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Unit of study_
PUBH5426: Vaccines in Public Health
2026 unit information
This unit provides postgraduate students with a comprehensive and critical understanding of immunisation principles and the role of vaccination in shaping public health outcomes. Students will explore the impact of vaccination on the epidemiology of vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs), learn how to assess the need for new vaccines, and gain practical skills in implementing and monitoring vaccination programs. The curriculum covers a wide range of topics including the history and global impact of vaccination, basic immunological principles, disease surveillance, vaccination coverage, vaccine effectiveness and safety, vaccine scares, risk communication, program evaluation, immunisation in low and middle-income countries, health security, and methods for assessing disease burden and prioritising new vaccines. Learning activities are designed to support advanced academic and professional development. Students will participate in a face-to-face workshop delivered by Australia's eminent experts in immunisation. Students will also engage with online modules that introduce key concepts, and attend a small number of online interactive lectures and case study tutorials. Attendance at face-to-face and online sessions is strongly encourage in order to build critical thinking and collaborative problem-solving skills. Throughout the semester, students will have access to curated online resources and reading lists, and will be required to complete compulsory online quizzes, individual assignments, and a group assessment focused on real-world application. This unit is ideal for postgraduate students in public health, medicine, global health, epidemiology, or health policy who are seeking to specialise in immunisation or contribute to vaccination initiatives at local, national, or international levels.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Medicine and Health
| Study level | Postgraduate |
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| Academic unit | Public Health |
| Credit points | 6 |
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Prerequisites:
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None |
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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None |
| Assumed knowledge:
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None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. Understand the history and impact of vaccination
- LO2. Describe the basic immunological principles of immunisation
- LO3. Understand the key principles of surveillance of vaccine preventable diseases
- LO4. Understand key considerations for introducing new vaccines and assessing vaccines for use in immunisation programs
- LO5. Understand how vaccination coverage is calculated and monitored
- LO6. Describe the principles of vaccine effectiveness
- LO7. Describe vaccine safety monitoring systems and how responses to vaccination safety issues are managed
- LO8. Understand how immunisation programs are evaluated
- LO9. Understand key issues impacting immunisation in the developing country context
- LO10. Describe strategies for improving vaccination communication, understanding determinants of vaccine uptake and enabling high vaccine coverage
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 2 2025
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Distance education/intensive on campus | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
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Semester 2 2026
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Distance education/intensive on campus | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
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