The Gist

Using simulations and role play, students explore how knowledge, social influences, access, and policy all influence whether individuals vaccinate. They then see how vaccination rates of a community determine whether an outbreak turns into an epidemic or gets stopped in its tracks.

Driving Question(s):

How do our individual decisions impact public health?
How are vaccination decisions shaped by a combination of personal beliefs and other societal factors?
What is herd immunity and why is it important?

Hook(s):

Features the custom built Community Immunity simulation that uses storytelling, rich data visualizations, and light gamification to make complex public health and research concepts understandable.
Personal stories and research from a public health expert whose mother developed polio as a child and two Vanderbilt researchers exploring connections between knowledge, social influences, access, and policy affect vaccination patterns.

Estimated time2 x 45 min classes

Grades8-12