SÉQUENCE 2: TACKLING VIRAL OUTBREAKS:

VACCINATION AND VACCINE HESITANCY

Medical advances have increased our health, lengthening our lives and increasing our quality of life.
The 18th century discovery of vaccination and subsequent mass vaccination campaigns in most of the
countries of the world have been one of the most important contributors to medical progress and global
public health.
However, in recent years, the advent of the worldwide web has allowed opinions to spread virally, whether
based on reality or not.
This confusion of fact and fiction has scared anxious people away from vaccination with serious
consequences on public health
You will practice producing a 5-minute oral presentation based on a quote or a picture connected
to
 one of your 6 lines of study.
Your project:
At the end of this 2-part “sequence”, you will be creating a campaign prop (a poster, infographic, video
or audio clip) for young people raising awareness about vaccination. You will present and defend your
campaign material orally in 3 to 5 minutes.

PART I: Old diseases, new threats: Measles, a dangerous illness

In the Discovery opening unit (“séance découverte”), you have learnt about some of the history of
vaccination and how it works.
Part 1 focuses more particularly on a vaccine-preventable disease that had almost been eradicated from
developed countries and is making a much publicised comeback: measles.

Part 1 - Objectives

Culture Epidemics and vaccination in the USA and in the UK

Method • Understanding and reporting what you understood from a textual
document.
• Understanding an aural document and reporting what you understood
in French
• Making a quote- or picture-based oral presentation
Using a translation dictionary
Language tools
Grammar – Asking questions.
– Speaking about means
Vocabulary – Common diseases
– Numbers and dates
– Speaking about trends or tendencies
Spelling/Phonetics Reading numbers and dates

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Introduction
Our cemeteries, history books, art and news channels remind us of the time when humanity faced the
threat of epidemics that killed millions of people worldwide: the Black Death or the plague, small pox, the
Spanish flu… are the names of some of the epidemics that humanity has had to confront. And more
recently, AIDS, Mers, Sars or Covid-19…

Pieter Bruegel the Elder, The Triumph of Death, c. 1562

Public domain. Source : Wikipedia.

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Measles, a dangerous illness:
One of the most infectious diseases that humanity still faces and that still causes thousands of deaths
worldwide is measles, for which a vaccine was discovered in the early 1960s.

World Organization of Health

“CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO”

Activity 1 - Warming up 10

 efore you begin, look up the English or French equivalent for these infectious diseases. A good
B
translation dictionary is www.wordreference.com

ENGLISH FRANCAIS
1. measles = ....................................................................
2. flu = ....................................................................
3. .................................................................... = la coqueluche
4. smallpox = ....................................................................
5. .................................................................... = la polio
6. .................................................................... = la rubéole
7. mumps = ....................................................................
8. AIDS = ....................................................................
→ Check your answers

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Activity 2 - Reading comprehension - Roald Dahl’s open letter 60

 t the end of this work, you will be asked to provide a written presentation of this text using these
A
questions to guide you.
After reading the text, what can you say about
– the author and what he was writing about?
– his reasons for writing this text?
– the main arguments he put forward?

1. In 1986, the famous children’s author Roald Dahl wrote this open letter to the public. Read it and then
move on to the questions

“MEASLES: A dangerous illness.” Roald Dahl, 1986.

