In December 2022 the International Vaccine Access Centre was able to conduct a test run of its newly developed training course on vaccine hesitancy. With a grant from the Sabin Vaccine Institute the course is aimed at healthcare workers, who can take it online or in person. IVAC’s Dr Rupali Limaye, with support from Dr Brian Wahl and Dr Sara Bennet, conducted a test run at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Gorakhpur, in Uttar Pradesh, India.
The trial in Gorakhpur
The training course was opened to medical students and faculty, government healthcare workers, and nursing students. IVAC reports that the feedback was “excellent”, with students enjoying the interactive case studies and tools.
“The course utilises a highly interactive platform and contains modules covering topics such as evidence-based communication approaches, best practices for debunking misinformation, and vaccine and immunology basics.”
The initial design of the course is in English, but the intention is to translate it into Hindi and other regional languages for future use. Dr Limaye emphasises the hope of being able to “tailor” it to be as culturally and regionally relevant as possible.
To read more about vaccine hesitancy click here for previous posts. For further discussion on tackling misinformation and anti-vaccine movements join us at the World Vaccine Congress in Washington in April.
