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Essay Instructions: Vaccines and Autism. Critically discuss the impact of the now disproved associated link between autism and childhood vaccinations.

Include in your discussion both the public health and individual impacts of this failed notion.

Is it reasonable not to vaccinate children attending public school;

; What are the public health impacts of those that advocate for the ?non-vaccination? of school children?
Your paper should be derived from either peer-reviewed journals or publications of high journalistic integrity . Papers are not book reports, and not your personal opinion forum.

For this assignment you will be required to write an essay that is no less than 2,500 words in length, but no greater than 3,000 words, double spaced, font 12 Times New Roman and one inch margins.

Your essay should include at least to eight to ten paragraphs and should be a critical analysis of the topic. For example: you should have:

1. one paragraph abstract;
2. a 1-2 paragraphs to introduce the issue,
3. 3 or 4 (or more) paragraphs to identify and discuss BOTH sides of the issue [the pros and cons of the topic] and
4.A closing 1 to 3 paragraphs to provide a brief summary. You may include supported opinion in the summary paragraph only.
5.Include your references in APA format

Remember: This assignment is an analytical or interpretive composition which will require you to interpret or weigh conflicting data: it is NOT a book report.

For this assignment you will be required to write an essay that is no less than 2,500 words in length, but no greater than 3,000 words, double spaced, font 12 Times New Roman and one inch margins.

Essay Instructions: Mass Communication Written Assignment Instructions


Extended Comparative Agenda Setting Media Analysis

This assignment extends that initial exercise by asking you to perform a comparative analysis of media agendas by looking at agenda setting across different media sources. This assignment asks you to track these attributes across a variety of sources to gain a fuller sense of agenda setting effects for public opinion. This assignment also asks you to consider the broader contexts in which these attributes appear.

Your task involves examining three to five different news sources over a three week period. Choose to study sources that can be fairly compared in terms of the size and character of the audience, time and the medium. This would mean choosing three newspapers, or three websites. Choose sources in one medium. Find as many stories in your chosen sources that address your public figure, issue or institution. Trace the same story across these different sources and note the attributes being used to talk about your selected subject.

Use these sources – Newspaper (online):

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/11/health/policy/11vaccine.html

http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/brain-and-behavior/2008/04/10/fighting-the-autism-vaccine-war.html

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/katy/news/5698780.html

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/viewpoints/stories/DN-offit_07edi.ART.State.Edition1.4664920.html


After engaging these different versions of “the news”, construct an essay reporting your observations and comments about what you have seen. The purpose of this activity is to have you compare the ways in which “the news” sets an agenda and then to link this engagement to broader concerns about what it means to be an informed citizen.

Here are some questions to consider:

a) Attribute prominence: When/where are these attributes presented? (top story, back page, home page, buried link?) How much space or time might be devoted to your chosen focus?
b) Source of attributes: Who provides these attributes? Who does not get to provide attributes? Why might this be?
c) What is important about the context in which the stories appear (music, color scheme, editing, set design, layout, etc.)? Why are these things significant and how do they function to communicate these attributes?
d) How are the attributes in the chosen sources different? How are they similar? In what ways do they make similar assumptions about your chosen focus?

Significance/Importance questions:

f) What is important about your findings? How might the results of your study be significant for public opinion? What potentially follows from the attributes ascribed to your chosen focus?
g) How does this experience alter your assumptions about what “the news” is or should be? If “the news” is created and communicated, NOT handed down from on high, is this a good or bad thing? Why? How might some of our readings (like Lippmann, McCombs or McChesney) assist you in your observations? These 3 sources will be emailed to you.
h) How do your observations inform your perspective on the informed citizen? How did the information viewers would have received over these three days further/hinder their participation in democracy as a citizen? It will be wise to consider how you define citizen.

The essay will be evaluated based on the degree of depth you perform with your analysis and how closely the project links your commentary to your observations garnered from your viewing experiences. Remember that you are not merely addressing the ‘what’ and the ‘how’ in talking about what kinds of attributes are used and how they are being used, but also the ‘so what’ in addressing the significance of these attributes for public opinion.

Some Final Considerations

Your essays should:

-- have a thesis (remember that you’re making an argument).
-- be proofread. If you don’t, I will.
-- have evidence to substantiate your points, whether quoted, paraphrased, or simply mentioned.
-- argue rather than simply assert. An argument gives reasons and evidence; an assertion just states something without any backing.

You’ll be graded holistically (not by a point system for various aspects) on such dimensions as the clarity of the writing, the coherence of the argument, the organization of the essay, excellence in style, and creativity and originality.

Value: 200 points
Length and Format: 7-9 pages (I won’t read beyond page 10) plus Works Cited page. All papers should be double-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font (no smaller!), with page numbers. Failing to meet these criteria will mean a 10 point deduction for each criterion that has been missed.
Citations: Please follow MLA or APA style guidelines.
Additional Guidelines: Indicate your name at the top of page 1. No title page is necessary. A title “Vaccines and Autism”.

There are faxes for this order.

Essay Instructions: Read and review information found at:
o http://www.adarc.org/frame.asp?var=about_HIV
o http://www.biology.arizona.edu/immunology/tutorials/AIDS/main.html

•Conduct independent Web research on vaccines
•Describe in your own words how vaccines work. Be sure address the following in your summary:
oWhat do scientists target on the virus or bacterium?
oWhat are antigens? What role do antigens play in creating the vaccine?
oWhat are T cells? What are B cells? What are memory cells? What role do these cells play?
oWhat are antibodies?
oCite your sources.

•Suppose that is circa 1988. At this point in time, no one has every attempted to create an HIV vaccine. You are the scientist contemplating how to make the very first one. Based on what you’ve learned about how HIV enters the cell and replicates, how would you approach its development? What molecule on the surface of the virus do you think would be a good target? Be sure to use proper MLA citation

Essay Instructions: Alternative Research Assignment: Human Papilloma Virus Vaccine

There has been an increase trend in the rate of occurrence of oral cancers. We all have known and discussed with our patients the dangers of smoking and alcohol use as a potential source. A recently identified etiology is the HPV -16 virus. Early in the Republican primary debates there was heated discussion about Rick Perry’s mandate to have all girls vaccinated. Health advocates worried that the vaccine itself was stigmatized by some of the misleading information presented during the debates. What do you think? What do you know about this vaccine?

Please answer the following questions/areas in the research paper.
1. Background information on HPV including statistical information on the incidences of cervical and oral cancer in the United States that may be linked to this virus.
2. History of the vaccine –name the two vaccines, manufacturers, time on the market, cost, availability
3. What is the federal role- what agencies are involved in this policy debate? Please be sure to include information on ACIP
a. Identify who is the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)
b. What federal department and thus agency is responsible for this committee
c. How many members are on the committee – how are they elected to the committee
d. What power does this committee have? Can they make law?
4. What is the state role? Site an example of a minimum of four examples of HPV vaccine introduced legislation in 2011-12 at the state level.
5. State three reasons why as a policymaker the vaccine should be required of all girls entering 6th grade.
6. State two reasons why as a policymaker the vaccine should not be mandated for young girls.
7. State your personal perspective? What would you do as a parent? Healthcare provider?

Students will need a minimum of 5-8 current professional sources. I encourage you to view the tutorial on this topic at www.kff.org. The paper must be a minimum of 10 pages (maximum 15 pages) and follow proper APA formatting. The paper must be submitted using the drop box by MAY 6 BY 10:00 AM. Early submissions are appreciated (and may receive bonus points).