Olivia, my eldest daughter, caught measles when she was seven years old. As the illness took its usual
course I can remember reading to her often in bed and not feeling particularly alarmed about it. Then one
morning, when she was well on the road to recovery, I was sitting on her bed showing her how to fashion
little animals out of coloured pipe-cleaners, and when it came to her turn to make one herself, I noticed
that her fingers and her mind were not working together and she couldn’t do anything.
‘Are you feeling all right?’ I asked her.
‘I feel all sleepy,’ she said.
In an hour, she was unconscious. In twelve hours she was dead.
The measles had turned into a terrible thing called measles encephalitis and there was nothing the
doctors could do to save her. That was twenty-four years ago in 1962, but even now, if a child with measles
happens to develop the same deadly reaction from measles as Olivia did, there would still be nothing the
doctors could do to help her.
On the other hand, there is today something that parents can do to make sure that this sort of tragedy
does not happen to a child of theirs. They can insist that their child is immunised against measles. I
was unable to do that for Olivia in 1962 because in those days a reliable measles vaccine had not been
discovered. Today a good and safe vaccine is available to every family and all you have to do is to ask your
doctor to administer it.
It is not yet generally accepted that measles can be a dangerous illness. Believe me, it is. In my opinion
parents who now refuse to have their children immunised are putting the lives of those children at risk.
In America, where measles immunisation is compulsory, measles like smallpox, has been virtually wiped
out.
Here in Britain, because so many parents refuse, either out of obstinacy or ignorance or fear, to allow
their children to be immunised, we still have a hundred thousand cases of measles every year. Out of
those, more than 10,000 will suffer side effects of one kind or another. At least 10,000 will develop ear or
chest infections. About 20 will die.
LET THAT SINK IN.
Every year around 20 children will die in Britain from measles.
So what about the risks that your children will run from being immunised?
They are almost non-existent. Listen to this. In a district of around 300,000 people, there will be only one
child every 250 years who will develop serious side effects from measles immunisation! That is about
a million to one chance. I should think there would be more chance of your child choking to death on a
chocolate bar than of becoming seriously ill from a measles immunisation.

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So what on earth are you worrying about? It really is almost a crime to allow your child to go
unimmunised.
The ideal time to have it done is at 13 months, but it is never too late. All school-children who have not
yet had a measles immunisation should beg their parents to arrange for them to have one as soon as
possible.
Incidentally, I dedicated two of my books to Olivia, the first was James and the Giant Peach. That was when
she was still alive. The second was The BFG, dedicated to her memory after she had died from measles.
You will see her name at the beginning of each of these books. And I know how happy she would be if only
she could know that her death had helped to save a good deal of illness and death among other children.”
Solomon, Tom (2017). “10. A shot in the arm”. Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Medicine.
Liverpool University Press. pp. 119–122. ISBN 978-1-78138-339-1.

2. Ask yourself as many questions as possible that will allow you to identify and organise your answer
material.
 Answer them in note form.

Grammar - Before you begin, you can refresh your memory on how to ask
questions. Go to lesson 15 Enoncés interrogatifs (pp74-78) of your grammar book
(Petite Grammaire anglaise de l’écrit et de l’Oral)

a. Establish the FACTS: Who - Where? When? What?

– Who are the people concerned?
– Where does this take place? What places are referenced?
– When do the events take place?
– What happened to his daughter?
– What was the health situation in Britain in 1962?
– What is happening at the time in 1986 Britain?
b. Focus on REASONS, CAUSES and PURPOSE: Why? What for?
– Why did he write this open letter?
– What is he writing for?
c. Focus on MEANS and METHODS:
– How does Roald Dahl persuade them? Find at least 4 ways Roald Dahl uses to convince his
readers to vaccinate.

 Grammar: To express the means or the way something is done, you can use the structure:
by + Ving
Example: How can populations be protected from infectious diseases?
By vaccinating them.
– ……………………………………………………………………………………………
– ……………………………………………………………………………………………
– ……………………………………………………………………………………………
– ……………………………………………………………………………………………
→ Check your answers

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3. 
Now, using all your notes, you can write out your presentation. Begin by presenting the document
briefly then follow the steps suggested by the question.

After reading the text, what can you say about

– the author and what he was writing about?
– his reasons for writing this text?
– the main arguments he put forward?
→ Check your answers

Activity 3 - Oral practice 30

1. Here is an opinion expressed by Roald

Dahl in his letter that can be connected
to the line of study Public space / private
space (Espace privé et espace public).
“All school-children who
have not yet had a measles
immunisation should beg
their parents to arrange for
them to have one as soon
as possible.”

