In this section, all stages of the development of new vaccines are thoroughly analyzed, including pre-clinical laboratory studies and pre-approval clinical studies of phases I, II, and III. The concepts of vaccine efficacy and safety, as derived from clinical trials and their widespread use in the general population (real-world data), are examined. Additionally, all vaccine production technologies, both older and newer, are analyzed with an emphasis on mRNA technology and its potential applications in other therapeutic fields.

In every country worldwide, there is a vaccination policy and a vaccination schedule set by the state, according to current epidemiological conditions and international guidelines. If conditions change, the chronological order, the starting age, or even the entire vaccination program is modified. This section will present in detail the Vaccination Program for our country, as determined by the Ministry of Health and Social Solidarity, with an emphasis on childhood vaccinations. Similar programs from abroad will also be presented, with particular mention of the COVID-19 vaccination program.

This section will cover the principles of immunology and pathophysiology of all infectious diseases, with an emphasis on clinical diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. All available pharmacological therapies, drugs under investigation, as well as procedures such as repurposing therapies that are potentially useful in infectious diseases, will also be analyzed.

In this section, the principles and techniques of molecular and genetic epidemiology and their methodological tools and methods will be taught. Additionally, the systems of epidemiological surveillance and recording of communicable diseases will be analyzed for the collection of timely and accurate information, with the aim of immediate intervention and containment of epidemics (Mandatory Disease Reporting System, Morbidity Observers System in Primary Health Care, Laboratory Reporting System, syndromic surveillance, Networks: clinical-laboratory, early warning, hospital infection surveillance).

In this section, the principles and techniques of molecular and genetic epidemiology and their methodological tools and methods will be taught. Additionally, the systems of epidemiological surveillance and recording of communicable diseases will be analyzed for the collection of timely and accurate information, with the aim of immediate intervention and containment of epidemics (Mandatory Disease Reporting System, Morbidity Observers System in Primary Health Care, Laboratory Reporting System, syndromic surveillance, Networks: clinical-laboratory, early warning, hospital infection surveillance).

In this section, emerging diseases and vigilance for their emergence will be presented in detail. Additionally, the phenomenon of bioterrorism will be analyzed, i.e., the deliberate and targeted use of biological weapons (viruses, microbes, bacteria, fungi) against civilian populations and material targets with the aim of intimidation, coercion, or extermination.

In this section, the techniques for the isolation, separation, qualitative and quantitative determination of basic biomolecules (such as electrophoresis, chromatography, extraction, fractional centrifugation, techniques for determining the concentration of nucleic acids, spectrophotometry, mass spectrometry, flame photometry, nephelometry) that are used diagnostically in infectious diseases and constitute a fundamental tool for the work of medical laboratory technologists and other laboratory specialties are analyzed. Additionally, clinical signs and symptoms that characterize and differentiate infectious diseases, which are useful for their diagnosis and differential diagnosis, will be discussed.

In this section, the basic principles of pharmacoepidemiology are analyzed through the description of the main types of pharmacoepidemiological studies (retrospective, prospective, observational, interventional, cohort studies, case-control studies) which are used for the study of vaccines and other drugs. At the same time, the principles of pharmacovigilance, the scientific field that aims at the continuous monitoring of drug safety through the detection, evaluation, understanding, and prevention of adverse effects, are thoroughly analyzed. Finally, techniques for searching for drug and vaccine safety signals in the pharmacovigilance databases of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FAERS-VAERS) and the World Health Organization (Vigibase) are described.

This section addresses issues of health policy and public health, crisis and epidemic management strategies. It also covers topics such as health economics and pharmacoeconomics, as well as issues like equitable access to vaccines, vaccine patents, and pharmaceutical products that receive emergency use authorization during epidemic sit

This section addresses bioethical and legal issues that arise in the management of infectious diseases and epidemics. It also includes a critical evaluation of prevention measures, and topics such as mandatory isolation, compulsory vaccinations, and legislation in Greece and other countries. The legislation regarding the central and decentralized approval processes for drugs, as well as national and European legal provisions related to pharmaceuticals and vaccines, is described. Finally, the psychological impacts of pandemics on individuals and the broader society are examined.