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Unit outline_

PUBH5426: Vaccines in Public Health

Semester 2, 2023 [Online] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

The aim of this unit is to provide students with an understanding of immunisation principles, the impact of vaccination on the epidemiology of vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs), how to assess the need for new vaccines and how to implement and monitor a new vaccination program. This unit covers the history and impact of vaccination; basic immunological principles of immunisation; surveillance of diseases; vaccination coverage; vaccine effectiveness; vaccine safety; vaccine scares; risk communication; program evaluation; immunisation in the developing country context; health security; assessing disease burden and new vaccines. Learning activities include online learning modules introducing topics and concepts, followed by weekly online interactive lectures and case study tutorials throughout the semester. Students will have access to online learning resources, included reading lists, and will be required to complete compulsory online quizzes, assignments and a group assessment.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit Public Health
Credit points 6
Prerequisites
? 
PUBH5010 or (PUBH5018 or FMHU5002)
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

Understanding of basic health sciences and related concepts. Students should have a Bachelor's degree in a health related discipline

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Aditi Dey, aditi.dey@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s) Nicholas Wood, nicholas.wood@sydney.edu.au
Aditi Dey, aditi.dey@sydney.edu.au
Clayton Chiu, clayton.chiu@sydney.edu.au
Frank Beard, frank.beard@sydney.edu.au
Kristine Macartney, kristine.macartney@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Tutorial quiz Quiz 1
Online quiz 10 Questions
10% Week 04
Due date: 21 Aug 2023 at 23:59
15 minutes (oral)
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO6 LO2
Tutorial quiz Quiz 2
Online Quiz 20 Questions
20% Week 07
Due date: 14 Sep 2023 at 23:59
30 minutes
Outcomes assessed: LO3 LO5 LO4
Assignment Written assignment 1
Essay
30% Week 08
Due date: 18 Sep 2023 at 23:59
1 x 2000 word (+/- 10%) essay
Outcomes assessed: LO4 LO5 LO6 LO9
Assignment Written assignment 2
Essay
30% Week 12
Due date: 23 Oct 2023 at 23:59
1 x 2000 word (+/- 10%) essay
Outcomes assessed: LO2 LO7 LO9 LO10
Online task Group assessment
Oral Presentation
10% Week 13
Due date: 31 Oct 2023 at 19:00
10 mins
Outcomes assessed: LO8 LO10

Assessment summary

Quiz 1 (10 questions) and Quiz 2 (20 questions)  – these quizzes will test your understanding of material covered in the weekly classes and guided self-directed study

Written Assignment 1 – 2000 word essay. This essay will allow you to integrate information developed over the course to examine an aspect of vaccine development

Written assignment 2 – 2000 word essay. This essay will allow you to integrate information developed over the course to examine an aspect of vaccine programs

Group Assignment – 10 minute oral presentation. The presentation will draw on material from across the unit.

Assessment criteria

Result name Mark range Description
High distinction 85-100 Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an exceptional standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Distinction 75-84 Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for this unit at a very high standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlines by your faculty or school. 
Credit 65-74 Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a good standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Pass 50-64 Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school. 
Fail 0-49 When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard. 
Absent fail 0-49 When you haven’t completed all assessment tasks or met the attendance requirements. 

 

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

As per Assessment Procedures 2011

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Introduction, immunological principles and vaccine development Online class (2 hr) LO1 LO2
Pre-recorded lectures and readings on immunological principles and vaccine development Independent study (3 hr) LO1 LO2
Week 02 Vaccine preventable disease surveillance, outbreaks and epidemiology. Immunisation coverage and registers. Online class (2 hr) LO3 LO5 LO6
Pre-recorded lectures and readings on vaccine preventable disease surveillance, outbreaks and epidemiology Independent study (3 hr) LO3 LO5 LO6
Week 03 Case study 1 - Texarkana measles outbreak Online class (2 hr) LO3 LO5 LO6
Pre-reading for Case study 1 Independent study (2 hr) LO3 LO5 LO6
Week 04 Immunisation programs Online class (2 hr) LO4
Pre-recorded lecture and readings for immunisation programs Independent study (2 hr) LO4
Week 05 Immunisation in specific populations Online class (2 hr) LO4
Readings on immunisation in specific populations Independent study (2 hr) LO4
Week 06 Case study 2 - Introducing new vaccines into an immunisation program Online class (2 hr) LO4
Pre-recorded lectures on introducing new vaccines into an immunisation program and the economic evaluation of vaccination programs. Readings for Case study 2 Independent study (3 hr) LO4
Week 07 Vaccine preventable diseases current and future challenges - focus on COVID-19 Online class (2 hr) LO5 LO6 LO7 LO9 LO10
Pre-reading on vaccine preventable diseases current and future challenges - focus on COVID-19 Independent study (2 hr) LO5 LO6 LO7 LO9 LO10
Week 08 Vaccine safety Online class (2 hr) LO7
Pre-recorded lectures and reading on vaccine safety Independent study (3 hr) LO7
Week 09 Case study 3 - Assessing vaccine safety Online class (2 hr) LO7
Pre-reading on Case study 3 Independent study (2 hr) LO7
Week 10 Enabling high vaccine coverage Online class (2 hr) LO10
Pre-recorded lectures and readings on enabling high vaccine coverage Independent study (3 hr) LO10
Week 11 Vaccine program delivery and evaluation, and future challenges for vaccines Online class (2 hr) LO6 LO7 LO8 LO9
Pre-recorded lecture and readings on vaccine program delivery and evaluation, and future challenges for vaccines Independent study (3 hr) LO6 LO7 LO8 LO9
Week 12 Group assessment activity Independent study (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8 LO9 LO10
Week 13 Group assessment activity Presentation (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6 LO7 LO8 LO9 LO10

Attendance and class requirements

Students are strongly encouraged to attend all weekly online live lectures and tutorials and actively engage in synchronous learning activities. There are also additional online resources and references (asynchronous learning resources) provided each week in preparation for weekly online live lectures and tutorials. Students are strongly encouraged to review these asynchronous resources prior to attending weekly online live lectures and tutorials.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library eReserve, available on Canvas. 

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. Understand the history and impact of vaccination
  • LO2. Describe the basic immunological principles of immunisation
  • LO3. Understand the key principles of surveillance of vaccine preventable diseases
  • LO4. Understand key considerations for introducing new vaccines and assessing vaccines for use in immunisation programs
  • LO5. Understand how vaccination coverage is calculated and monitored
  • LO6. Describe the principles of vaccine effectiveness
  • LO7. Describe vaccine safety monitoring systems and how responses to vaccination safety issues are managed
  • LO8. Understand how immunisation programs are evaluated
  • LO9. Understand key issues impacting immunisation in the developing country context
  • LO10. Describe strategies for improving vaccination communication, understanding determinants of vaccine uptake and enabling high vaccine coverage

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

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