The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania will be offering a free online course on vaccines, which is scheduled to begin on Apr. 13. The course will be taught by Director of the Vaccine Education Center at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Maurice R. Hilleman Professor of Vaccinology and a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Dr. Paul Offit.

Dr Paul Offit/Video Screen Shot
Dr Paul Offit/Video Screen Shot

According to the Cousera listing, the course will discuss issues regarding vaccines and vaccine safety: the history, science, benefits, and risks of vaccines, together with the controversies and common questions surrounding vaccines, and an update on newly created vaccines and recent outbreaks of previously controlled diseases.

The course will last 6 weeks to May 23 and according to the school, approximately 2-3 hours of study per week will be required.

Each week two to four lecture videos between 15 and 20 minutes in length will be presented by Dr. Offit. Integrated assessment questions are included in each lecture which are not scored. There will also be one to four standalone quizzes each week.

Related: Vaccines: An interview with Dr. Paul Offit

To earn a verified certificate for the course, the cost is $49.

Click HERE for more information and to sign up.