{"id":3843,"date":"2018-06-30T11:11:04","date_gmt":"2018-06-30T11:11:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schoolshistory.org.uk\/topics\/?page_id=3843"},"modified":"2026-06-24T10:51:39","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T10:51:39","slug":"what-factors-enabled-the-understanding-of-germs-and-the-spread-of-disease","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/schoolshistory.org.uk\/topics\/medicine-through-time\/medicine-through-time-teachers-resources\/what-factors-enabled-the-understanding-of-germs-and-the-spread-of-disease\/","title":{"rendered":"What factors enabled the understanding of germs and the spread of disease?"},"content":{"rendered":"

What factors enabled the revolution in understanding about germs and
\nvaccinations to take place?<\/p>\n

Learning Outcomes:<\/p>\n

To identify the changes that took place in ideas about the cause of disease
\nas a result of the discovery of germ theory, and to explain why this contributed
\nto the development of more effective treatments (vaccinations).
\nTo identify the factors (role of individual, government, scientific method
\netc) that enabled this revolution in medical knowledge to take place.<\/p>\n

Video:<\/p>\n

<\/object><\/p>\n

Activity:<\/p>\n

Read this short page about Germ
\nTheor<\/a>y and these biographies of Louis
\nPasteur<\/a> and Robert
\nKoch<\/a>. Using the information on these pages, create an interactive
\ntimeline (using
\nthe timeline generator on classtools.net<\/a>) showing how the development
\nof Germ Theory led to the introduction of vaccines for numerous diseases.<\/p>\n

Now consider the different factors that led to the discovery of Germ
\nTheory and the improvements that followed its acceptance.<\/p>\n

Referring to the information on your timeline and on the pages you have
\nalready read through, complete this interactive diagram (from schoolhistory.co.uk)<\/p>\n

<\/object><\/p>\n

Further information about Pasteur and Germ Theory can be
\nfound on these sites:<\/p>\n

Pasteur
\nfrom BBC History<\/a> and on Pasteur
\nand Koch.<\/a><\/p>\n

Our own pages on Pasteur<\/a>,
\nKoch<\/a> and the fight
\nagainst infectious diseases<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Remember – the development of vaccines was not the end of
\nthe battle against diseases. There have been many subsequent improvements
\nin terms of developing immunology and drugs that tackle various diseases.
\nSee the infectious disease section of the main part of this website for
\nfurther details. In the meantime, why not play
\nthe immune system defender game created by the Nobel Foundation.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What factors enabled the revolution in understanding about germs and vaccinations to take place? Learning Outcomes: To identify the changes that took place in ideas about the cause of disease as a result of the discovery of germ theory, and to explain why this contributed to the development of more effective treatments (vaccinations). To identify… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":3808,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"off","neve_meta_content_width":100,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3843","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t