Activity Overview

Safe vaccine administration begins well before the needle reaches the patient. Every step—from preparing the work area and performing hand hygiene to selecting supplies, preparing the vaccine, administering the dose, and monitoring the patient afterward—can affect patient safety and vaccine effectiveness.

Although vaccines have an excellent safety record, vaccination is not without risk. Administration errors, contamination, needlestick injuries, fainting, and allergic reactions can occur. Severe allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis are rare, but because they can progress rapidly and become life-threatening, anyone involved in vaccine administration must be prepared to recognize an emergency and respond appropriately.

Pharmacy technicians who administer vaccines work under the supervision of a pharmacist and within applicable federal and state laws and regulations. Technicians should understand not only how to administer a vaccine, but also how to prepare vaccines safely, maintain infection-control standards, recognize potential adverse reactions, and immediately involve the pharmacist and emergency medical services when appropriate.

This section reviews current best practices from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) related to vaccine preparation, hand hygiene, immunization supplies, post-vaccination monitoring, and recognition and initial management of anaphylaxis.

Important: Vaccine recommendations, product information, and clinical guidance can change. Always follow current CDC recommendations, manufacturer labeling, your organization's policies and procedures, and applicable state laws and regulations.

Learning Objectives 

After completing this section, the learner should be able to:

1. Describe appropriate infection-control and aseptic techniques used during vaccine preparation and administration.

2. Identify appropriate hand-hygiene practices for healthcare personnel administering vaccines.

3. Describe the supplies necessary to safely prepare and administer vaccines.

4. Apply CDC recommendations for preparing vaccines and preventing vaccine-administration errors.

5. Differentiate common post-vaccination reactions and syncope from signs and symptoms that may indicate anaphylaxis.

6. Recognize the signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis following vaccination.

7. Identify epinephrine as the first-line medication for anaphylaxis and describe appropriate intramuscular administration.

8. Describe the immediate steps that should be taken when anaphylaxis is suspected following vaccination.

9. Explain the role of post-vaccination observation and emergency preparedness in a vaccination setting.

All reading material for home-study was developed by CDC. Powell Health has not been endorsed by the US government, HHS, or CDC. These materials can be found online without charge outside of the Powell Health immunization training program. These documents are supplementary to the Powell Health Immunization Training program and charges cover the processing of CE.

Course Requirements

1. Read through each section.

2. Take the post-test and receive a score of at least 80%.