Curriculum standards: LG18: Vaccination

Advanced Trainees will describe the principles of the foundational sciences.

Advanced Trainees will assess the patient’s current condition and plan the next steps.

Trainees will have a comprehensive depth of knowledge of the principles of the foundational sciences.

Advanced Trainees will know how to monitor and manage patients post-therapy.

Advanced Trainees will identify important specialty-specific issues and the impact of these on diagnosis, management and outcomes.

Innate and adaptive immune responses to immunisations used in clinical practice, including:
- preventative immunisations against infectious diseases
- therapeutic immunisations against:
  - allergic disorders
  - malignant disorders
Mechanisms of action and examples of different vaccine platforms / technologies:
- inactivated / non-live:
  - messenger RNA (mRNA)
  - subunit:
    - conjugate
    - polysaccharide
    - protein based
    - recombinant
  - toxoid
  - viral vector
  - whole cell
- live attenuated
Principle of prime-boost
Types of vaccine delivery, such as:
- intradermal
- intramuscular (IM)
- oral
Use of adjuvants to enhance immunogenicity
Use of protein conjugation to T cell independent antigens to modify vaccine efficacy

Benefits, contraindications, indications, principles, and risks of immunisation for those with primary or secondary immunodeficiency
Counsel patients and families regarding benefits and risks
Current age-specific immunisation schedules, such as the Australian National Immunisation Program (NIP) schedule and additional state-based schedules in the general population
Immunisation against infection and cancer in specific subpopulations, such as:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
- Māori
- pregnant people
- splenectomy patients
Immunisation requirements before and after immunosuppression, such as after stem cell transplantation or prior to starting biologic therapy for rheumatoid arthritis
Immunisation with polysaccharide and protein vaccines to assess immune competence
Indications for immunisations for infectious diseases in high-risk individuals, such as employees of healthcare facilities and travellers to high prevalence countries
Passive immunisation, including monoclonal antibodies and plasma-derived immunoglobulin, against infectious disease in risk groups / exposed patients
Recognise immunisation benefits and risks

Appropriate ‘catch up’ vaccine schedules
Immunisation against infectious agents in patients at increased risk of allergic reactions to vaccines
Management and types of adverse reactions to immunisations / vaccines

Planning of future immunisation
Vaccines that are required to be administered in special conditions specific for the relevant immunodeficiency or allergic condition

Complexity of vaccine hesitancy, misinformation, and misunderstanding, such as measles and COVID-19
Contraindications to live vaccines
Interpretation of vaccine-related serological testing
Management of patients with previous adverse or allergic reaction/s to a vaccination

Curriculum standards