Portrait of Roald Dahl

by Hans van Dijk for Anefo.
Derived form Nationaal Archief.
Public domain.

2. Follow these instructions to organise your thoughts and do your presentation:

a. Identify the topic of the quote or picture
b. Connect it to the line of study by formulating a question connected to the line of study.
c. Answer in 2 or 3 points using the quote and what you know about the subject.
d. Conclude.

→ Check your answers

 If you would like more information about Roald Dahl and his daughter, you can follow these
hyperlinks.
• https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/allthemoms/2019/02/08/washington-measles-outbreak-why-
roald-dahl-urged-parents-vaccinate/2810571002/
• https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/roald-dahls-open-letter-about-his-daughter-dying-
from-measles-becomes-touchpoint-for-current-us-10019824.html

6 CNED TERMINALE ANGLAIS

Activity 4 - Mapping the current trend 30

1. Measles cases in the US, 1950-2020. Consider these infographics based on the 2019 figures of
the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and read the text below.
Measles vaccines became available in 1963.
In 1968, an improved measles vaccine began to be distributed.
In 1978, CDC set a goal to eliminate measles from the United States by 1982. Although this goal was
not met, widespread use of measles vaccine drastically reduced the disease rates.
However, a 1989 measles outbreak led health authorities to recommend a second dose of MMR
vaccine for all children.
Measles was declared eliminated from the United States in 2000.
[Adapted from www.cdc.gov]

Grammar - Before you begin, refresh your memory on how to use numbers.
Go to lesson Les Nombres et les Dates (p174) of your grammar book (Petite Grammaire
anglaise de l’écrit et de l’Oral)

a. Choose the best title for each one of these infographics:

Chart 1:
□ A troubling trend: measles on the rise.
□ A victory of modern medicine: the eradication of measles
□ The rise and fall of measles

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 Chart 2:
□ A troubling trend: measles on the rise.
□ A victory of modern medicine: the eradication of measles
□ The rise and fall of measles
→ Check your answers

b. Look at the graphs and answer the questions. Use the words below to formulate your answers.
(1) What can you say about the period 1950 to 2000?
(2) How do you explain the difference between the early 1960’s and the late 1960’s? (Hint: you can find
the answer in the previous document you studied)
(3) And the period 2000 - 2019?

VOCABULARY: Speaking about trends or tendencies

a trend, a tendency, a curve
going up: to rise, to go up, to increase, to grow
a rise, an increase, a growth, a spike, an uptick
upward, increasing
to peak at + number
to reach an all-time high, a peak
going down:  to fall, to decrease, to decline, to fall off, to drop off, to go down, to dwindle;
a fall, a decline
downward, decreasing
gradual trends: steadily, gradually, regularly,
steady, regular, gradual, slow
to dwindle
to flatten the curve
sudden trends: suddenly, sharply, markedly, significantly, steeply
sudden / sharp, marked, steep
to shoot up, to soar, to surge ≠ to plummet, to plunge

→ Check your answers

2. Can you read the numbers in the following text? Read the text aloud with particular attention to the
numbers. Refer to the grammar lesson before you start.

Grammar - Before you begin, refresh your memory on how to use numbers.
Go to lesson Les Nombres et les Dates (p174) of your grammar book (Petite Grammaire
anglaise de l’écrit et de l’Oral)

Measles cases are increasing. Provisional data from the WHO indicates that during the first 6
months of the year there have been more measles cases reported worldwide than in any year since
2006.

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 From 1/1/2019 to 7/31/2019*, 182 countries reported 364,808 measles cases to the WHO. This
surpasses the 129,239 reported during the same time period in 2018.
WHO Regions with the biggest increases in cases include the African Region (900%), the Western
Pacific Region (230%) and the European Region (150%).
(adapted from www.cdc.gov)

*Note the US format for the date where the month precedes the day. Hence 9/11 would the eleventh
of September (2001).
→ Check your answers

Activity 5 - Listening comprehension - In-Depth Look at the MMR Vaccine

Debate 60

1. Listening comprehension methodology:

Read the instructions below and the methodology guidelines before listening to the video and taking
notes.

