| COVID-19 and Routine Vaccination |
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| What is the
status of the COVID-19 vaccine? |
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| There is
currently no licensed vaccine to prevent
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Research
and development programs are underway in the
U.S. and around the world to develop a vaccine
that is safe and effective. |
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What does CDC advise about administering
routine immunizations to children and teens
when COVID-19 is circulating? |
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| The
COVID-19 pandemic is changing rapidly and
continues to affect communities across the
U.S. differently. Ensuring the delivery of
newborn and well-child care, including
childhood immunization, requires strategies to
keep children safe. Healthcare providers in
affected communities are using strategies to
separate well visits from sick visits. |
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Examples include: |
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Scheduling well visits in the morning
and sick visits in the afternoon. |
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Placing patients with sick visits in
different areas of the clinic or another
location from patients with well visits. |
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Collaborating with other immunization
providers in the community to identify
separate locations for holding well
visits for children. |
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Because of personal, practice, or community
circumstances related to COVID-19, some
providers may not be able to carry out
well-child visits, including provision of
immunizations, for all patients in their
practice. If a practice can provide only
limited well-child visits, healthcare
providers are encouraged to prioritize newborn
care and vaccination of infants and young
children (through age 24 months) when
possible. |
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| CDC
will continue to provide guidance as the
pandemic unfolds. Visit this link for the
latest information:
www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/pediatric-hcp.html |
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| Should infants
born to women with hepatitis B virus infection
(hepatitis B surface antigen-positive [HBsAg+])
be treated differently during the COVID-19
pandemic? |
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| The prevention of
mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B
virus infection requires timely vaccination
and administration of hepatitis B immune
globulin (HBIG) at birth, followed by
completion of the hepatitis B vaccine series
and post-vaccination serologic testing. Every
effort should be made to complete the
vaccination series on time. CDC has provided
interim guidance for the prevention of
mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B
available at
www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/schedule-changes.html. |
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| What does CDC
advise about administering routine
immunizations to adults when COVID-19 is
circulating? |
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| In areas with
community transmission of COVID-19,
vaccination visits should be postponed except
when: |
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An in-person visit must be scheduled for
some other purpose and vaccination can
be done during that visit without
increasing the risk of COVID-19
exposure; or |
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An individual patient and their
clinician believe that there is a
compelling need for vaccination based on
an assessment that the potential benefit
outweighs the risk of exposure to the
virus that causes COVID-19. |
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| CDC
recommendations about how to deliver
immunizations to adults in areas with
community transmission of COVID-19 may be
updated regularly. Current guidance is
available at this website:
www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/schedule-changes.html |
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| When COVID-19
is circulating, if I have the opportunity to
vaccinate a child, teen, or an adult, should I
administer only high priority vaccines, or
should I administer all routine vaccines that
are due at that visit? |
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| You should
continue to follow CDC’s best practice
guidelines and administer all recommended
vaccines simultaneously when no specific
contraindications exist at the time of the
visit. By administering all vaccines due at
the visit, you will reduce the total number of
healthcare encounters necessary for the
patient to be fully vaccinated. |
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Some patients develop flu-like symptoms or
fever after vaccination with recombinant
zoster vaccine (RZV, Shingrix; GSK). Should I
defer Shingrix vaccination because such a
reaction might be confused with COVID-19? |
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| No. If
you have an opportunity to vaccinate a patient
age 50 years or older who is due for dose 1 or
dose 2 of Shingrix, proceed with vaccination
as usual. It is important to counsel the
patient about the risk of self-limited side
effects, including local reactions, such as
redness, pain, or swelling at the injection
site, and systemic reactions, which include
fever, chills, headache, and body aches. If
they occur, such side effects normally resolve
within 72 hours after vaccination. |
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Because of concerns about COVID-19, if a
vaccine recipient develops fever after
vaccination, they should stay home until it
resolves. Shingrix vaccination does not cause
respiratory symptoms common in COVID-19, such
as cough or shortness of breath. If the
vaccine recipient develops new symptoms of
cough or shortness of breath, or if fever does
not resolve within 72 hours of vaccination,
the recipient should contact their healthcare
provider. |
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| Due to
COVID-19 circulation in my community, I am
delivering more patient care via telemedicine.
Does that mean I can do nothing about
vaccinations? |
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| No. You can
consider conducting your immunization
assessment and counseling during the
telemedicine visit and scheduling the patient
for a brief vaccination-only encounter at an
appropriate time and location. |
ACIP Recommendations
Vaccine Information Statements 
