In this lesson, students will learn how Pearl Kendrick and Grace Eldering’s pioneering work in vaccine development had a lasting effect on global health, specifically in preventing whooping cough.
Featured article: “Heroes of Progress, Pt. 14: Pearl Kendrick and Grace Eldering” by Alexander C. R. Hammond
Alexander C. R. Hammond writes, “Thanks to Eldering and Kendrick’s work, more than 15 million lives have already been saved, and it is likely that their vaccine will continue to save millions more.”
In this lesson, students will learn how Pearl Kendrick and Grace Eldering’s pioneering work in vaccine development had a lasting effect on global health, specifically in preventing whooping cough. Understanding their contributions highlights the importance of scientific innovation and collaboration, the role of women in scientific discovery, and the profound societal impact of their work.
Do you know what whooping cough is? You likely have only a vague idea. You’ve probably never met anyone who has had it, let alone died from it. That is a blessing. Most people in the developed world are no longer familiar with this deadly disease thanks to Kendrick and Eldering, the two scientists who created the vaccine against it.
During the 20th century, governments created institutions supporting public health. One of the most famous is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC conducts disease monitoring, research, health education, and emergency preparedness and is a reputable source for information about infectious diseases.
With a partner, use the CDC website to learn more about whooping cough. Answer the following questions.
Read the article “Heroes of Progress Pt. 15: Pearl Kendrick and Grace Eldering” and then answer the following questions:
Recent data show that over 10 percent of Americans doubt the efficacy of vaccines.
In the article “Vaccines have saved 150 million children over the last 50 years” from Our World in Data, the authors write, “Perhaps this pushback would be lower if we spent more time explaining the huge numbers of children saved by vaccines.… Tomorrow, newspapers could run the headline ‘Almost 10,000 children were saved by essential vaccines yesterday.’ They could have printed this headline daily for decades.”
With reliable scientific data, we can show that deaths from whooping cough and many other diseases have fallen dramatically since worldwide vaccination campaigns began in the middle of the 20th century.
Using the skills you practiced in the warm‐up about whooping cough, use the CDC, Our World in Data, and other reputable sources to learn more about one of the following diseases (all of which have vaccines available):
Working with a partner, choose one of the diseases above. Answer the following questions in a 250‐word report.
In the late 20th century, Bill Gates became one of the world’s wealthiest individuals building the Microsoft Corporation. He and his ex‐wife, Melinda French Gates, have used their fortune to help people in developing countries.
Since 2000, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has donated billions of dollars to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Working with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, and the vaccine industry, they aim to increase the availability of vaccines in low‐income countries. As a result, in the past two decades, over a billion children have been vaccinated, preventing 18 million deaths.
In the video “Does saving more lives lead to overpopulation?”, Gates asks, “As we make the world healthier, is the population going to get so big that feeding everybody and maintaining the environment is going to be impossible?”
Watch the video to learn his answer, and then answer these questions:
As female scientists in the early 20th century, Kendrick and Eldering faced significant gender bias in the male‐dominated field of microbiology. Despite challenges, they persevered in conducting large‐scale clinical trials during the worst period of the Great Depression. Their determination and resourcefulness in the face of adversity resulted in a world‐changing vaccine.
Today, women are leaders in all fields of scientific research. Research and make a poster about one of the following female scientists from the 21st century (or choose another, subject to teacher approval). Then, present your poster to the class.
Your poster should include the following elements:
Present your poster to the class. In your presentation, you should briefly discuss the following in 1–2 minutes:
