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Types of Vaccine

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Types of Vaccine

This course is part of Foundations in Virology and Vaccinology Specialization

Instructor: John Tregoning

2,931 already enrolled

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4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

33 reviews

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

9 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

33 reviews

Intermediate level

Recommended experience

9 hours to complete

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

Recognise how viruses cause infections
Recognise how vaccines prevent infections

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

4 assignments

Taught in English

91%

of learners achieved a positive career outcome

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This course is part of the Foundations in Virology and Vaccinology Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 4 modules in this course

This course explores the different types of vaccine available. This is a useful framework for understanding the scientific understanding that went into vaccine development. It also gives a perspective of how innovation (e.g. fundamental virology, molecular biology) work in a translational medicine context.

On successful completion of the course, learners will be able to: 1. Identify features of different vaccine platforms 2. Demonstrate an understanding of the role of microbiological and technological advances in the development of vaccines 3. Recognise how different platforms may provide protection against different pathogens. This is an intermediate series of courses intended for both clinical and non-clinical scientists who want to update their skills for work in clinical, academic, and pharmaceutical/bioscience industries, and is developed and delivered by experts working on viruses and novel vaccines. To be successful in this series of courses, you should have basic knowledge in biology, genetics, microbiology or related fields.

Module details

First, we will look at the very first vaccines and how they shaped the future of the field. This shows how vaccine development closely follows developments in other scientific fields. The early history of microbiology and vaccinology are closely tied. The founders of one field often worked in another – for example Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch. Their approaches centred on the whole pathogen. Early vaccines were made with an understanding of infection biology, but not so much about the immune response to these pathogens. We will focus in on the range of methods used to develop vaccines, many of which are still used in vaccine development today.

What's included

6 videos7 readings1 assignment2 discussion prompts

6 videosTotal 35 minutes

Introduction to types of vaccines1 minute
The first vaccines: Variolation and Jenner5 minutes
The impact of germ theory on vaccinology4 minutes
Toxins, anti-toxins and passive immunity4 minutes
Inactivated pathogen as vaccines6 minutes
Human challenge in vaccine development14 minutes

7 readingsTotal 70 minutes

Course syllabus10 minutes
Introduction to types of vaccines10 minutes
A timeline of vaccine discovery and implementation10 minutes
Introduction to germ theory and vaccination10 minutes
Introduction to passive immunisation10 minutes
Introduction to inactivation10 minutes
Wrapping up early vaccine discovery and development10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Summative Quiz30 minutes

2 discussion promptsTotal 20 minutes

The importance of germ theory in vaccine development10 minutes
Why toxins make good vaccine targets10 minutes

Here we will look at protein and sugar-based vaccines. We will start by looking at how these vaccines provide protection. We will then investigate how novel biotechnology techniques have helped in the development of new vaccines, before looking at how sugars can be targeted and the impact this has had. Finally, we will explore how advances in immunological understanding are helping to shape the next generation of vaccines.

What's included

5 videos3 readings1 assignment4 discussion prompts

5 videosTotal 28 minutes

Vaccine induced immunity by proteins4 minutes
Advances in protein-based vaccines5 minutes
Sugars as targets for vaccines4 minutes
Adjuvants in vaccines4 minutes
Vaccines for malaria11 minutes

3 readingsTotal 30 minutes

Introduction to using proteins and sugars as vaccines10 minutes
Introduction to sugars and vaccines10 minutes
Introduction to adjuvants for enhanced immune response10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Summative Quiz30 minutes

4 discussion promptsTotal 40 minutes

Matching immune cells to immune systems10 minutes
Matching immune cells to immune systems10 minutes
Comparing sugar-based and protein-based vaccines10 minutes
Adjuvants for vaccines10 minutes

Here we will explore how instead of targeting individual parts of a pathogen, we can take weaker forms of a pathogen and use it to make a vaccine. We will look at the original vaccines that were developed by this approach, then more broadly at how the immune system provides protection at two sites of infection – the airways and the guts. Finally, we will look at two viral pathogens, polio and influenza, and the past, present and future of vaccines for them.

What's included

5 videos3 readings1 assignment2 discussion prompts

5 videosTotal 33 minutes

Attenuated vaccines6 minutes
Vaccine induced immune responses at mucosal sites5 minutes
Vaccines for Polio 6 minutes
Vaccines for influenza8 minutes
The challenge of changing viruses9 minutes

3 readingsTotal 30 minutes

Maurice Hilleman – the most important scientist you’ve never heard of10 minutes
Introduction to protection at mucosal sites10 minutes
Introduction to vaccines for specific viruses10 minutes

1 assignmentTotal 30 minutes

Summative Quiz 30 minutes

2 discussion promptsTotal 20 minutes

Proteins as vaccine targets10 minutes
Why vaccines need updating10 minutes

Finally, we will look at how vaccines can be used to prevent and contain pandemics. We will start with a history of the use of vaccines in pandemics and the special requirements. We will then look at two of the new platforms that were successful during the COVID-19 pandemic, RNA and viral vectors.