Vaccine Hunters

Dengue fever and Chikungunya are serious viral illnesses for which there is no vaccine. Vaccine hunters, using basic research and hypothesis testing, have discovered a genetic modification protocol that makes the virus non viable in humans. 

NGSS Performance Expectation: Analyze a major global challenge to specify qualitative and quantitative criteria and constraints for solutions that account for societal needs and wants.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is Dengue fever and how is it transmitted?
  2. What is Chikungunya and where does it occur?
  3. How does a vaccine work?
  4. What is the history of vaccines throughout history?
  5. How are the researchers in the video making the vaccine safe for humans?
  6. What is the history of distribution of the Asian Tiger Mosquito in the U.S.?