Vaccination against COVID-19 during the pandemic was officially added to the 2021 adult and child immunization schedule, according to updated immunization guidelines released on Thursday.
In December, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended any COVID-19 vaccine authorized under the scope of use of an FDA emergency use authorization during the pandemic.
As ACIP defines the child immunization schedule as individuals ages 18 and younger, COVID-19 vaccines were also included on the 2021 schedule for children and adolescents. Pfizer/BioNTech’s vaccine is currently authorized for individuals ages 16 and older, and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine is authorized for those 18 and older.
Changes to the 2021 schedules were summarized in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, and clinical guidance for the adult immunization schedule was released by Annals of Internal Medicine.
The committee previously approved other changes to the 2021 immunization schedule in October, including another new recommended vaccine, MenACWY-TT (MenQuadfi), as an option to prevent disease from meningococcal serogroups A, C, W, and Y.
Zoster vaccine live (Zostavax) was removed from the adult schedule, as it was no longer sold in the U.S. after July 2020.
Other new guidance recommended in October included more specific language about severe allergic reactions to egg-based vaccines, as well as how vaccines interacted with antivirals:
- For an egg allergy with symptoms other than hives, language was added to warn that severe allergic reactions can occur in the absence of previous allergic reactions. It now states that “all vaccine providers should be familiar with the office emergency plan and be certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation” and that a previous severe allergic reaction to influenza vaccine is a “contraindication to future receipt of the vaccine”
- Live attenuated influenza vaccine should not be used if the patient received influenza antivirals oseltamivir or zanamivir within the previous 48 hours, peramivir within the previous 5 days, or baloxavir within the previous 17 days
The committee also noted changes about how tetanus toxoid-containing vaccines should be used for wound management, saying tetanus/diphtheria/acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine is preferred for those who have not previously received Tdap or whose vaccination status is unknown, as well as pregnant women.
For individuals older than age 7 with clean or minor wounds, those with three or more doses of tetanus toxoid-containing vaccine should be administered tetanus/diphtheria/acellular pertussis (Tdap) or Td vaccine if more than 10 years since their last dose. For all other wounds, administer Tdap or Td if more than 5 years since the last dose.
Other changes to the adult vaccination schedule included that shared clinical decision-making should be used for hepatitis B vaccine for people with diabetes ages 60 and older, and Hep A/Hep B vaccine (Twinrix) may be administered on an accelerated schedule to those traveling to countries with high or intermediate rates of hepatitis A.
The 2021 recommended adult and child immunization schedules are now available on the CDC website.
Disclosures
One co-author disclosed being the editor of Current Opinion in Pediatrics Office Pediatrics Series, a Harvard School of Public Health faculty member in the Masters in Health Care Management program, and a member of the data safety and monitoring board for a Takeda study on intrathecal enzymes for Hunter and Sanfilippo syndromes; another disclosed serving on the data safety and monitoring committee for ACI Clinical; and another disclosed support from Pfizer.
Source: MedicalNewsToday.com
