Vaccinator competency requirements, core values and behaviours, equality and tackling health inequalities

To ensure the safety, effectiveness, and quality of vaccination services, all practitioners who administer vaccines must be competent, confident, and formally signed off by their local Health Board or employer, in line with local governance requirements.

Core training for vaccinators typically includes:

• Basic life support (BLS) and anaphylaxis management
• Relevant statutory and mandatory training, such as infection prevention and control and public protection
• Safe handling of sharps and waste management
• Demonstrated competence in vaccine storage, handling, preparation, and administration
• A solid understanding of and ability to appropriately apply legal frameworks

Vaccination training should be tailored to the practitioner’s role, scope of practice, and the specific vaccines they deliver.

Vaccination specific training may include:

• Promoting Effective Immunisation Practice (PEIP) programme for Healthcare Support Workers (HCSWs) or PEIP for registered healthcare practitioners
• Vaccine-specific learning modules aligned with national programmes (e.g. COVID-19 eLearning modules)
• Role-specific immunisation training aligned with service needs (e.g. vaccination in pregnancy or immunosuppressed individuals)

Even when delivering a single vaccine, vaccinators should complete the relevant elements of the core curriculum, adapted to their context. While the duration of training may be shorter, knowledge and practice should remain aligned with the broader national immunisation programme.

Competence should be assessed to the same high standard for all vaccinators, regardless of the number of vaccines delivered.

Annual updates and continuous professional development (CPD) are required to ensure knowledge and practice remain current.

Practitioners must also maintain up-to-date knowledge of national guidance (such as the Green Book, Chief Medical Officer {CMO} letters, and programme-specific resources) and engage in regular continuing professional development (CPD) to ensure safe, effective, and evidence-based practice.

Core Values and Behaviours in Vaccination Practice

This Framework is grounded in NHS Scotland’s core values:

• Care and Compassion
• Dignity and Respect
• Openness, Honesty, and Responsibility
• Quality and Teamwork

These values are particularly relevant in busy or high-volume vaccination environments. For example:

• Maintaining dignity through privacy and inclusive communication, even in fast-paced clinics.
• Demonstrating compassion by adapting approaches for individuals with additional needs (e.g., needle related anxiety or neurodiversity).
• Upholding responsibility by ensuring consent and information sharing is clear and ethical.

The Framework also supports the principles of Realistic Medicine:

1. Person-Centred Care – Focusing on what matters to individuals.
2. Shared Decision-Making – Enabling patients to make informed choices.
3. Reducing Harm and Waste – Prioritising effective, evidence-based care.
4. Risk Management – Understanding and mitigating clinical risks.
5. Professionalism and Innovation – Encouraging improvement and adaptability.
6. Equity and Transparency – Ensuring fair and inclusive service delivery.

Promoting Equality and Tackling Health Inequalities

The Framework aligns with the Public Sector Equality Duty, which commits health services to:

• Eliminate discrimination, harassment, and victimisation
• Advance equality of opportunity
• Foster good relations between diverse population groups

The Framework also aligns with SVIP prioritises of equity of access and experience for groups who may face barriers to vaccination, including:

• People in rural and remote areas
• Socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals
• Ethnic minority communities
• People with disabilities or long-term conditions
• Neurodiverse individuals or those with trauma histories
• Refugees, asylum seekers, prisoners and people experiencing homelessness

By equipping vaccinators with the skills, awareness, and behaviours needed to deliver inclusive, culturally competent care, the Framework supports Scotland’s broader commitment to tackling health inequalities.