Course content

The topics to be covered will include:

• Epidemiological principles of vaccine evaluation
• Immunological basis for vaccination
• Pre-licensure epidemiological issues:
  • Phase I, II and III trials
  • Practical and ethical considerations
  • Clinical trials: sample size and analysis issues
  • Good clinical practice and adverse event monitoring during vaccine trials
• Post-licensure epidemiological issues:
  • Vaccine efficacy and effectiveness
  • Impact studies
  • Burden of disease assessment
  • Surveillance of disease and infection
  • Adverse events monitoring
• Using immunology in vaccine evaluation
• Infectious disease modelling in assessing vaccine impact
• Economic evaluation of vaccination programmes
• Key issues in vaccination schedules and policy
• Long term implications of vaccination programmes
• Topical issues in the epidemiology of vaccine preventable disease

Teaching methods and course materials

All teaching is carried out at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and consists of a combination of formal lectures and more informal seminars and group practicals. A comprehensive manual will be provided to accompany the presentations.

Course certificate and assessment

There will be no formal assessment but a Certificate of Attendance will be awarded to those completing the course.