choose to do as their health improves?
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How does this choice affect population growth?
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What was the peak population growth rate the world hit during the 1960s?
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What is the estimated world population in 2100?
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Why does Gates say we can feel “great” about saving people’s lives through better health outcomes?
3. Research, Make a Poster, and Present Your Findings about a 21st‐Century Female Scientist
As female scientists in the early 20th century, Kendrick and Eldering faced significant gender bias in the male‐dominated field of microbiology. Despite challenges, they persevered in conducting large‐scale clinical trials during the worst period of the Great Depression. Their determination and resourcefulness in the face of adversity resulted in a world‐changing vaccine.
Today, women are leaders in all fields of scientific research. Research and make a poster about one of the following female scientists from the 21st century (or choose another, subject to teacher approval). Then, present your poster to the class.
Your poster should include the following elements:
Present your poster to the class. In your presentation, you should briefly discuss the following in 1–2 minutes:
