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Vaccines: Calling the Shots

Name: Vaccines: Calling the Shots
Director: Sonya Pemberton
Released: 2014

Representation Score

5.9/10

Fair

2014

TV-PG

Director

Sonya Pemberton

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Vaccines: Calling the Shots serves as a sociological examination of public health through a global lens. It prioritizes scientific methodology and the authority of medical institutions to explain the resurgence of preventable diseases. The documentary succeeds in providing a globalized perspective, moving beyond an Anglo-centric viewpoint by featuring international experts and families. This approach provides a necessary breadth to the discussion of immunization efforts. However, the film remains within a conventional framework. It focuses on upholding the efficacy of the scientific method rather than actively challenging traditional gender roles or social hierarchies.

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Category Breakdown

Does Vaccines: Calling the Shots have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The documentary does not focus on LGBTQ+ identities or non-cisgender narratives. It explores various family structures but does not highlight queer identities specifically.

How does Vaccines: Calling the Shots portray gender?

Fair

The film presents both male and female professionals in positions of high intellectual ability to act and scientific authority. It maintains a balanced distribution of expertise between genders.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Vaccines: Calling the Shots?

Good

The production includes a diverse array of medical experts and families from various racial and ethnic backgrounds. This inclusion reflects the demographic complexities of global populations.

How does Vaccines: Calling the Shots represent religion and culture?

Fair

The film positions Western medical institutions as primary drivers of health. It acknowledges religious beliefs but frames the rejection of medical consensus as a systemic risk.

Does Vaccines: Calling the Shots include disability representation?

Fair

The film touches upon the vulnerability of populations with compromised immune systems. These depictions focus on medical necessity and the scientific tools available for protection.

Present on Screen

Provides a globalized perspective by tracking epidemics across various international locales.
Maintains gender parity by featuring both male and female scientists and medical professionals.
Reflects demographic complexities through a diverse array of experts and families.

Limited or Absent

Lacks explicit focus or representation of LGBTQ+ identities and queer narratives.
Does not actively seek to challenge traditional gender roles or social hierarchies.
Prioritizes Western institutional authority over a critique of cultural or social structures.

Official Synopsis

Diseases that were largely eradicated in the United States a generation ago—whooping cough, measles, mumps—are returning, in part because nervous parents are skipping their children's shots. NOVA's "Vaccines—Calling the Shots" takes viewers around the world to track epidemics, explore the science behind vaccinations, hear from parents wrestling with vaccine-related questions, and shed light on the risks of opting out.

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