New
New
Year 5

The importance of vaccines

I can explain why vaccines are so important.

New
New
Year 5

The importance of vaccines

I can explain why vaccines are so important.

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Diseases are often caused by germs.
  2. Immunisation can protect us from germs.
  3. Having an illness already can protect us from future disease.
  4. Vaccination can protect us from serious diseases without making us very ill.
  5. Millions of lives have been saved by vaccinations.

Keywords

  • Disease - when germs get inside your body and make you feel sick

  • Immunisation - the way our body protects us from disease

  • Vaccination - a medicine that can prevent some diseases and serious illnesses

Common misconception

Vaccinations do more harm than good.

Side effects to vaccinations are very rare. They are in no way comparible to the amount of lives that are saved because of them. There are many conspiracy theories and much misinformation about vaccinations online.


To help you plan your year 5 rshe (pshe) lesson on: The importance of vaccines, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Emphasise that vaccination has been common for over 100 years and has successfully erradicated many diseases (such as smallpox) and saved millions of people from death and serious illness.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the word to the definition.
Correct Answer:emergency,a dangerous situation that needs immediate help

a dangerous situation that needs immediate help

Correct Answer:endanger,to put someone in danger

to put someone in danger

Correct Answer:airborne,when something travels through the air

when something travels through the air

Correct Answer:germs,tiny living things that can make us ill

tiny living things that can make us ill

Q2.
How can we kill germs on our body?
Correct answer: wash our whole body with warm water
wash our whole body with cold water
Correct answer: use soap
use sun cream
Q3.
Some diseases are spread by on our hands.
Correct Answer: germs, bacteria, viruses
Q4.
Which following statements are true?
Correct answer: some diseases enter our body through our mouths and eyes
some diseases are spread online
Correct answer: some diseases are spread by coughs and sneezes
some diseases are spread through clothes
Q5.
How can we reduce the risk of airborne diseases?
by wearing a hat
Correct answer: by wearing a face mask
by staying indoors
Correct answer: by covering our mouths and noses when sneezing and coughing
Q6.
Germs are so small that we cannot them.
Correct Answer: see, look at, find

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the word to the definition.
Correct Answer:disease,when germs get inside your body and make you feel sick

when germs get inside your body and make you feel sick

Correct Answer:immunisation,the way our body protects us from diseases

the way our body protects us from diseases

Correct Answer:vaccination,a medicine that can prevent some diseases and serious illnesses

a medicine that can prevent some diseases and serious illnesses

Q2.
Immunisation can protect us from .
Correct Answer: germs, toxins
Q3.
What are the two main ways we can become immune to certain diseases?
Correct answer: by receiving a vaccination
by looking at germs
Correct answer: through natural immunity
by sitting next to someone with a disease
Q4.
Vaccination can protect us from serious diseases making us very ill.
Correct Answer: without
Q5.
Why are vaccinations so important?
Correct answer: vaccinations help to stop diseases from spreading to other people
vaccinations help nurses and doctors become popular
Correct answer: vaccinations have wiped out some diseases like smallpox
vaccinations make us intelligent
Correct answer: vaccinations have saved millions of lives
Q6.
Which statements below are false?
Correct answer: vaccines are harmful
vaccines come in small injections or nasal sprays
Correct answer: vaccines protect us from diseases
vaccines cause people to get sick