Training and Education

illustration of different healthcare professionals and laboratory workers working on a vacine for COVID-19

COVID-19 vaccine recommendations have been updated as of September 12. The content on this page is no longer current and will be updated to align with the new recommendations. Learn more.

Note: Some COVID-19 monovalent vaccine products are expired or expiring soon. Healthcare professionals should:

Always check expiration dates prior to administration. Never administer expired vaccine.
CDC recommends providers check vaccine expiration dates weekly; all expired vaccine doses must be removed from the storage unit, and discarded according to the manufacturer’s guidance, state, and federal regulations.
Other COVID-19 vaccine products are available for those persons seeking vaccination and who have not completed a primary series, see Clinical Guidance for COVID-19 Vaccination | CDC.

It’s important healthcare professionals receive the training needed to effectively meet the demands of their roles. Training must be ongoing as new COVID-19 vaccines become available and as vaccine recommendations evolve when we learn more about the vaccines and how to improve the vaccination process.

On This Page

Trainings, Webinars, and Additional Resources
Training Required by Professional Qualification
Additional Resources

A variety of healthcare professionals and personnel will be needed to implement COVID-19 vaccination efforts. These include:

Experienced vaccinators
Vaccinators who have not administered vaccines in the past 12 months or longer
Medical support staff (not licensed to administer vaccines but can assist with vaccine preparation and cold chain management)
Administrative support staff (can assist with cold chain management, data reporting, and distribution of required materials to vaccine recipients)

Training is important not only for those who will prepare and administer vaccine, but also for those responsible for other critical, mandatory functions, including protecting the vaccine cold chain, inputting required data, and ensuring vaccine recipients receive documentation of vaccination.

It is critical that healthcare professionals and personnel are familiar with the specific COVID-19 vaccine product(s) in their facility’s inventory. Guidance for vaccine storage, handling, preparation, and administration may differ for each vaccine product. Therefore, all healthcare staff members need training in COVID-19 vaccination even if they are already administering routinely recommended vaccines. While many practices are the same for all vaccines, whenever a new vaccine is introduced to the U.S. market, there are nuances that healthcare professionals must become familiar with to ensure the vaccine is stored, handled, prepared, and administered correctly.

Vaccine manufacturers, CDC, other federal entities, public health agencies, and professional organizations provide a variety of training resources, including print materials, training modules, webinars, seminars, and videos. For healthcare professionals who will be preparing and administering vaccine, it is essential that training programs also include an observation component and competency assessment. The following sections describe trainings and competencies healthcare professionals need based on their roles and experience to ensure the vaccine cold chain is protected and vaccines are administered safely to recipients.

Trainings, Webinars, and Reference Materials

Training Programs and Reference Materials

COVID-19 Vaccination Provider Training

Strategies for Sharps Disposal Container Use During Supply Shortages

Training Modules For COVID-19 Vaccination

COVID-19 Vaccine Webinar Series

Training Required by Professional Qualification

Find the training and core competencies you will need by clicking on your professional qualification below:

Healthcare professionals who have administered vaccine in the last 12 months

Healthcare professionals or retired (past 5 years) physicians, nurses, or practical nurses who are licensed/previously licensed to administer COVID-19 vaccine but have not done so in the last 12 months

Vaccination support workers (not licensed to administer vaccine) qualified to prepare, store, handle, or transport vaccine

Administration support staff qualified to store, handle, or transport vaccine

Healthcare professionals who have administered vaccine in the last 12 months

Healthcare professionals who have administered vaccine in the last 12 months
COVID-19 Vaccine Training	Routine Vaccine Administration	Routine Vaccine Storage and Handling
CDC Training Module(s) for the vaccine product(s) in your facility	If needed: You Call the Shots: Vaccine Administration Or other vaccine administration training offered by a worksite, state or local health department, medical professional organization, or medical/nursing school within the last 12 months.	If needed: You Call the Shots: Vaccine Storage and Handling Or other vaccine storage and handling training offered by a worksite, state or local health department, medical professional organization, or medical/nursing school within the last 12 months.
Core Competencies: Relevant information contained in the EUA Fact Sheet(s) for Healthcare Providers for the vaccine product(s) in your facility Clinical considerations Storage and handling requirements Preparation requirements Administration requirements Anaphylaxis guidance Vaccination documentation and reporting requirements Required and additional information for vaccine recipients COVID-19 Vaccine Administration Competencies Assessment Form

Healthcare professionals or retired (past 5 years) physicians, nurses, or practical nurses who are licensed/previously licensed to administer COVID-19 vaccine but have not done so in the last 12 months

Healthcare professionals who have administered vaccine in the last 12 months
COVID-19 Vaccine Training	Routine Vaccine Administration	Routine Vaccine Storage and Handling
CDC Training Module(s) for the vaccine product(s) in your facility	If needed: You Call the Shots: Vaccine Administration Or other vaccine administration training offered by a worksite, state or local health department, medical professional organization, or medical/nursing school within the last 12 months.	If needed: You Call the Shots: Vaccine Storage and Handling Or other vaccine storage and handling training offered by a worksite, state or local health department, medical professional organization, or medical/nursing school within the last 12 months.
Core Competencies: Relevant information contained in the EUA Fact Sheet(s) for Healthcare Providers for the vaccine product(s) in your facility Clinical considerations Storage and handling requirements Preparation requirements Administration requirements Anaphylaxis guidance Vaccination documentation and reporting requirements Required and additional information for vaccine recipients COVID-19 Vaccine Administration Competencies Assessment Form

Vaccination support workers (not licensed to administer vaccine) qualified to prepare, store, handle, or transport vaccine

Healthcare professionals who have administered vaccine in the last 12 months
COVID-19 Vaccine Training	Routine Vaccine Administration	Routine Vaccine Storage and Handling
CDC Training Module(s) for the vaccine product(s) in your facility	If needed: You Call the Shots: Vaccine Administration Or other vaccine administration training offered by a worksite, state or local health department, medical professional organization, or medical/nursing school within the last 12 months.	Recommended if storing and handling vaccine: You Call the Shots: Vaccine Storage and Handling Or other vaccine storage and handling training offered by a worksite, state or local health department, medical professional organization, or medical/nursing school within the last 12 months.
Core Competencies: Relevant information contained in the EUA Fact Sheet(s) for Healthcare Providers for the vaccine product(s) in your facility Preparation requirements Storage and handling requirements Transport guidance Vaccination documentation and reporting requirements Required and additional information for vaccine recipients COVID-19 Vaccine Administration Competencies Assessment Form

Administration support staff qualified to store, handle, or transport vaccine

Healthcare professionals who have administered vaccine in the last 12 months
COVID-19 Vaccine Training	Routine Vaccine Administration	Routine Vaccine Storage and Handling
CDC Training Module(s) for the vaccine product(s) in your facility	n/a	Recommended if storing and handling vaccine: You Call the Shots: Vaccine Storage and Handling Or other vaccine storage and handling training offered by a worksite, state or local health department, medical professional organization, or medical/nursing school within the last 12 months.
Core Competencies Based on Role: Relevant information contained in the EUA Fact Sheet(s) for Healthcare Providers for the vaccine product(s) in your facility Storage and handling requirements Transport guidance Vaccination documentation and reporting requirements Required and additional information for vaccine recipients COVID-19 Vaccine Administration Competencies Assessment Form

Additional Resources:

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