At the end of the course, students will be able to:
explain the key immunological and epidemiological principles underlying vaccination;
describe and compare major vaccine technologies, from conventional vaccines to emerging platforms;
understand the different stages of vaccine development, from initial design to clinical development and population use;
critically interpret key data on vaccine immunogenicity, efficacy, effectiveness and safety;
understand the principles of benefit–risk assessment, regulatory approval and post-authorisation vaccine surveillance;
analyse the determinants of vaccine acceptance, confidence and hesitancy, as well as the impact of misinformation and disinformation;
integrate scientific, clinical, regulatory and public-health perspectives when assessing the role of a vaccine within a prevention strategy;
critically discuss innovations likely to shape the future of vaccinology, including novel vaccine platforms, artificial intelligence and real-world data.
This course aims to provide an integrated and contemporary understanding of vaccinology, from its immunological and epidemiological foundations to vaccine development, evaluation, regulatory approval and population-level implementation.
Students will learn how vaccines differ from other medicinal products and why their value needs to be considered both at the individual and population levels.
Particular attention will be given to emerging vaccine technologies, clinical development, benefit–risk assessment, pharmacovigilance, vaccination policies, and the determinants of vaccine confidence and acceptance.
The course will also address the future of vaccinology, including therapeutic vaccines, novel platforms, artificial intelligence, real-world data and emerging approaches to vaccine surveillance.
The course follows the pathway of a vaccine from understanding the disease and the immune response to its impact at population level:
Medical need and disease burden → Immune response → Vaccine technology → Clinical development → Benefit–risk assessment → Regulatory approval → Recommendations and vaccination policy → Implementation → Uptake → Real-world effectiveness and safety → Public-health impact.
Topics include the history of vaccination, basic vaccine immunology, epidemiology of vaccine-preventable diseases, vaccine technologies, clinical development, regulatory processes, pharmacovigilance, vaccine confidence and hesitancy, and innovations that may shape the future of vaccinology.
Module Duration Lecturer(s)
1. Vaccines: from Jenner to the post-COVID era 2 h André
2. How vaccines work 1 h André
3. Vaccine-preventable diseases & epidemiology 1 h André
4. Vaccine technologies: from classical vaccines to mRNA 2 h André
5. From vaccine candidate to clinical evidence 2 h Dogné
6. From regulatory approval to vaccination policy 2 h Dogné
7. Vaccine safety & pharmacovigilance 2 h Dogné
8. Vaccine confidence, hesitancy & misinformation 2 h Dogné
9. Vaccinology 2035: the next generation 2 h André
10. Integrated case & simulation: from evidence to decision 2 h André & Dogné
Total 18 h
Questions, practical cases and real-world situations will be discussed throughout the course.
An integrated exercise will require students to combine the different dimensions covered during the course. Based on a vaccine or vaccination strategy, students will consider disease burden, vaccine characteristics, efficacy and safety data, benefit–risk balance, recommendations, implementation, vaccine acceptance and communication.
The exercise is designed to develop the students' ability to move from scientific evidence to decision-making in vaccinology.
The course combines lectures, interactive discussions, analysis of real-world data and situations, case studies and an integrated exercise.
Examples from existing vaccines and recent public-health situations will be used to illustrate scientific, clinical, regulatory and societal concepts.
Students will be encouraged to develop a critical and multidisciplinary approach to vaccination and to integrate the different dimensions involved in vaccine-related decision-making.
Assessment will consist of a two-hour written examination.
The examination will assess both the understanding of key concepts and the student's ability to apply them, interpret scientific information and demonstrate critical reasoning in vaccinology.
Detailed examination procedures and expectations will be explained during the course.
Course materials will be made available to students.
These will be complemented by selected scientific references and documents from peer-reviewed literature and authoritative institutional sources, including the World Health Organization (WHO), European Medicines Agency (EMA), European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and relevant national authorities and advisory bodies.
Recent scientific, public-health or regulatory documents may also be provided during the course to address emerging topics and developments in vaccinology.
| Training | Study programme | Block | Credits | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Master in Biomedical Sciences | Standard | 1 | 3 | No |
| Master in Biomedical Sciences | Filière en recherche fondamentale et préclinique | 2 | 3 | No |
| Master in Biomedical Sciences | Filière en gestion de la recherche clinique | 2 | 3 | No |
| Master in Biochemistry and Molecular and Cell Biology | Finalité approfondie | 2 | 3 | No |
| Master in Biochemistry and Molecular and Cell Biology | Finalité spécialisée | 2 | 3 | No |