Recently, a significant focus has been placed on honing communication skills in preparation for vaccine discussions, but at the heart of many vaccine conversations are nuanced questions that have answers we can’t easily capture on a billboard or in a social media post. Some families are looking for more detailed information about how vaccines work, what they contain (and why), how clinical trials were done, why the schedule is so crowded in the early months of life, and more.
While we provide answers to all of those questions (and others!) on the Vaccine Education Center website, these answers make more sense when a person has a baseline framework of vaccinology. New information then fits within that existing knowledge base. For providers, this type of framework means answers to the types of questions being asked don’t have to be memorized because the framework guides their conversations with families.
Unfortunately, many training programs in pharmacy, medicine, nursing and public health have limited time to lay this groundwork amidst the many other topics that need to be covered. Luckily, excellent training materials are available, often for free, so individuals can supplement their learning and better position themselves to answer the challenging questions coming in each day. Check out some of our favorites, sorted by audience.
All audiences
- VEC Vaccine Notes — This video and podcast series offers accurate information about diseases and the vaccines that prevent them. Each episode also addresses common questions received by the Vaccine Education Center as well as a summary consideration of the relative risks and benefits of the disease and vaccine. Episodes are useful for clinicians and vaccine providers who need a refresher on a specific topic, perhaps during an outbreak, or for families interested in a deeper dive prior to vaccinating their children.
Clinicians
- CoVER (Collaboration for Vaccine Education and Research) — This online course is offered by the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society. The program consists of 19 free modules that cover topics like vaccine fundamentals, vaccine safety, and vaccine-preventable diseases as well as more focused topics, like special populations and vaccines during pregnancy.
Other professional societies have tailored modules as well, but we haven’t explored these in depth. If you are seeking content not covered in the aforementioned examples, you may check with these additional reliable sources.
Immunization advocates and public health workers
- iREACH Vaccine eLearning — The Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) offers a series of six modules that build knowledge around influenza, COVID-19, and basic information about vaccines and their safety. These modules are designed for community health workers, promotoras, trusted messengers and community champions. Courses are free, and no registration is needed.
- Vaccinate Your Family University — This program includes four courses for community health workers, vaccine advocates, and healthcare providers that cover Vaccination Foundations, Vaccine Science & Safety, Building Vaccine Confidence, and Overcoming Vaccination Barriers. The modules are free and were recently updated (March 2026), ensuring that timely topics are addressed.
International vaccine providers
- PAHO Virtual Campus for Public Health — The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) offers free immunization courses for primary care professionals, immunization program managers and health science students. All modules are translated into Spanish, Portuguese, English and French and cover core topics, including basic concepts in immunization, vaccine-preventable diseases, surveillance and information systems, and expanded program immunization management. Over 30 modules are available.
- Global Vaccine Safety Initiative (GVSI) — Offered by the World Health Organization (WHO), these trainings are relevant for anyone whose work touches vaccine safety, including national public health officials, immunization program managers and vaccination staff. Specifically, the vaccine safety basics course includes six modules that cover vaccine safety, types of vaccines, adverse events, surveillance, safety institutions and communication.
Pharmacists
Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery training program — The American Pharmacists Association offers a course that fuses vaccine science and clinical pharmacy. The certificate program prepares participants to provide immunization services to patients across the lifespan. The format includes self-study modules, assessments and immunization technique videos. Topics cover immunology, vaccine types, vaccine reactions, and the majority of vaccine-preventable diseases. Registration for the training varies by state of licensure, and all 50 states recognize this program. Participants should identify the host partner for this program in their state Registered participants can earn up to 20 hours of CPE credits.
Scientists and individuals interested in vaccinology training
The France Université Numérique offers “Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)” on various topics, including science. The online courses are sponsored by institutions, like Institut Pasteur, which offers courses specifically directed toward individuals with degrees in the biological sciences, medicine or similar, who are looking for advanced knowledge on a given topic. Content for the “Vaccinology” course is available until May 4, 2027. Participants can register for the nine-week course and pace their learning to complete the 19 hours of content as convenient. The vaccinology course is free, unless the participant wants a certificate, and it is available in English and French. Topics include the basics of vaccinology, vaccine design and development, recent vaccines, methods to improve vaccine uptake, and lessons learned from the pandemic.
Wrap-up
There are so many courses available if you know where to find them. So, if you are looking to learn, check these, and if you are aware of other courses that we didn’t mention, please let us know. Likewise, if you’re teaching or leading a program, see if some of these courses might work for your audience before building your own curriculum.