MÉTHODOLOGIE de l’écoute en anglais

Afin que la transcription et la prise de notes soit la plus fidèle au document source, il est recommandé
de faire cette partie du travail en anglais. En effet, les 3 écoutes écoulées, vos notes deviendront le point
d’appui de votre compte rendu en français. Nous vous conseillons de prendre vos notes en anglais autant
que possible car vous risquez d’introduire, dès le début de l’écoute, des distorsions du message si vous
prenez vos notes directement en français.

—Prise de notes :
— Il n’est généralement ni possible ni nécessaire de tout comprendre tout de suite.
— Ne vous inquiétez pas si vous ratez une information, vous pourrez compléter plus tard puisque vous
allez entendre le document 3 fois.
— Préparez une feuille et utilisez-la en entier.
— N’écrivez pas de phrases. Prenez des notes brèves, recourez à vos symboles et abréviations en anglais.

—Identifier le sujet :
— Anticiper à partir du titre
— Utiliser les indices visuels (mais attention à ne pas substituer l’interprétation visuelle à la compré-
hension orale !)
— Repérer les mots clés répétés et les mots appartenant aux mêmes champs lexicaux

—Identifier les personnes :

— Sont-ils participants ou mentionnés ? Qui parle ? De qui est-il question ? Quel est leur role ?
— Repérez les pronoms utilisés.

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 —Identifier le temps et le lieu :
— Repérez les adverbes et prépositions de temps (now, currently, today, nowadays…) (on + day, in +
month, year or century, at + time) …
— Repérez les temps et aspects des verbes :
– l’action est-elle inscrite dans le passé, le présent, l’avenir ?
— l’aspect renseigne sur la façon dont l’action est envisagée :
– aspect simple pour les constats objectifs, factuels…
– aspect progressif ou continu (be + VING) pour les processus, les activités, l’implication subjective
de l’énonciateur
– aspect perfectif (have + VPP) pour la focalisation sur l’accompli, les bilans…

—Identifier les éléments de structure :

— chronologiques
— logiques : cause, conséquence, but, contraste, paradoxe, concession etc.

2. Listening practice: Listen to the first half of the video In-Depth Look at the MMR Vaccine Debate –
Part 1, taking notes as you go along. You will be doing a debrief to check what you have understood.
Video 1 : In-Depth Look at the MMR Vaccine Debate

PBS
3. Debrief
When listening, try to anticipate, establish the facts (who? where? when? what?), explain the reasons,
expose the consequences if any and state the conclusion(s) reached.
a. What did you anticipate from the title? In-Depth Look At The MMR Vaccine Debate
b. What keywords did you pick out? What can you deduce about the subject?
c. Now, you can focus on more detailed comprehension by asking yourself questions about the FACTS:
What? Who? Where? When?
d. Now, focus on the REASONS.
How can you explain the situation? Ask yourself “Why?” questions to find the reasons behind the facts.
Remember that one piece of information can lead to a new question.
– Why did this epidemic break out?
– Why are the Somali-Americans not vaccinated?
– Why is there a “debate” about vaccination?
– Why do they fear the MMR vaccine will cause autism?
– What is the conclusion reached?
→ Check your answers

