Vaccinations have been one of the most effective methods to prevent disease and have helped to lower mortality associated with infectious diseases worldwide. They are designed to prevent disease, rather than treat a disease once you have caught it.

A vaccine can be made from weak or inactive versions of the same microbes that make us ill. In some cases, the vaccines are made from cells which are similar to, but not exact copies of, the microbe cells that make us ill. New messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines, like some of the COVID-19 vaccines, teach our cells how to make a protein, or pieces of protein, to trigger an immune response inside our bodies. Through each of these mechanisms, an immune response is triggered in our bodies and produces antibodies. This is why all vaccines can protect us from getting infected with different diseases. While mRNA vaccines are newly available to the public, researchers have been investigating this for decades. All vaccines, no matter what disease it is for, goes through rigorous processes to ensure that they are safe and effective before being offered to the public.

Herd immunity is a type of immunity which occurs when the vaccination of a portion of a population (or herd) provides protection to unvaccinated individuals. If enough of a population is vaccinated, unvaccinated individuals are less likely to come into contact with the disease due to its decreased prevalence. It is important to maintain herd immunity as some people are unable to have vaccinations.

In this lesson plan, students watch a series of videos and participate in class discussion around how vaccines work to protect us from infection. They also take part in a debate to understand different perceptions of vaccines and learn how facts can be used to address common misconceptions.