Vaccine Basics for Leaders

Vaccines play an important role in infection prevention and control. They can help keep you and others safe in the workplace, at home, and in public. This course will help you understand how vaccines work, address some common questions, and give you the skills, tools, and resources to lead well-informed, respectful conversations about vaccination in the workplace.

Topics include:

• Different types of immunity
• Community protection (also known as herd immunity)
• Managing common side effects
• Common vaccine ingredients and how they are approved
• Motivational Interviewing

Upon completion of the course learners should be able to:

• Explain how vaccines protect the body from a disease.
• Outline how vaccines are a highly effective method to reduce transmission of a disease as part of infection control practices.
• Identify common side effects of a vaccine.
• Outline common vaccine ingredients and the functions they serve.
• Use reflective listening skills to establish a safe, non-judgemental environment to talk about vaccine hesitancy with less resistance.

This course was developed with funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada.