The Knowledge Gap in Vaccination: Why Continuous Professional Development in Healthcare Has Never Mattered More

This informal CPD article ‘The Knowledge Gap in Vaccination: Why Continuous Professional Development in Healthcare Has Never Mattered More’ was provided by Cima Care, who offer extensive training in vaccination and public health, advancing global health initiatives.

Vaccines are among the most rigorously tested and effective tools in public health. Yet across much of the world, vaccination rates are stalling — or, in some regions, declining. Understanding why requires looking beyond vaccine supply or public attitudes and examining a less-discussed factor: what the healthcare professionals delivering and recommending vaccines actually know, and how well-equipped they feel to communicate that knowledge. (1)

A Concerning Global Picture

In July 2025, World Organisations released their latest global immunisation data. The findings were sobering. In 2024, approximately 14.3 million infants worldwide received no vaccines at all – the so-called zero-dose children. The number of countries experiencing large or disruptive measles outbreaks nearly doubled in just two years, rising from 33 in 2022 to 60 in 2024. More than 30 million children remained under-protected against measles, far below the 95% coverage needed in every community to prevent outbreaks. (2)

A 2025 systematic literature review examining the determinants of vaccine hesitancy among healthcare professionals themselves found that key barriers include gaps in knowledge, personal beliefs, limited communication skills, and organisational constraints. The review analysed 221 studies and concluded that educational and organisational interventions are essential to improve healthcare workers' knowledge, attitudes, and vaccination practices. (3)

These findings point to a clear, often underappreciated dimension of the vaccination challenge: the knowledge and confidence of healthcare professionals themselves are variables in vaccine uptake. This is precisely where Continuous Professional Development (CPD) plays a critical role. (4)

Enhancing Knowledge and Clinical Skills

CPD broadens healthcare providers' understanding of vaccine safety, efficacy, and the scientific principles that underpin immunisation programmes. Research demonstrates that structured education equips professionals with a more evidence-based foundation from which to advise patients, challenge misinformation, and stay current with evolving vaccine schedules and guidance. (5-6)

Beyond clinical knowledge, CPD incorporates evidence-based training in communication. Techniques such as role-playing and motivational interviewing are particularly valuable, as they prepare professionals to engage constructively with patients who express reluctance or scepticism about vaccines. These methods build confidence in navigating sensitive conversations – a skill that factual knowledge alone does not provide. (7)

Building Trust and Tailoring Communication

Effective vaccine advocacy requires more than information delivery. CPD programmes emphasise the importance of tailoring messages to individual patient needs and building trust-based relationships — both of which are foundational to constructive conversations about vaccines. A healthcare professional who listens actively, acknowledges concerns, and responds with tailored and empathetic information is demonstrably more effective at supporting vaccine uptake than one who recites clinical facts. (6-7)

CPD also equips professionals to manage their own emotional responses during challenging consultations — an often-overlooked dimension of clinical communication. A healthcare provider who approaches a sceptical patient with composure and empathy, rather than frustration or defensiveness, is better placed to maintain a productive dialogue. (7)

Recent findings underscore the importance of this training. Research within a multi-country initiative examining how healthcare professionals handle vaccine hesitancy — found that healthcare professionals often report feeling uncomfortable discussing vaccination with patients, attributing this largely to insufficient training. A Delphi consensus among 112 experts concluded that targeted professional development is essential for equipping providers to address vaccine hesitancy confidently and effectively. (8)

Multidisciplinary and Context-Specific Approaches

Vaccine hesitancy does not present uniformly. Its drivers vary significantly by community, culture, socioeconomic background, and the specific vaccine or disease in question. Effective CPD, therefore, engages professionals in multidisciplinary, context-specific approaches — ones that consider the local cultural, social, and economic factors that shape patient attitudes. This creates a more coherent and responsive system for addressing hesitancy, rather than relying on standardised messaging that may resonate poorly in particular settings. (7)

cpd-Cima-Care-CPD-strengthens-professional-competence
CPD strengthens individual professional competence

Strengthening the Systems That Deliver Vaccination

CPD does not operate in isolation. Although CPD strengthens individual professional competence, its effectiveness is amplified when supported by a healthcare system that facilitates evidence-based vaccination practice. Several components of a well-functioning system are particularly relevant:

  • Strengthening primary healthcare — ensuring that routine vaccination, general check-ups, and maternal and child health services are accessible to all individuals provides the infrastructure through which professional knowledge can reach patients who need it most. 
  • Enhancing health information systems — improving data collection and analysis enables better monitoring of vaccination trends and more targeted decision-making. Evidence-informed practice is only possible when healthcare professionals have access to reliable, current data. (9-10)
  • Promoting health education — providing communities with accurate and accessible information about vaccines empowers individuals to make informed health decisions. This is particularly important in settings where health literacy is limited and where misinformation circulates widely. (11)

Does CPD Actually Improve Patient Outcomes? 

