Understanding vaccines and adult vaccination requirements for workplace programs

Version 16.0 (released 3rd September, 2024)



100% online course

SA Health recommends
up to 30 CPD hours


20 weeks access

$220 per user (AUD)

Introduction

This course aims to equip health professionals with knowledge and skills to competently deliver a high quality and safe immunisation services to adults by:

  • introducing the learner to comprehensive information on the theoretical and practical components of immunisation.
  • guiding the learner to utilise the relevant resources that support best practice when delivering an immunisation service.
  • assisting the learner to assess their understanding of the relevant information.

The course consists of 3 modules that must be completed in sequential order.

Participants have 20 weeks to complete the course from the date of purchase.

Target audience

Health professionals involved in the discussion or delivery of adult or occupational vaccination programs will benefit from this course.

Modules

Click on each module below for more information

This module aims to introduce the learner to immunisation from a public health perspective and discusses the effectiveness of immunisation programs. The National Immunisation Program Schedule is introduced and the governing structures that guide the vaccine recommendations and schedule points for administration.

Module 1 delivers information on the fundamentals of microbiology and immunology, providing a foundation for further understanding of the disease process, the chain of infection, vaccine types and development and how vaccines work.

Levels of many vaccine preventable diseases are low in Australia, but there continues to be a risk of diseases being imported and others continue to occur in Australia. To understand the need to be protected against these diseases, it is important to know how each disease is caused and spread, the severity of illness and possible outcomes including death.

This module presents information on vaccine preventable diseases and the vaccine designed to protect against the disease, which may be administered within the National Immunisation Program, to adults in the community and in Occupational Health Programs.

Module 3 will assist the health practitioner apply the relevant legislative requirements to clinical practice and provide the learner with an understanding of the key elements of vaccine safety. The potential adverse events after the administration of a vaccine and the following actions required to ensure community safety and maintain confidence in immunisation programs, will be discussed.

This module presents the requirements for vaccine storage and the national recommendations to enable them to be integrated into practice to ensure vaccines remain potent and effective, and the learner will be introduced to the fundamentals necessary to deliver a high quality and safe immunisation service.

Assessments

Each module contains multiple choice assessment questions.

  • You can attempt each question twice and feedback is provided.
  • If you fail an assessment question, it is recommended to go back to the course content to ensure you understand the information prior to attempting the question again.
  • All questions within each module must be completed to unlock the next module. You must achieve 80% in the module assessments to progress to the next module or an exam.
  • If you have not achieved 80%, you are required to reset the assessment using the Reset Assessment tab and begin all questions again.

Exams

Modules 2 and 3 each have a short exam with 6 multiple choice questions.

  • You must achieve 80% for each exam.
  • If you fail an exam, only one re-sit is available.
  • There is no reset process for an exam.
  • The exams are open book style. Open the necessary clinical resources in another tab during the exam process to ensure your answers are correct.

Expectation of course learners

  • Allow up to 20-30 hours for course completion in line with the CPD hours allocated.
  • Read all the information, view the Recommended readings and complete all the activities, which will assist with the assessment and exam process.
  • Seek assistance from Content Support if required.

It is a requirement that course user’s answers to assessment questions represent their own work. SA Health reserves the right to cancel enrolment, suspend or remove access to the program if academic misconduct / dishonesty is proven.

Certificate of Completion

At the successful completion of all the course requirements, including passing all exams, you will be eligible for a Certificate of Completion.

Record of Study

On completion of the course, all learners will be able to print a Record of Study to assist with claiming Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

CPD

SA Health recommends up to 30 CPD hours to be claimed.

Help

If you are having difficulty with understanding the content of the course, you can contact us by phone during business hours (ACST) on 1300 232 272 or anytime by email: Health.ContentSupport@sa.gov.au and the email will be actioned by the same or next business day.

If you need content or technical support at any time, you can find the link on the top right hand side of each screen throughout the course.

Resources

Australian Immunisation Handbook (Handbook)

The digital online version of the Australian Immunisation Handbook (Handbook) provides up-to-date information about all aspects of immunisation. Where there is relevant content, links are provided to the related sections of the Handbook. Ensure you use the online version of the Handbook as previous printed versions contain out of date information.

Australian Immunisation Handbook

Navigating the digital Handbook

Acknowledgement is given to the Australian Government Department of Health for the inclusion of the information sourced from The Australian Immunisation Handbook.

Interactive Schedule

An interactive Schedule is used throughout the course.

The Interactive Schedule highlights the key points where vaccines are scheduled to be given. Click on the bold antigen for key facts about that vaccine.

The schedule used in this program is the National Immunisation Program Schedule, which includes all the recommendations for the Commonwealth funded vaccines. It is indicated on this Schedule if only specific cohorts are eligible for additional vaccines due to increased risk of disease or disease severity and complications.

Specific state and territory schedules are developed with schedule changes and include the nationally funded vaccines and any additional vaccines recommended and funded by the state or territory.

Your feedback and evaluation of this course

We are interested to know what you think about the course in order for us to continuously improve it. There will be opportunity for you to provide feedback about the course once you have completed the course.

Disclaimer

The information provided in this course is current as at the date of the last review.

A panel will review evaluation feedback and program content annually. If any change to information occurs in between that period, it will be addressed at the next review date; however, any schedule changes will be updated if required.

This course introduces the participant to the major websites that carry up to date information relating to immunisation and any planned changes to the vaccine schedules thus ensuring participants can maintain currency of information.

Links to websites are used throughout the course. Every attempt is made to maintain these links. If a link fails to work, a self-generated internet search may be required.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised that this training course may contain sensitive material including images of deceased persons.