AQA GCSE Biology Biology Paper 1 (Foundation), June 2024: Question 3
10 marks · Low Demand difficulty · Short Answer
Describe trends in measles cases and vaccination rates from graphs, and evaluate the validity of scientific claims regarding vaccine safety.
Practise this questionQuestion
Question text
03 Measles is caused by a virus.
03.1 The measles vaccine is given to children to prevent them becoming ill with measles.
Draw one line from each blood component to its function when someone is
vaccinated against measles.
[2 marks]
Blood component Function
Help clot the blood where the vaccine was injected
Platelets
Produce antibodies to the measles virus
Produce the measles skin rash
White blood cells
12Transport oxygen to the measles virus
Figure 3 shows information about trends in the UK for:
• percentage of children vaccinated
• the number of people with measles.
Figure 3
03.2 What year was the measles vaccine first used?
Use Figure 3.
[1 mark]
03.3 Describe the trend in the number of people with measles from 1945 to 1975.
*12* Use Figure 3.
[3 marks]
In 1998, a scientific paper was published suggesting a link between condition X and
one type of measles vaccine.
03.4 What happened to the percentage of children vaccinated against measles after the
scientific paper was published in 1998?
Use Figure 3.
[1 mark]
03.5 Why might the claims made in the scientific paper have affected the percentage of
children vaccinated?
[1 mark]
Tick ( ) one box.
The measles pathogen did not exist in the UK anymore.
Parents were worried their children would get condition X.
The health service in the UK did not have any vaccines.
03.6 In 2010, the scientific paper linking condition X and the measles vaccine was shown
to be based on false claims.
What should scientists do with scientific research to help detect false claims?
[1 mark]
Tick ( ) one box.
Have the research peer reviewed.
Publish the research on the internet.
Send a research questionnaire to the public.
03.7 The person who wrote the scientific paper was paid to research the link between
condition X and the measles vaccine.
Why are the claims in the scientific paper likely to be considered not valid?
[1 mark]
Mark scheme
Show the mark scheme
Question 3
AO /
Question Answers Mark
Spec Ref.
03.1 AO2
4.3.1.7
4.3.1.6
4.2.2.3
do not accept more than one line from a box on the left
AO /
Question Answers Extra information Mark
Spec Ref.
03.2 1968 allow 1969 1 AO3
4.3.1.2
4.3.1.7
AO /
Spec Ref.
03.3 increases 1 AO3
4.3.1.2
(then) levels off / plateaus allow (then) stays the same 1
allow reaches a maximum
between 1956 and 1968
(then) decreases 1
ignore use of numbers of people
MARKif no other mark awarded allowSCHEME–– –
1 mark for (overall) decrease
AO /
Spec Ref.
03.4 (the percentage) decreased allow (the percentage) 1 AO3
decreased then increased 4.3.1.2
allow (the percentage) changed 4.3.1.7
from 92% to 80%
AO /
Spec Ref.
03.5 parents were worried their 1 AO3
children would get condition X 4.3.1.2
4.3.1.7
AO /
Spec Ref.
03.6 have the research peer 1 AO2
reviewed 4.3.1.9
AO /
Spec Ref.
03.7 any one from: 1 AO3
• (the author was) biased 4.3.1.9
• (the author was) influenced ignore (the author) was paid
by money
• because the research was
not peer reviewed
• there was not enough
evidence
• small sample size
Total Question 3 10
How to answer it
Measles, Vaccination Trends and Scientific Integrity
This question evaluates core biology knowledge and essential "Working Scientifically" skills:
- Immune System & Blood Components: The specific roles of white blood cells and platelets following an injection.
- Interpreting Epidemiological Graphs: Reading axes accurately, identifying start points, and describing complex trends across set time intervals.
- How Science Works in Society: Understanding peer review, conflict of interest, and why scientific bias undermines validity.
Matching Blood Components to Their Functions
Blood components involved during vaccination
✅ Correct Matches
- Platelets → Help clot the blood where the vaccine was injected [1 mark]
- White blood cells → Produce antibodies to the measles virus [1 mark]
💡 Key Knowledge
- Platelets are cell fragments that trigger blood clotting at wound sites to prevent excessive bleeding and microbe entry.
- Lymphocytes (white blood cells) recognise foreign antigens on the weakened/dead virus and produce specific antibodies.
❌ Common Errors & Mark Scheme Rule
The rubric strictly specifies: "Do not accept more than one line from a box on the left." If you draw two lines from "White blood cells", you automatically forfeit that mark.
Reading Graphs: When Was the Vaccine First Used?
Interpreting the introduction date from percentage data
✅ Correct Answer
1968 (allow 1969) [1 mark]
🧠 Exam Technique
Look at the top graph ("Percentage of children vaccinated"). Trace along the baseline (0%) until the curve leaves zero and starts to rise steeply. Each major grid square covers 10 years, meaning each small square represents 1 year. The line starts rising just before 1970, at 1968.
Describing a Trend (1945 to 1975)
Describing multi-stage changes over a defined time period
✅ Full Mark Scheme Breakdown (3 Marks)
- Increases (from 1945 to ~1956) [1 mark]
- Levels off / plateaus / stays the same (between ~1956 and 1968) [1 mark]
- Decreases (from ~1968 to 1975) [1 mark]
🧠 How to Structure a 3-Mark Trend Question
Whenever a trend question is worth 3 marks, the line almost always has three distinct stages:
- Stage 1: Goes up
- Stage 2: Remains constant / reaches a plateau
- Stage 3: Goes down
❌ Examiner Trap: Quoting Numbers Instead of Trends
The mark scheme notes: "ignore use of numbers of people". Simply listing data points (e.g., "in 1945 it was 330, then in 1960 it was 490") without using words like increases, plateaus, or decreases does not describe the trend and gains 0 marks!
The Effect of the 1998 Paper on Vaccination Uptake
✅ 03.4: Vaccination Trend After 1998 [1 mark]
(The percentage) decreased
Also allowed: "decreased then increased" OR "changed from 92% to 80%".
✅ 03.5: Reason for the Drop [1 mark]
Tick option 2:
☑ Parents were worried their children would get condition X.
💡 Real-World Science Context
This question references the infamous 1998 Wakefield paper which falsely linked the MMR vaccine to autism ("Condition X"). Media coverage led to widespread panic, dropping vaccination rates below the threshold required for herd immunity.
Working Scientifically: Peer Review & Research Bias
✅ 03.6: Detecting False Claims [1 mark]
Tick option 1:
☑ Have the research peer reviewed.
✅ 03.7: Why Paid Research May Not Be Valid [1 mark]
Give any one of the following accepted points:
- The author was biased
- The author was influenced by money / financial gain
- The research was not peer reviewed
- There was not enough evidence / small sample size
💡 What is Peer Review?
Before scientific research is published in a reputable journal, it must be independently checked and critiqued by other scientists (peers) working in the same field. They check for errors, flawed methodology, and unfair bias.
❌ Common Error: Repeating the Question Stem
In 03.7, students often write: "Because he was paid."
Examiners strictly ignore this because it simply repeats what the question already told you. You must explain the consequence of being paid: bias or a conflict of interest.
Topics
Biology · B2: Organisation · B3: Infection and Response
Question and mark scheme from the AQA GCSE Biology examination, Biology Paper 1 (Foundation), June 2024. QuestionVault is an independent revision resource; questions remain the copyright of the awarding body.