Free course: Infection and immunity (OpenLearn)

Key facts

• From The Open University's free OpenLearn site (UK). Not a Mereka course.^[1]
• Free, about 12 hours of study, Level 1 (introductory), four sessions with a quiz at the end of each.^[1]
• Start straight away with no sign-up. A free account (age 13 or over) saves your progress and gets you a statement of participation.^[1][2]
• It is taken from the first module of the Open University's health sciences degree.^[1]
• The statement is not a qualification and carries no credit.^[2]

What you'll do

Four sessions take you from what infectious diseases are, through what scientists learned from their history, to the main kinds of pathogens and how your body defends itself against them^[1]. Each session ends with a short quiz so you can check how you are doing^[1]. The material is adapted from SDK100, the entry module of the Open University's BSc in Health Sciences, so it gives you a fair taste of first-year university science^[1].

No Mereka Academy course covers health or lab science yet, which is why this one comes from another provider^[3].

What it costs and how to start

It is free, and you can open session 1 right now without signing up^[1]. Make a free OpenLearn account if you want your progress saved and a statement of participation at the end; you must be 13 or over to have one^[2]. The course is in English. It was first published in January 2016 and last updated in March 2020, so treat any recent outbreak examples as missing rather than wrong^[1].

Who it suits

You, if the science side of the Health & Science taster interested you more than the patient-facing side. It fits people weighing biomedical science, medical laboratory technology, pharmacy, microbiology or public health. SPM Biology is enough to follow it.

What this means for you

• Twelve hours is a fair test of whether you enjoy the evidence and detective side of health, which is most of the work in labs and public health.
• If the quizzes feel like a chore, that is worth knowing before you choose a lab science diploma or degree.
• The statement of participation shows interest, not ability. Do not list it as a qualification.
• Malaysian entry rules for these courses are in the library's Health & Science guides, not in this course.

Your next step

1. Do session 1 and its quiz this week: Infection and immunity(opens in a new tab)
2. Write down one fact that surprised you and one job you can now picture (for example, the person who identifies the germ in a hospital lab), and add both to your Future Map before your 30-day check-in.

Availability and age check

Catalogue and cost observations are dated 23 October 2026. Re-check the provider page before starting, and stop if a payment or unavailable course appears. The linked Mereka Connect agreement sets a minimum age of 16^[4]. It is not an Academy-specific registration policy; check the current Academy terms and any guardian-permission step before enrolling. Use the verified direct sign-in link below if the ordinary login screen omits the Mereka option. External courses use their own accounts and terms.

Access checked 24 October 2026: sign in to Academy with your existing Mereka identity(opens in a new tab). On first use, choose your country and continue; no second password is needed. The ordinary Academy login screen may omit the Mereka button, so use this link or the course button. External course providers use separate access rules.

Availability note, 24 October 2026: some Academy pages kept loading after sign-in during our check. If this happens, keep your work here and use an open-reading alternative or contact the First Move team. Do not enter another password or pay to get past a loading page.