“Animals in Vaccine Development”

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What is it?
You will write and submit a position paper on the topic of the usage of animals in the context of vaccine development. A position paper presents an arguable opinion that is held by the writer (you), and should include data-driven facts cited by scientific sources. For this paper, you can write in first person, since portions of it are opinions you hold.

Am I “pro” or “con”?
Most of us already have some pre-conceived notions regarding this topic that may or may not include some mixed opinions (likely a majority!). I would encourage you to have an open mind throughout this assignment and research both sides of the issue. This is an opportunity to research and justify any and all of your opinions, so it is completely acceptable (and encouraged) to include arguments for both sides in your paper.

Assignment:
You will submit a typed paper (12 pt font, double-spaced, 1 in. margins) of your research representing your stance to the D2L Assignment folder titled “Animals in Vaccine Development”. The paper should be 2-3 pages long (no cover page necessary) and it should contain in-text documentation of your sources. You should also submit a Works Cited page (see below) with no fewer than 3 scientific resources (feel free to include more). Your Works Cited page will not count towards the page limit of your paper.

Scientific resources:
Scientific resources traditionally refer to peer-reviewed journals, but I will also accept published national policies (NIH, USDA, etc). Please do not use online sources such as Wikipedia, PETA, Humane Society, etc as one of your 3 minimum sources as these websites are not peer-reviewed and typically not seen as credible by the scientific community. Any “blog post” found online, even from a credible source, is not peer-reviewed and will not count as a “scientific source”. Feel free to peruse those websites during your research, but please find more scientific sources to cite during your arguments. In-text documentation is required. Your citations should be of scientific format as indicated by APA or MLA guidelines. You may visit the following website for documentation guidelines: Purdue Online Writing Lab

 

 

1. Citing a textbook in Works Cited page:
Widmaier, E.P., Raff H., & Strang K.T. (2019). Vander’s human physiology: the mechanisms of body function. 15th ed. New York: McGraw Hill Education.

 

2. Citing a journal article found online in Works cited page:
Hendriksen CF. (1996). A short history of the use of animals in vaccine development and quality control. Dev Biol Stand, 86, 3-10. PMID: 8785959

A few questions to get you started:
• What is considered “humane” animal research?
• Who or what organization(s) holds researchers accountable for their practices involving animals?
• What legislation is in place to protect these animals?
• Is vaccine development different than other scientific purposes?

Sample Solution

The Use of Animals in Vaccine Development: A Position Paper

The use of animals in vaccine development is a controversial topic. There are strong arguments on both sides of the issue.

Arguments in favor of the use of animals in vaccine development:

  • Animals are similar to humans in many ways, including their immune systems. This makes them good models for studying how vaccines work and how they can be improved.
  • Animals can be used to test the safety and efficacy of vaccines before they are tested in humans. This helps to ensure that vaccines are safe and effective before they are used in people.
  • Animals can be used to develop new vaccine technologies. For example, animals have been used to develop the technology for making mRNA vaccines.

Arguments against the use of animals in vaccine development:

  • Animals can suffer during research and testing. This is a major ethical concern for many people.
  • There are alternative methods that can be used to study vaccines, such as computer modeling and cell cultures. These methods are not as good as animal models, but they are becoming increasingly sophisticated.
  • The use of animals in vaccine development is not always necessary. For example, some vaccines, such as the polio vaccine, can be developed without using animals.

My position on the issue:

I believe that the use of animals in vaccine development is necessary in some cases. However, I also believe that we should strive to reduce the number of animals used in research and testing. We should also use the most humane methods possible when animals are used in research.

I believe that the best way to reduce the number of animals used in vaccine development is to develop better alternative methods. This is an area of active research, and I am optimistic that we will make significant progress in the future.

In the meantime, I believe that we should use animals in vaccine development only when there is no other way to develop safe and effective vaccines. We should also use the most humane methods possible when animals are used in research.

I hope this position paper has given you a better understanding of the arguments for and against the use of animals in vaccine development. I encourage you to do your own research on this topic and form your own opinion.

 

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