The evidence suggests that it does. Research indicates that investing in the professional development of healthcare providers leads to better patient care outcomes, including increased vaccine uptake. A healthcare professional who is confident, well-informed, and skilled in communication is better positioned to influence the clinical decisions that affect their patients. (7)

This is further supported by recent empirical data on CPD effectiveness across healthcare settings. A retrospective cohort study in 2025 analysed outcomes from 538 healthcare professionals across 48 CPD sessions delivered in 2023–2024. The results demonstrated highly statistically significant improvements in knowledge, with mean scores improving by between 38 and 67 percentage points. Over 96 per cent of participants self-reported improved professional competence following the training, and qualitative findings indicated that participants actively planned to implement new strategies in their clinical practice. (12)

Key Takeaways 

  • As of 2024, over 14 million children globally remain completely unvaccinated, and measles outbreaks are accelerating — making professional knowledge and communication skills an urgent public health issue. 
  • CPD builds the scientific literacy that healthcare professionals need to stay current with evolving vaccine evidence, guidance, and schedules. 
  • Techniques taught through CPD — including motivational interviewing and role-playing — improve professionals' ability to engage constructively with vaccine-hesitant patients. 
  • Tailoring communication to individual patients and building trust-based relationships are central to effective vaccine advocacy – and are teachable skills. 
  • Research confirms that well-designed CPD produces measurable improvements in healthcare professionals' knowledge and reported confidence. 
  • CPD's effectiveness is greatest when embedded within broader healthcare systems that support primary care access, health data, and community education.

Persistent gaps in vaccination knowledge, confidence, and communication skills among healthcare professionals remain an important public health concern. Yet it may be one of the most addressable. 

A healthcare professional who is knowledgeable, communicatively skilled, and contextually aware is one of the most powerful tools available for improving vaccination rates. Investing in that professional continuous development is therefore not merely a matter of individual career progression — it is a contribution to protecting entire communities. (13) 

We hope this article was helpful. For more information from Cima Care, please visit their CPD Member Directory page. Alternatively, you can go to the CPD Industry Hubs for more articles, courses and events relevant to your Continuing Professional Development requirements.

 

REFERENCES

  1. Enhancing Vaccine Uptake Among the Health Workforce: Key Strategies for Public Health Prevention | WFPHA [Internet]. Wfpha.org. 2024. Available from: https://www.wfpha.org/enhancing-vaccine-uptake/
  2. ‌World. Global childhood vaccination coverage holds steady, yet over 14 million infants remain unvaccinated – WHO, UNICEF [Internet]. Who.int. World Health Organization: WHO; 2025. Available from: https://www.who.int/news/item/15-07-2025-global-childhood-vaccination-coverage-holds-steady-yet-over-14-million-infants-remain-unvaccinated-who-unicef
  3. ‌Gabellone V, Fabiana Nuccetelli, Gabrielli E, Prato R, Pierluigi Lopalco. Exploring determinants of vaccine hesitancy among healthcare professionals: a systematic literature review. Expert Review of Vaccines. 2025 Dec 23;25(1):2607479–9.
  4. ‌Aurélie De Waele, Hendrickx G, Valckx S, Àngela Domínguez, Toledo D, Castilla J, et al. The Vaccine Training Barometer: Assessing healthcare providers’ confidence to answer vaccine-related questions and their training needs. Vaccine. 2024 Mar 1;
  5. ‌Identifying barriers and drivers to vaccination: A qualitative interview study with health workers in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Vaccine [Internet]. 2020 Feb 18;38(8):1906–14. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X20300402
  6. ‌Paterson P, Meurice F, Stanberry LR, Glismann S, Rosenthal SL, Larson HJ. Vaccine Hesitancy and Healthcare Providers. Vaccine [Internet]. 2016 Dec;34(52):6700–6. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X1630977X?via%3Dihub
  7. ‌A strategic approach to addressing patient vaccine hesitancy with compassion [Internet]. www.wolterskluwer.com. 2023. Available from: https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/expert-insights/a-strategic-approach-to-addressing-patient-vaccine-hesitancy-with-compassion
  8. ‌Augusto FR, Guerreiro CS, Morais R, Mendonça J, Beja A, Correia T, et al. Addressing vaccine hesitancy in the training of healthcare professionals: Insights from the VAX-TRUST project. Public Health in Practice [Internet]. 2024 Dec 19;9:100569. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266653522400106X
  9. ‌O’Leary ST, Opel DJ, Cataldi JR, Hackell JM, O’Leary ST, Campbell JD, et al. Strategies for Improving Vaccine Communication and Uptake. Pediatrics. 2024 Feb 26;153(3).
  10. ‌Lip A, Pateman M, Fullerton MM, Chen HM, Bailey L, Houle S, et al. Vaccine hesitancy educational tools for healthcare providers and trainees: A scoping review. Vaccine [Internet]. 2023 Jan 4;41(1):23–35. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36437208/
  11. ‌Dib F, Mayaud P, Chauvin P, Launay O. Online mis/disinformation and vaccine hesitancy in the era of COVID-19: Why we need an eHealth literacy revolution. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics. 2021 Feb 24;18(1):1–3.
  12. ‌Farid D, Jommel Lumibao, Safar F, Kassem L, Gul Z, Hams SA, et al. Evaluating the effectiveness of continuing professional development training program: a retrospective cohort study. BMC Medical Education. 2025 Dec 17;
  13. ‌The Importance of Health Education for Immunization From the Perspective of an AmeriCorps VISTA and Certified Health Education Specialist - Immunize Colorado [Internet]. https://www.immunizecolorado.org/. Available from: https://www.immunizecolorado.org/the-importance-of-health-education-for-immunization-from-the-perspective-of-an-americorps-vista-and-certified-health-education-specialist/