Contextualization
Vaccination is one of the most important medical advances in history, which has significantly contributed to the eradication and control of so many diseases that once posed great threats to humanity. Vaccines are substances produced from fragments of infectious agents, such as bacteria or viruses, or synthetics that simulate these agents. They are introduced into the body to stimulate our immune system to produce a defensive reaction and 'learn' to fight off invaders.
The role of vaccination is not only to protect the individual who receives it, but also to contribute to herd immunity. Herd immunity occurs when a significant percentage of the population is vaccinated, making it difficult for the disease to spread. In this way, even those who cannot receive the vaccine, such as some immunocompromised patients, become indirectly protected.
Vaccination is a collective healthcare strategy and one of the most effective public health policies in existence. That is why the vaccination schedule is so rigorously followed and updated. Additionally, new vaccines are occasionally developed to combat emerging diseases, as we have seen with the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Practical Activity
Activity Title: Vaccination Campaign in the Classroom
Project Objective:
The objective of this activity is to have students, in groups of 3 to 5, create a complete awareness campaign about the importance of vaccination. They should research the topic thoroughly so that they can create effective awareness materials and strategies.
Detailed Project Description:
The awareness campaign should include:
- A slogan (impactful phrase) for the campaign;
- An informative digital poster about the value of vaccination;
- A short video (maximum 3 minutes) presenting the campaign;
- A clear campaign dissemination strategy.
The final goal is for students to understand the importance of vaccination for public health, as well as how vaccines work, and to creatively and engagingly convey this understanding to others.
Required Materials:
- Computer with internet access and image and video editing software (can be free and open-source software);
- Camera or smartphone for filming the video;
- Research materials (books, articles, reliable websites, videos, etc.).
Detailed Step-by-Step for Activity Execution:
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Task Division: Each group member should have a specific task within the project, whether it is research, creating the slogan, creating the poster, recording and editing the video, or the dissemination strategy.
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Research: The group should research thoroughly about the importance of vaccination, how vaccines work, and their relevance as a public health policy.
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Slogan and Poster Creation: Based on the research, the group should create a slogan for the campaign and an informative digital poster that explains the importance of vaccination.
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Video Recording: The group should record a short video presenting the campaign and explaining the importance of vaccination. The video should be clear, informative, and engaging.
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Dissemination Strategy: The group should think of an efficient dissemination strategy for the campaign, which could involve presenting to other classes, sharing on social media (with the proper permission from parents and/or guardians), among others.
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Final Presentation: At the end of the project, each group should present their campaign to the class, explaining the creation process and the dissemination strategy.
Project Deliverables:
- Written document containing task division, research conducted, description of the campaign created (including the slogan and dissemination strategy), and the group's reflection on the project.
- Digital poster and video of the campaign.
The written document should be structured as follows:
- Introduction: The group should contextualize the importance of vaccination and the project's objective.
- Development: The group should explain how vaccines work and their relevance as a public health policy, detail the task division within the group, describe the process of creating the slogan and poster, video recording, and dissemination strategy.
- Conclusions: The group should reflect on the experience, what they learned throughout the project, and the importance of teamwork.
- Bibliography: The group should indicate all sources of information used during the research.
