Activity 7.3.4 - The Anti-Vaccine Movement

Introduction:

There has been a lot of media attention lately about the anti-vaccine movement. Celebrities and bloggers alike have condemned vaccines as unnecessary and even dangerous. Jenny McCarthy has gained popularity in her belief that vaccines can cause autism. The purpose of this activity is to bring to light the misconceptions part of the public holds to be true regarding vaccines and also the impact it can have on individuals and communities.

Activity:

1. Complete the pre-reading exercise with one word answers. Feel free to elaborate if you wish to explain your viewpoint.

Pre-Reading Anticipation Guide

Question	Your response
Are you vaccinated?
Do you think vaccination is important?
Agree or disagree: Because most people are vaccinated, I don’t need to worry about vaccinating myself.
Would you vaccinate your children?
Do you believe vaccination is harmful?

2. Pick one the articles to read below:

How the anti-vaccine movement is endangering lives

Anti-vaccine movement gives disease second life

3. Create an informational pamphlet to show the importance of vaccination. You can choose to make your target audience parents or children. Include the following information:

The importance of vaccination with a brief description of what it is
The effect of vaccination on the individual
The effect of vaccination on the community

Explain “herd immunity” in your explanation

Include 3 pictures
As always, cite your sources

4. Grade yourself on the rubric before handing in your project