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eLearning: Vaccine safety and uptake


In this module, we share information about vaccine safety and some practical strategies for making vaccination a routine part of your practice. We also discuss some of the maternal vaccines that are likely to be introduced in the years ahead, and how to encourage parents to start thinking about childhood vaccinations.

 

The development of this content was led by the Murdoch Children's Research Institute for the MumBubVax website (now archived). Please note these video modules include logos and visuals that relate to the original website. Updated video modules will be developed in the future. 

Last updated on 9 June 2023.

Information

Resource type: eLearning
Resource Format: Video module and quiz
SKAI Topic: Pregnancy & Newborn
eLearning module

This eLearning module was originally designed primarily for use in general practice but the information and tips featured are applicable to various healthcare settings.

Quiz

Once you’ve watched the module, access a printable quiz to test your knowledge about vaccine safety and how to make vaccination a routine part of your practice.

Summary

In this module, we discussed forthcoming maternal vaccines, childhood vaccines, and vaccine safety as well as some of the practical strategies you can use to make vaccination a routine part of your practice.


New maternal vaccines

  • More maternal vaccines may be recommended soon. Using our recommended communications approach will help you prepare for more complex discussions in the future.


Introducing childhood vaccines

  • Use other areas of the SKAI website to help introduce childhood vaccinations and to answer parents’ questions about vaccine safety and monitoring.


Vaccine safety

  • Vaccines are held to a much higher safety standard than other medications because they’re given to healthy people to prevent disease.
  • All new vaccines must be tested for safety and effectiveness in numerous phases of clinical trials.
  • Only then can they be considered for approval by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, or TGA.
  • Once approved for use in Australia, vaccines are continually monitored by AusVaxSafety - run by the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance. AusVaxSafety monitors all reported adverse events from immunisation providers in Australia, and investigates whenever a problem is suspected.
  • There’s more information about this process available for parents on the SKAI website.


Naking vaccination routine

  • Your personal practice 
    In your personal practice, make vaccination and vaccine discussions routine by discussing them at set times in pregnancy.
  • Your clinic 
    In your clinic, consider becoming or nominating a vaccine champion to promote vaccination and advocate for strategies like antenatal care checklists, prompts, or standing orders to deliver vaccines on site, if possible.