‘I don’t want to die so young:’ an exploratory study of students’ virus and vaccine concepts and sources of information

The media coverage of virus and vaccine information revealed the limited knowledge and vastly differing perspectives the public has about these topics. Although critically important, there is a dearth of research on students’ conceptions of vaccines and viruses and their sources of information. In this mixed-methods study, elementary, middle, and high school students were surveyed and interviewed about their knowledge and sources of information related to vaccines and viruses. Participants (n = 227) completed a survey, and 33 participants were randomly selected for follow-up interviews. Results showed students at all grade levels reported learning most of their knowledge about viruses and vaccines outside of school, with parents/guardians being reported as the most frequent source of information. The study found that even young elementary students have significant knowledge of viruses and vaccines, often holding complex concepts. The results documented students’ beliefs, concepts, and inaccurate knowledge of viruses and vaccines, as well as how outside sources affected these perspectives. There was evidence that at higher grades, students are increasingly learning about vaccines and viruses from media. These findings support initiating virus and vaccine education at lower grade levels and establishing standards that equip educators with teaching guidelines to direct their instruction on these subjects.