Cifras Relevantes del Sistema de Pensiones de Costa Rica

Students will research and learn about common vaccines and will discuss some of the benefits and risks of vaccines.

getting ready

Make enough copies of Student Page: Types of Vaccines for each student. You may choose to make a single copy on a transparency and to show it to the entire class using an overhead projector. Internet access or library access will be necessary for students to conduct research. Alternatively, you can assign research as homework.

doing the activity

1. Generate a discussion about vaccines by ask- ing your students to describe what they know about vaccines. Ask them to list some of the vaccinations they have received. Make a list of those vaccines on the board.

2. Next, ask your students if they know what each vaccine is designed to prevent. Add this infor- mation to the list on the board.

3. Next, ask your students if they know how vaccines work. Ask them if they know the dif- ferences among live, attenuated, and recombi- nant vaccines. Use the Activity 3 PowerPoint to introduce them to the basics of vaccines. This information will provide an opportunity for students to learn how the process of biotech- nology is used in the area of disease preven- tion.

4. Allow the students time to read Student Page: Types of Vaccines. Generate a discussion using the following questions. Although students may not have an advanced understanding of some of the complexities associated with vac- cines, these questions will generate thoughts about some of the basic difference among the vaccine types.

Which of these are examples of biotechnology?

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All are examples of biotechnology.

Biotechnology is the use of living organisms to produce useful products.

What would be a potential advantage of

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introducing only a part of a disease-causing organism?

It would not be able to actually cause a disease.

What is a potential disadvantage of introducing

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only a part of a disease-causing organism?

It may not be as effective at inducing an immune response as a whole organism.

ƒDo you think each method is equally safe? Why or why not?

Safety can be measured as the risk of acquiring the disease. The safest methods involve introducing either dead microorganisms or subunits of the microorganisms. They are used because there is then zero risk of becoming infected. However, safety must also be weighed against effectiveness. For example, attenuated

vaccines are often more effective than dead vaccines in stimulating a defensive response. In cases where individuals are healthy, they may be able to effectively fight off an attenuated version of the disease. However, the same vaccine may not be tolerated as well by individuals who are less able to produce a strong defense, such as the very young, elderly, or immunocompromised individual.

Ask the students if they have heard of any con-

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troversy surrounding vaccines.

Controversies associated with vaccines center on potential side effects (such as neurological and immunological disorders), as well as on individual rights (many vaccines are legally required).

What are the challenges associated with mak-

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ing vaccines for diseases such as the flu or HIV?

Viruses such as the flu and HIV rapidly mutate. Therefore, the challenge is developing a wide variety of vaccines that can respond to the various strains.

5. Return the students’ attention to the list gener- ated in step 1. Ask them if they think the list is complete. The list generated by your students will likely be quite short and will miss a lot of information. Give students an opportunity to research on their own what types of vaccines they have received. They can do this by search- ing the Internet for information, consulting the school’s admittance policy, contacting their doctor, and so forth.

6. Once your students have had an opportunity to gather more information on the topic, bring them back together as a group, and fill out more information on the chart that was started in step 1. You may add a column to indicate whether this vaccine is optional or required.

7. Next, ask your students to pick a vaccine to research and to use the information they find so they can make an informational poster. You may choose to have students work in pairs for this activity, but they can also work individu- ally. Tell your students that you would like for them to address the following questions through their research:

What is the vaccine designed to prevent?

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How is the vaccine made?

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How does the vaccine work?

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Is the vaccine live, attenuated, or recombinant?

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Is the vaccine required for all people? If not,

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explain.

At what age is the vaccine given? Are boosters

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required?

What are the benefits of the vaccine?

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What are the risks associated with the vaccine?

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What are two debate topics associated with

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your vaccine?

8. Hang the posters around the room, and allow the students to walk around and to read each poster. Finally, ask each student to give a brief presentation (less than 5 minutes) to the class about the vaccine he or she chose to study, highlighting what it does, how it works, and any controversies surrounding it. Leave a min- ute for questions from the class. If multiple students have chosen the same vaccine, you may want them to give a group presentation.

s t u d e n t P a g e

86 project learning tree Exploring Environmental Issues: BioTechnology

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types of vaccines