The Times Cheltenham Science Festival 7-12 June 2016
On Tuesday 7th June there was a panel discussion on Genetically Modified Vaccines: Infection specialist Andrew Pollard and vaccinologists Adrian Hill and Bryan Charleston & were in the Helix Theatre to discuss the importance of vaccines in animals and humans and the pros and cons of recent research.
The Jenner Institute and Oxford Vaccine Group (OVG) were in the activity tents throughout Saturday, where visitors were able to see mosquito dissections and take part in hands on activities, quizzes and games on vaccines and infectious diseases.
The stall was a huge success! Around 1000 visitors came to chat to our researchers and find out more about vaccine development and other infectious disease-related sciences. Adults were very willing to answer our short questionnaire on the use of vaccines in public health. Children of all ages (as well as a few parents!) were keen to make use of our arts and crafts activities including "build a virus" and the ever popular "build a mosquito". A snakes and ladders game in which players could learn the practicalities of taking a vaccine from its theoretical conception through pre-clinical development, clinical trials and into the field, also proved very popular with young budding scientists, as did learning a few practical everyday laboratory techniques such as how to use a pipette.