Mediaboss Marketing

Students in U.S. high schools can get free digital access to The New York Times until Sept. 1, 2021.

Featured Article: As Biden Faces Vaccine Hesitancy, Republicans Are a Particular Challenge by Annie Karni and Zolan Kanno-Youngs

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on March 20 that about 79.4 million people have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, and President Biden has directed states to make all adults eligible for a vaccine by May 1. Mass vaccination is seen by the government and health professionals as an essential strategy for ending the pandemic. Still, many Americans are reluctant to get vaccinated.

In this lesson, you will explore some of the reasons people in different communities in the United States are hesitant to receive a vaccine, and you will consider the best strategies for addressing those concerns.

Part I: As the Covid-19 vaccine becomes more available, some people are experiencing fear and worry about the vaccine. Some of these fears are about proven side effects, while others are based on rumors and conspiracies.

What concerns do you have, or do you know of, about the coronavirus vaccines?

Where have you heard or seen these concerns?

How do you decide what medical information to trust? How do you determine what makes a source reliable?

Note: This resource from the University of California San Francisco can help students learn about which online sources of health information are most reliable.

Read the article, then answer the following questions:

1. The article states, A third of Republicans said in a CBS News poll that they would not be vaccinated compared with 10 percent of Democrats and another 20 percent of Republicans said they were unsure. Then the article identifies a variety of worries that contribute to vaccine hesitancy among some Republicans. Do you feel sympathetic to, or understanding of, any of these reasons for being concerned about the vaccine? Why or why not?

2. What are the possible dangers of widespread opposition to vaccination?

3. The article mentions several strategies to sway skeptical conservatives. Which of these do you think would be most effective? Why?

4. What factors social, economic and historical do you believe contribute to fear or opposition to getting vaccinated?

5. According to the article, the White House plans to target young people as one of its problem areas in a vaccine ad campaign. Drawing from your own experience, brainstorm two possible sources of your generations distrust. Then, brainstorm two possible solutions to address it.

Republicans arent the only group of Americans reluctant to get vaccinated. Black people, Native Americans and L.G.B.T.Q. people have been disproportionately hurt by the pandemic, yet some people in those communities have expressed hesitancy toward the vaccines because of a legacy of medical malpractice and discrimination.

To better understand the reasons for this hesitancy, read one or more of the following articles:

Next, using this Venn diagram, compare Republicans vaccine hesitancy to that of the other group you read about. After completing your Venn diagram, reflect on the following questions in your own writing or during class discussion.

Where do the concerns overlap? In what ways are they distinct?

How might an outreach campaign meaningfully connect with, and educate, those in the group you read about?

Note: If youre doing the above activity as a class, small groups can read different articles and then share what they learned.

Imagine you work for the C.D.C., and it is your responsibility to develop an effective and thoughtful campaign to encourage people to get vaccinated. How could you most effectively persuade those who are hesitant about the vaccine?

Plan your campaign and then create a draft poster or storyboard to share with classmates.

Questions to consider: Who is your primary audience? What message or slogan would you deliver? How would you deliver it (through what media)? Who would be the best spokesperson to help with the delivery? What are some of the lessons you have learned by the reading the article or articles above? What other factors or elements should you take into account?

About Lesson of the Day

Find all our Lessons of the Day in this column. Teachers, watch our on-demand webinar to learn how to use this feature in your classroom.

See more here:
Lesson of the Day: As Biden Faces Vaccine Hesitancy, Republicans Are a Particular Challenge - The New York Times