Viruses, Vaccines and the Public

Authors

Judy Diamond, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
Julia McQuillan, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
Amy Spiegel, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Patricia Wonch Hill, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
Rebecca Smith, University of California Medical Center
John T. West, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Charles Wood, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

5-2016

Document Type

Article

Citation

Published in Museums & Social Issues 11:1 (April 2016), pp. 9-16.

HHS Public Access version, Author manuscript; available in PMC 2017 February 12.

doi:10.1080/15596893.2016.1131099

PMCID: PMC4980086

Comments

© 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Used by permission.

Abstract

Current research in virology is changing public conceptions about vaccines and infectious disease. The University of Nebraska State Museum collaborated with research virologists, science writers, artists and learning researchers to create public outreach materials about viruses and infectious disease. The project, funded by the National Institute of Health’s SEPA program, developed comics, a book with Carl Zimmer, and other materials and programs. The project launched three kinds of learning research: 1) a survey of Nebraska adults on their opinions about vaccines and infectious disease; 2) a study comparing the mental models of viruses, vaccines and infection from virologists, teachers, and students; and 3) a controlled study 873 high school students randomly assigned to read either a comic or a text-based essay with the same virus information.