BIOL 4440 Vaccination and Immunity
No one could have imagined the devastating effects of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The impact and scale were unprecedented, especially that the richest and most advanced countries of the globe were the most affected. With a record-breaking speed of less than a year, 3 of COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Oxford/AstraZeneca) and later Johnson & Johnson/Janssen, received approval in Europe and the US. Millions of lives were saved but vaccine hesitancy is still prevalent worldwide. It is imperative that lessons be learned from COVID-19 and other major pandemics such as Zika, Influenza, Ebola and HIV.1- review basic concepts of human-pathogen interactions; 2- learn the basic principles of immunity and vaccination; 3- and discuss a few major infectious diseases through case studies
Course overview
- Department
- Biology
- School
- MCAS
- Credits
- 3
- Level
- Undergraduate
- Offered
- Every Fall
Catalog details
Requirements fulfilled
Course evaluations
- Course rating
- 3.75 / 5 · Very Good
- Instructor rating
- 3.93 / 5 · Very Good
- Terms evaluated
- 5
| Term | Instructor | Course overall | Instructor overall | Well organized | Clear learning objectives | Intellectually challenging | Helpful assignments | Applicable beyond course | Attendance necessary | Weekly effort | Responses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 | Ismael Fofana | 4.2 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4–6 hrs/week | 31 of 37 |
| Fall 2024 | Ismael Fofana | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 1–3 hrs/week | 38 of 42 |
| Fall 2023 | Ismael Fofana | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 31 of 39 |
| Fall 2022 | Ismael Fofana | 4.0 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 1–3 hrs/week | 35 of 45 |
| Fall 2021 | Ismael Fofana | 4.3 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 1–3 hrs/week | 24 of 29 |