Vaccinations: Science, Ethics and Ongoing Debates (NA2690)

Course Format

This course is online. All course material is available online and is accessible immediately after purchase from your account homepage. Certificate of Completion is available immediately upon passing the exam.

Course Overview

Vaccines have a long history in the United States, alongside the vaccine hesitancy movement. Both have existed for quite some time. Ethical questions have always surrounded the use, obligations, and moral responsibilities of vaccines, as well as issues related to research and availability. The COVID pandemic shifted many perspectives on these matters and introduced new questions.

This class will cover the history of vaccines and hesitancy, examine the ethics of vaccination and reluctance, and discuss how the COVID pandemic has affected these topics. Included are recommended vaccination charts for older adults, children, and adolescents. Controversy continues even as we approach 2026. The class also presents the latest vaccination recommendations for children and adolescents as of March 2026, along with ongoing debates surrounding these updates.

Course Objectives

1. Describe what vaccines do and how they are researched and regulated.


2. Explain reasons for vaccine hesitancy.


3. State some of the ethical difficulties in vaccination and hesitancy.


4. Define some of the impacts COVID had on vaccination and hesitancy.


5. Be aware of what vaccination recommendations are for adults and children.


6. Explain some of the current controversies that continue in 2026.

Course Outline