Health Education England elearning for healthcare (HEE elfh) has worked in partnership with Thames Valley and Wessex Neonatal ODN to make significant updates to the Immunisation on Neonatal Units elearning programme.

The single session discusses and reviews the issues surrounding vaccination of pre-term infants while resident on a neonatal unit, such as who can give consent, why it is important to administer routine immunisations at the appropriate time and when a delay in vaccination timing may be appropriate. It also includes information on vaccination schedule and best practice for the administration of injections.

There is a national minimum standard for immunisations training and this session is suggested as an additional component for those with a role in immunisation in neonatal units, such as neonatal nurses, midwives and nursing associates.

New updates to the session include an updated routine childhood immunisation schedule, parent information leaflets and changes to who delivers the BCG vaccine. Newly updated information on the procedure for the preparation and administration of intramuscular (IM) injections is also available.

On completion of the session, which takes approximately 40 minutes to complete, learners will gain new knowledge and skills, including:

• signposting parents and carers to up-to-date information regarding current scheduled immunisations
• identifying babies who require other vaccinations in addition to the routine childhood vaccination schedule
• identifying when it may be appropriate to delay vaccinations

For more information and to access the session, please visit the Immunisation on Neonatal Units programme page.