Overall Course Learning Outcomes

Develop an understanding of:

  • The vaccine and immunisation ecosystem, from fundamental immunology, through modern bioengineering (structure and function-based design) and vaccine platforms, to advanced manufacturing capability and deployment.

  • How vaccine efficacy, effectiveness, safety and impact are measured.

  • What parts are played by key players in the vaccine lifecycle from industry, regulatory and advisory bodies, healthcare providers, governments and consumers.

  • How immunisation promotes equity and how vaccine acceptance is developed and maintained and hesitancy and confidence are modified.

  • How these elements play out in both established and emerging economies, including in Indigenous and displaced populations.

5TH JUNE
IMMUNOLOGY & MODERN VACCINE DESIGN

  1. Understand the fundamentals of the immune response, its innate and adaptive features, and immune memory. Mucosal and systemic immunity.

  2. Familiarity with modern vaccine technologies and platforms.

  3. Appreciate the role of adjuvants and of different vaccine delivery systems.

19TH JUNE
VACCINE EVALUATION: CLINICAL TRIALS & REAL WORLD EVIDENCE

  1. Understand  the phases of human clinical trials of vaccines, their structure and methods, and good clinical practice (GCP).

  2. Familiarity with methods using real world evidence to evaluate vaccine effectiveness and safety.

3RD JULY
ECONOMICS & REGULATION

  1. Understand how health economics informs vaccine policy.

  2. Basic knowledge of how vaccine cost-effectiveness is considered by Governments.

  3. Familiarity with principles of value and equity as applied to vaccines policy.

  4. Understanding the role of national regulatory authorities (nras) in the vaccine life cycle.

17TH JULY
ROLE OF INDUSTRY

  1. Understand the role of industry in vaccine life cycle

  2. Knowledge of modern vaccine manufacturing and good manufacturing process (GMP).

  3. Understand technology transfer and global equity, and interactions between pharmaceutical industry and governments.

31ST JULY
IMMUNISATION PROGRAM ADVICE & DELIVERY

  1. Understanding the role of expert advisory bodies (nitags and clinical specialty bodies) in making vaccine recommendations

  2. Gain knowledge of how to deliver vaccines in immunisation programs

  3. Knowledge of settings for vaccine delivery: primary care, antenatal care, pharmacies, schools, aged care.

  4. Understanding principles of program infrastructure, access, communication and promotion.

14TH AUGUST
IMMUNISATION EFFECTIVENESS EVALUATION

  1. Understanding Immunisation program surveillance infrastructure, and how to measure vaccine coverage, effectiveness and health impact.

  2. Understand how immunisation program monitoring and evaluation should assess equity in access and uptake

28TH AUGUST
VACCINE SAFETY, CONFIDENCE & HESITANCY

  1. Understand principles of vaccine pharmacovigilance and models for monitoring vaccine safety.

  2. Knowledge of social and behavioural drivers of vaccine uptake

  3. Familiarity with the principles of communication in addressing vaccine hesitancy

11TH SEPTEMBER
THE FUTURE

  1. Understand future opportunities and challenges to optimise development, and deployment of vaccines to prevent communicable disease threats.

 

This course is supported in part by an untied educational grant from Sanofi-Aventis Australia to the University of Melbourne. PDI, NCIRS and MCRI are providing in-kind support towards the development and delivery of this course.