ImmYounity is a new vaccine education course by Sanofi Pasteur. The course is free and entirely online, and healthcare providers can register at https://immyounity.vaccines.com/. After users register and verify their email, the course begins with a short survey assessing how comfortable the trainee is discussing, recommending, and answering questions about vaccines. Then users can access the course missions. These are interactive and include videos, “quizzes” to check knowledge, and information to read. Each module is estimated to take between 10 and 20 minutes to complete, however some modules appear to run longer than their estimate.
The Modules are:
Vaccines Work– This module provides an overview of the types of vaccination, how vaccines work, and herd immunity.
Value of YOU– This section covers the importance of the healthcare professional’s recommendation in encouraging vaccination. Also examines vaccine hesitancy and introduces the 5As: Access, Affordability, Awareness, Acceptance, and Activation.
AIMS– This module introduces the AIMS method. AIMS stands for Announce, Inquire, Mirror, and Secure
“The AIMS method was developed as an actionable process-based behavior change program to facilitate talking with patients. This evidence-grounded approach moves us from ‘talking to’ people to ‘talking with’ them in conversations.”
Using the AIMS method with patients means:
Announcing vaccination will happen and assuming people are ready to vaccinate.
Inquiring about patient concerns as a way to understand the person.
Mirror the patient’s concerns by repeating what they say and asking if that’s what they meant.
Secure trust at the conclusion of the conversation.
The AIMS module offers concrete examples clinicians can use to respond to patient concerns with empathy.
Flu Questions & Concerns- The flu module addresses specific flu-related concerns such as patient’s fear that they can catch the flu from a flu shot. It then reviews AIMS and gives facts healthcare professionals can use to address patient concerns.
AIMS Flu Conversations- This final module gives examples providers can use to discuss flu vaccination with patients at different levels of hesitancy. It instructs healthcare personnel on leaving the door open to future conversations with vaccine refusers.
Overall, the ImmYounity modules are well-designed and relatively quick to work through. The modules on AIMS and counselling vaccine hesitant patients are especially timely and easy to put into practice immediately. The course provides another excellent tool providers can use to battle vaccine hesitancy.