PHX Helps Launch Statewide COVID-19 Vaccine Training.
PHX Helps Launch Statewide COVID-19 Vaccine Training
Offered through the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the free online training helps health care providers stay up-to-date on the latest information around vaccine storage, handling, administration, and safety.
Population Health Exchange (PHX) in the Office of Lifelong Learning recently worked with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s (MDPH) Bureau of Infectious Disease and Laboratory Sciences to launch a free, statewide training on COVID-19 vaccine storage, handling, administration, and safety.
Introduced in July 2021, the online, self-paced training is designed for health care providers, vaccine coordinators, and all health care personnel who handle and administer COVID-19 vaccines. The training is broken down into several modules, and once completed, all modules can continually be revisited so participants are able to refresh their knowledge and stay up-to-date with the most current COVID-19 vaccine information. A robust list of resources, embedded links to important content websites, and videos are also available on the training site.
Upon completion of the course, participants will be better able to explain the process for ordering and receiving the COVID-19 vaccine; summarize vaccine storage and handling requirements; describe how to manage vaccine inventory; define current vaccine recommendations; describe the provider’s role in administering the vaccine; summarize precautions, contraindications, and the screening process; explain the principles of vaccine preparation; describe common vaccine side effects; summarize vaccine adverse events and adverse event reporting; and explain vaccination provider documentation and reporting requirements.
“Trainings like this are essential for controlling this pandemic, so we hope the MDPH training allows vaccine providers to stay informed and gain more confidence in managing and administering the vaccines to patients, even as our knowledge about the vaccines and the virus continue to evolve,” says Glynnis LaRosa (SPH’96), senior public health nursing advisor at MDPH and the project lead for the training.
Continuing education credit is available for nurses, physicians, emergency medical technicians, dentists, registered dental hygienists, and pharmacists who complete the course. All other participants that do not require professional continuing education credits will receive a certificate of training completion to document their successful course completion.
Throughout the development of the training and as the pandemic has continued to unfold, the PHX team has worked closely with LaRosa and her team at MDPH to create and update the training modules to ensure the content is current, accessible, and manageable.
“We are honored to have worked with the MDPH team throughout this process,” says Leslie Tellalian, assistant dean for lifelong learning. “The MDPH staff have been working hard to consistently stay on top of the science behind all aspects of the vaccine handling, administration, and safety, and we are excited we could help them bring their vision for this training to life. We are very happy that so many people on the frontlines of this pandemic now have access to this vital information, and we look forward to working with MDPH more in the future.”
“The PHX team brought incredible enthusiasm and valuable resources to assist MDPH staff in the development and launch of this important and timely training site,” says Pejman Talebian, director of the immunization program at MDPH. “This collaboration has been instrumental to our success in ensuring that COVID-19 vaccine providers and vaccinators had a comprehensive online training and resources to safely and effectively provide vaccinations across the state. We are grateful for the opportunity to work with PHX during this pandemic.”
Learn more and register for the COVID-19 vaccine training here.