10 CNED TERMINALE ANGLAIS

4. MÉTHODOLOGIE du compte rendu en FRANCAIS
— Présentez le document (source, type, locuteurs, sujet...) en introduction.
— Une fois le document présenté, il sera plus simple de respecter l’ordre et la structure du document
dans sa chronologie et logique interne.
— Ayez de la précision dans l’utilisation des verbes déclaratifs (pour montrer qu’on connait autre chose
que le verbe “dire” et que l’on a compris les opérations déclaratives, le séquencement, les intentions, les
émotions... explicites et implicites des locuteurs).
commencer – débuter – introduire – ouvrir une discussion ... continuer – poursuivre – ajouter... finir par
– conclure...
présenter - rapporter – raconter – rendre compte - témoigner... indiquer - faire état de…
expliquer – illustrer - démontrer – prouver...
constater – se rendre compte - réaliser...
insister – surenchérir – mettre en relief – souligner...
(se) rappeler – se remémorer – se souvenir...
échanger – converser - deviser...
sous-entendre – donner à penser – impliquer -
acquiescer – manifester son accord – dire être d’accord – s’accorder
s’opposer – contredire – contrecarrer...
s’indigner – s’étonner de – se moquer – s’amuser de – rire de...
etc...
— Ayez recours à des adverbes pour rendre compte de la tonalité... Le ton est porteur de sens (émotions,
opinions, intentions...), les identifier est valorisé.
— Utilisez des liens logiques pour rendre compte de la construction (explicite ou implicite) du discours :
cause – conséquence – finalité– concession – contraste – opposition...
— Attention!  - Aucun commentaire ou avis personnel ne doit être exprimé.
- Aucune lecture d’image (“On voit...”), aucune description visuelle, il s’agit d’une
compréhension ORALE !

5. Report in French:
En rendant compte, en français, du document, vous montrerez que vous avez compris :
– la nature et le thème principal du document ;
– à qui s’adresse le document ;
– le déroulement des faits, la situation, les événements, les informations ;
– l’identité des personnes ou personnages et, éventuellement, les liens entre elles/entre eux ;
– les éventuels différents points de vue ;
– les éventuels éléments implicites du document ;
– la fonction et la portée du document (relater, informer, convaincre, critiquer, dénoncer, etc.).
→ Check your answers

6. Practice:
 Now, practice what you have learnt. Listen to the second part of the video In-Depth Look At The
MMR Vaccine Debate – Part 2, take down notes and write your report in French using the following
guidelines.
En rendant compte, en français, du document, vous montrerez que vous avez compris :
– la nature et le thème principal du document ;
– à qui s’adresse le document ;

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 – le déroulement des faits, la situation, les événements, les informations ;
– l’identité des personnes ou personnages et, éventuellement, les liens entre elles/entre eux ;
– les éventuels différents points de vue ;
– les éventuels éléments implicites du document ;
– la fonction et la portée du document (relater, informer, convaincre, critiquer, dénoncer, etc.).

Video 2

Lakeland PBS 2017

→ Check your answers

Activity 6 – a 5-minute oral report on the topic of “Measles, a dangerous disease.”

Using what you have learnt in the documents you studied in this first part, prepare a 5-minute oral report
on the topic of “Measles, a dangerous disease.”
Use this checklist to structure your oral presentation.
Focus on your presentation:
□ What documents studied can you use to answer this question?
□ Have you formulated a question, a problem?
□ Have you detailed your plan? Have you written it down?
□ Do you have a catchy introduction, a rhetorical question? An anecdote?
□ Have you made a list of the new vocabulary you will be using in your answer?

12 CNED TERMINALE ANGLAIS

Focus on phonology:
□  Remember, you should not write out your presentation and read it, but speak from a plan.
□ Have you checked the pronunciation and accentuation of new words or difficult words?
□ Have you practiced saying it with a timer or a stopwatch?
□ Have you read the marking scheme that will be used to evaluate your work? Do not forget that you are
aiming for level B2.
Vous pouvez vous référer à la grille figurant dans votre devoir d’expression orale en continu pour vous
auto-évaluer.

→ Check your answers

You have completed Part 1. Well done!
Part 2 looks at the new emergence of vaccination hesitancy that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has
listed as one of its top 10 health threats of the moment. You will examine some of its history as well as
some of the responses tackling this threat.

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