Immunisation provider training and education

Health professionals providing immunisations are required to be well informed about the vaccines they are administering, the mode of action, the risks and benefits of receiving the vaccines, the limitations, and the risks and complications of the diseases the vaccines aim to prevent.

The following will assist health professionals providing an immunisation service with the education to support them in attaining and maintaining the level of knowledge, skills and professionalism required to deliver a safe immunisation service.

COVID-19 Vaccination Training Program

To ensure the workforce is competent in the safe management and administration of COVID-19 vaccines health practitioners must have undertaken specific training.

The Australian Government has partnered with the Australian College of Nursing to develop and deliver free and accredited training modules for individuals involved in the administration of COVID-19 vaccines.

The COVID-19 vaccination training program must be undertaken by all health practitioners that are involved with the delivery of a COVID-19 vaccination program.

The COVID-19 vaccination training program contains core and additional modules that are compulsory for health professionals wanting to supply and/or administer COVID-19 vaccinations.

Certificates will be issued for successfully completed modules.

For registered nurses, midwives and pharmacists working under the authority of the Vaccine Administration Code, the health practitioner MUST have completed an Approved Immunisation Training Program.

Those working under a Standing Medication Order do NOT have to complete an Approved Immunisation Training Program but MUST complete the COVID-19 vaccination training program.

An account and password will need to be created by clicking on the create new account tab before you can access the training.

Understanding Vaccines and the National Immunisation Program (HESA accredited)

Understanding Vaccines and the National Immunisation Program is an education program on understanding immunology and immunisation designed to assist health professionals to become confident and competent immunisers.

The course is a recognised program of study leading to approved health practitioners immunising without a medical order in all States and Territories of Australia.

This program is based on the National Immunisation Education Framework for Health Professionals and has been accredited by Health Education Services Australia (HESA) a subsidiary of the ANMAC. State and Territory legislation governs whether this certificate allows the health professional to immunise independent of a medical order.

Understanding Vaccines for Midwives-Vaccination requirements during pregnancy and early childhood

Understanding Vaccines for Midwives - Vaccination requirements during pregnancy and early childhood is an introduction to immunisation and key vaccines, topics relevant to midwives, and aims to equip midwives with knowledge and skills to feel confident to engage with parents on the topic of vaccines and vaccination.

Understanding vaccines and adult vaccination requirements for workplace programs

Understanding vaccines and adult vaccination requirements for workplace programs has been designed to provide health professionals with knowledge and skills to competently deliver a high quality and safe immunisation services to adults. This program introduces the learner to comprehensive information on the theoretical and practical components of immunisation and guides them to utilise the relevant resources that support best practice when delivering an immunisation service.

Immunisation: a training course for GPs

Immunisation: a training course for GPs is an accredited learning activity that has been designed to maintain and further develop general practitioners’ (GPs) knowledge and expertise in immunisation to enable them to competently deliver a high quality and safe immunisation service. This course is a Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) Accredited Activity for the RACGP CPD Program and an Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) PDP Accredited Activity for the 2023-25 triennium.

Vaccinology Update conference

The SA Vaccinology Update conference is a partnership between the Robinson Research Institute, SA Health, South Australian Medical Health and Research Institute (SAHMRI) and the Women's and Children's Health Network (WCHN).

The annual SA Vaccinology Update conference focuses on:

  • important immunisation issues
  • the latest research
  • policy updates and initiatives related to immunisation.

More information is available from the Robinson Research Institute.

Yellow fever

The Department of Health has developed the National Guidelines for Yellow Fever Vaccination Centres and Providers. A practitioner seeking to prescribe the yellow fever vaccine at a Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre is required to successfully complete the online Yellow Fever Vaccination Course and obtain a completion certificate.