HCA Immunisations Training

Our HCA immunisation training course is ideal for Healthcare Assistants who are looking to assist with seasonal flu clinics and give pneumococcal and shingles vaccinations.

This course covers the clinical skills needed to administer injections, along with the theoretical and legal background. Constantly updated with the latest information, the training covers influenza, pneumococcal, shingles and more. It’s based around the National Minimum Standards for Immunisation Training and the RCN and MDU’s position on healthcare assistants involved in immunisation. It will involve a practical session and all participants will leave the course with an individual Patient Specific Direction (PSD) protocol and competency based framework to work to under the supervision of a mentor.

This pneumococcal, influenza and shingles immunisation training has a recommendation rate of over 99% and is accredited by the Royal College of General Practitioners. On completion, delegates will be awarded with a certificate of attendance and 12 CPD points.

All Annie Barr Associates clinical courses are led by trainers who are qualified healthcare professionals with a wealth of clinical and teaching experience. Non-clinical courses are delivered by suitably qualified and experienced professionals who are experts on the subject matter.

Please note: This is a two day course. Delegates are asked to arrive at the venue for registration at 9.30am each day. The training will take place from 10.00am - 4.00pm.

Aims & Objectives

• To develop an understanding of the principles of vaccination
• To gain comprehensive knowledge of the legal framework for pneumococcal and influenza vaccination programmes
• To develop a full understanding of safe practice when administering injections

Course Content

• The HCA’s role in immunisation
• Competency and supervision
• Understanding competence
• Guidelines and protocols
• PSDs in primary care
• A brief introduction to the immune system
• Virus or bacteria?
• The signs and symptoms of influenza
• Pneumococcal disease - facts and figures
• Influenza - facts and figures
• Shingles
• How vaccines work
• What’s in the vaccine?
• Infection control
• Antivirals and antibiotics – how they work
• Who’s legible for vaccination by HCAs - inclusion and exclusion criteria
• Chronic disease and at risk patients
• Administering vaccines
• Injection technique and sites – a practical workshop
• The storage and handling of a vaccine
• Reporting and documentation
• Allergy and contraindication
• Basic life support and initial anaphylaxis management
• The legal framework of vaccination
• LCP
• GSF
• Case studies

• Healthcare Care Assistants
• Support Workers

Delegates will be provided with a competence-based framework and materials to take back to their place of work, however will not be signed off as competent in the training session. We therefore recommend that delegates are in a place of work (or soon plan to be in a place of work) in which they will have access to a mentor that are themselves competent in this clinical skill to assess their competence.