Immunization Month Lesson Plans

While August may be National Immunization Month, the issue of vaccines will be a hot topic during the next few months as well. With health organizations preparing for a possible second round of the Swine Flu (H1N1), and a vaccine scheduled to be available in the middle of October, teachers and parents can take this opportunity to educate their children about vaccines and the flu. 

According to the The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "Immunization is one of the most significant public health achievements of the 20th century. Vaccines have eradicated smallpox, eliminated wild poliovirus in the United States and significantly reduced the number of cases of measles, diphtheria, rubella, pertussis and other diseases."

Because of the use of vaccines, several generations of Americas have not witnessed the devastating effects of a disease that gets out of control. The loss of life is not just felt by a single family, but in many cases a whole country. While violent outbreaks still occur all over the world, these types of problems are rare in the United States. This is largely due to immunization campaigns that target both adults and children.

August is also an appropriate time for parents to think about this issue since they are enrolling their children in school. The CDC recommends following specific guidelines in keeping up-to-date with a person's immunizations. An adult, vaccinated as a child, still needs to follow an immunization schedule. Schedules for adults and children can be found on the CDC website. The American Academy of Pediatrics also has information about vaccines, immunization, and diseases.

There are many homeschooling families, for religious or other specific reasons, that do not want their children vaccinated. It is, however, important to note that certain school districts, and even umbrella schools, require proof of vaccination when you enroll your child.  Around the country, states offer free walk-in clinics for vaccinations.

Lesson Planet offers many interesting lesson plans on immunization and the immune system. It gives educators an opportunity to explore science and health-related activities. They can also talk about a variety of other topics as well, including the history of immunization, and the way vaccines work.

Immunization Month Lesson Plans:

How the Body's Immune System Responds to a Virus explains how blood cells prevent invaders entering the body. There is a great game used for children to be the body and prevent the virus from taking over.

Fighting Back has lots of information on the immune system. There is an interesting note on how sickness is spread in space. There is a fun activity on temperature conversion.

Immunization has two letters of women infected with diseases. Children investigate how and what led to their catching their illnesses. There is also background information on vaccinations and the immune system

Battle of the Guts uses "The Magic School Bus" material. It is great way to introduce the immune system to young children.

The Laughing Brain utilizes an enjoyable activity on how laughing can influence the brain and specifically help people who are sick.

The Highjacker - How A Virus Spreads has a great illustration experiment where children use test tubes with either water or a mystery chemical. They in turn infect each other and observe the results.