The National Minimum Standards and Core Curriculum for Immunisation Training are key guidelines for all registered healthcare practitioners involved in vaccination programmes. While this document from the UK government is not legally mandatory, it serves as a crucial framework for ensuring all staff are properly trained, competent, and up-to-date.

Why Separate Courses for Flu and Other Updates are Essential

While annual immunisation updates are vital, it’s increasingly clear that a single session often isn’t enough to cover all the necessary information. Programmes like the seasonal flu vaccination change significantly each year, requiring dedicated time for a thorough review.

An annual update session typically covers a broad range of topics, including:

  • Revision on where to find the latest immunisation information
  • Changes to vaccine recommendations and national policy
  • Updates to the child immunisation programme
  • Current issues with various vaccines (e.g., adolescent, maternal, RSV, pertussis, measles, varicella)
  • New guidance from organisations like the UKHSA

These sessions, which are often around 3.5 hours long, must balance a wide variety of subjects. This means that a complex and highly changeable programme like the flu vaccination may only receive a brief mention, with practitioners directed to find the detailed information themselves.

A dedicated flu update session, which typically lasts 2.5 hours, provides the in-depth focus needed. These standalone courses dedicate significant time to the specifics of the upcoming flu season, including:

  • The epidemiology, morbidity, and mortality of flu
  • All available vaccines for different eligible groups
  • Contraindications, precautions, and side effects
  • Coadministration with other vaccines (such as pneumococcal, shingles, RSV, and COVID-19)

By taking both the comprehensive annual update and a separate, dedicated flu session, immunisers can ensure they have the detailed knowledge required to administer all vaccines safely and effectively, especially those that change frequently.

Employer and Employee Responsibilities

Even though the national standards are guidance, employers have a legal obligation to ensure their staff are fully trained, competent, and up-to-date. They may be required to provide evidence of this to regulatory bodies like the Care Quality Commission (CQC) or commissioners. The onus is on both the employer to provide access to training and the employee to engage with these updates to maintain their professional competence. This shared responsibility ensures that the highest quality of immunisation services are delivered to the public.