This course builds on the knowledge you have gained as a pharmacist vaccinator or an authorised vaccinator with or without age restriction. It will update and increase your knowledge of the National Immunisation Schedule for those aged five years and under, and vaccination into the vastus lateralis for infants under two years of age.
Course modules:
The course provides 3 hours of continuing professional development. On completion, you can print out a certificate as evidence of learning.
Prerequisites
At the start of the course, you will be asked to indicate that you meet the course requirements.
This course is intended for those who hold a current annual practicing certificate, a current CPR certificate and are currently either:
On completion of the course assessment, you can apply to Health NZ Te Whatu Ora Workforce Request Portal, for authorisation (whole-of-life), with the condition that you must be working under the direct 1:1 supervision of an experienced vaccinator mentor when giving vaccines to those under five years of age. Authorisation removes the requirement for prescriptions or standing orders and removes the medicines regulation restrictions for pharmacists.
At this point any authorised vaccinator working with conditions as part of their authorisation can administer vaccines to those five years of age and over without the need of a prescription or standing order. If you are choosing to only vaccinate those over five years of age, you can pause at this point.
To progress further (ie, to vaccinate children aged under five years) you will also need to arrange to complete supervised vaccination experience working with an experienced vaccinator, completing your workbook while vaccinating children aged under five years. Submitting evidence of workbook completion will remove the requirement of 1:1 supervision to vaccinate children aged over two years.
The final step is to complete a clinical assessment on a child aged under two years, allowing you apply for whole-of-life authorisation without restrictions.
If you are a pharmacist vaccinator planning to offer whole-of-life (including two years and under) National Schedule vaccinations, you will need to make sure your pharmacy site meets the onboarding guidelines and site checklists. Discuss with your District Lead. You will also need to identify an opportunity to complete supported practical skills development and clinical assessment.
If you are already an authorised vaccinator, you can follow the same national authorisation pathway as set out above (ensuring supervision requirements are met), removing the need for standing orders or prescriptions.
Or you can continue to be locally authorised, using this course and workbook as professional development, applying for whole-of-life authorisation as normal via your local Medical Officer of Health, following a clinical assessment, (on a child under two years using vastus lateralis.) Standing orders and prescriptions will continue to be required using this pathway.
