The Zika virus is linked to brain damage in unborn babies and is spreading rapidly through South America. The World Health Organisation declared it an international emergency. Scientists are working on a vaccine and will soon want to test it on people. The Dilemma for students is: would you test a Zika vaccine? They review the science of cells and weigh up the risks and benefits by examining different sources (a revised version of our popular Ebola activity).
Science objective
Cells: Make deductions about how medical treatments work based on cells, tissues, organs and systems (KS3 Science Syllabus)
Enquiry objective
Estimate risks: Weigh up the benefits and risks of an application of science to make a decision (KS3 Science Syllabus)
Try the activity
Zika presentation
Zika Teachers guide
Student opinions
Add extra interest by showing students how their views compare with peers around the world.
1) Ask students to vote for or against the dilemma question at the end of the activity
2) Click the option closest to how they voted – see the KEY below.
KEY: 80-100% = 24+ students in a class of 30, 60-79% = 18-23 students, 40-60% = 12-17 students, 20-39% = 6-11 students, 0-19% = 0-5 students