Contributed by: Lori Handy, MD, MSCE , Charlotte A. Moser, MS
Recently, a significant focus has been placed on honing communication skills in preparation for vaccine discussions, but at the heart of many vaccine conversations are nuanced questions that have answers we can’t easily capture on a billboard or in a social media post. Some families are looking for more detailed information about how vaccines work, what they contain (and why), how clinical trials were done, why the schedule is so crowded in the early months of life, and more.
While we provide answers to all of those questions (and others!) on the Vaccine Education Center website, these answers make more sense when a person has a baseline framework of vaccinology. New information then fits within that existing knowledge base. For providers, this type of framework means answers to the types of questions being asked don’t have to be memorized because the framework guides their conversations with families.
Unfortunately, many training programs in pharmacy, medicine, nursing and public health have limited time to lay this groundwork amidst the many other topics that need to be covered. Luckily, excellent training materials are available, often for free, so individuals can supplement their learning and better position themselves to answer the challenging questions coming in each day. Check out some of our favorites, sorted by audience.
All audiences
- VEC Vaccine Notes — This video and podcast series offers accurate information about diseases and the vaccines that prevent them. Each episode also addresses common questions received by the Vaccine Education Center as well as a summary consideration of the relative risks and benefits of the disease and vaccine. Episodes are useful for clinicians and vaccine providers who need a refresher on a specific topic, perhaps during an outbreak, or for families interested in a deeper dive prior to vaccinating their children.
Clinicians
- CoVER (Collaboration for Vaccine Education and Research) — This online course is offered by the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society. The program consists of 19 free modules that cover topics like vaccine fundamentals, vaccine safety, and vaccine-preventable diseases as well as more focused topics, like special populations and vaccines during pregnancy.
Other professional societies have tailored modules as well, but we haven’t explored these in depth. If you are seeking content not covered in the aforementioned examples, you may check with these additional reliable sources.
Immunization advocates and public health workers
- iREACH Vaccine eLearning — The Association of Immunization Managers (AIM) offers a series of six modules that build knowledge around influenza, COVID-19, and basic information about vaccines and their safety. These modules are designed for community health workers, promotoras, trusted messengers and community champions. Courses are free, and no registration is needed.
- Vaccinate Your Family University — This program includes four courses for community health workers, vaccine advocates, and healthcare providers that cover Vaccination Foundations, Vaccine Science & Safety, Building Vaccine Confidence, and Overcoming Vaccination Barriers. The modules are free and were recently updated (March 2026), ensuring that timely topics are addressed.
International vaccine providers
- PAHO Virtual Campus for Public Health — The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) offers free immunization courses for primary care professionals, immunization program managers and health science students. All modules are translated into Spanish, Portuguese, English and French and cover core topics, including basic concepts in immunization, vaccine-preventable diseases, surveillance and information systems, and expanded program immunization management. Over 30 modules are available.
- Global Vaccine Safety Initiative (GVSI) — Offered by the World Health Organization (WHO), these trainings are relevant for anyone whose work touches vaccine safety, including national public health officials, immunization program managers and vaccination staff. Specifically, the vaccine safety basics course includes six modules that cover vaccine safety, types of vaccines, adverse events, surveillance, safety institutions and communication.
Pharmacists
Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery training program — The American Pharmacists Association offers a course that fuses vaccine science and clinical pharmacy. The certificate program prepares participants to provide immunization services to patients across the lifespan. The format includes self-study modules, assessments and immunization technique videos. Topics cover immunology, vaccine types, vaccine reactions, and the majority of vaccine-preventable diseases. Registration for the training varies by state of licensure, and all 50 states recognize this program. Participants should identify the host partner for this program in their state Registered participants can earn up to 20 hours of CPE credits.
Scientists and individuals interested in vaccinology training
The France Université Numérique offers “Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)” on various topics, including science. The online courses are sponsored by institutions, like Institut Pasteur, which offers courses specifically directed toward individuals with degrees in the biological sciences, medicine or similar, who are looking for advanced knowledge on a given topic. Content for the “Vaccinology” course is available until May 4, 2027. Participants can register for the nine-week course and pace their learning to complete the 19 hours of content as convenient. The vaccinology course is free, unless the participant wants a certificate, and it is available in English and French. Topics include the basics of vaccinology, vaccine design and development, recent vaccines, methods to improve vaccine uptake, and lessons learned from the pandemic.
Wrap-up
There are so many courses available if you know where to find them. So, if you are looking to learn, check these, and if you are aware of other courses that we didn’t mention, please let us know. Likewise, if you’re teaching or leading a program, see if some of these courses might work for your audience before building your own curriculum.
Contributed by: Lori Handy, MD, MSCE , Charlotte A. Moser, MS