Edinburgh Science Festival 2021 Walking Tour

26th June – 11th July 2021

Suitable for ages 8+

As part of the University of Edinburgh College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine’s contribution to the 2021 Edinburgh Science Festival, members of the Centre for Inflammation Research’s Public Engagement Committee developed a free, COVID-19 and vaccination-themed, interactive, self-guided walking tour in central Edinburgh, incorporating Lana Woolford’s short animations narrated by Professor Donald J. Davidson. As the COVID-19 vaccine rollout continued apace, hopefully bringing our lives closer to normality, vaccine efficacy and safety is constantly in the news.Participants watched the story of the COVID-19 vaccine development unfold by following our treasure trail through the city, pausing to watch animations that reveal the science behind the vaccine. This event covered the science behind how vaccines work, the steps taken by researchers to develop and test them, and the different vaccine types. It also addressed some common questions about safety and usefulness.

The tour required one smartphone or tablet per group, which had enough data to watch a series of short videos and interact with the tour. Captions and sound were provided for multiple access needs. The trail was accessible for wheelchairs/pushchairs and there were public toilets on the route.

We recommended about 90 minutes for this experience.

Find it here

397 participants took part in the walking tour over the course of the event.

Immune Memory and the Coronavirus animation

To watch the original three part animation, visit the British Society for Immunology website

Link to original animations

Walking Through the COVID-19 Vaccine

Immune Memory and the Coronavirus animation