| Technically Speaking |
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| Monthly Column by Deborah Wexler, MD |
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| IAC Executive Director Dr. Deborah Wexler writes
Technically Speaking, a column featured in each issue of
Vaccine Update for Healthcare Professionals,
the monthly e-newsletter from the Vaccine Education Center
(VEC) at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Technically Speaking columns cover practical topics in
immunization delivery such as vaccine administration
techniques, storage and handling, contraindications and
precautions, and scheduling. |
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Subscribe to VEC's
Vaccine Update for Healthcare Professionals to stay up to date
on vaccine-related issues, including reviews of recently
published journal articles, media recaps, and announcements
about new resources and webinars. To subscribe, visit the
Vaccine Update Newsletter Sign-up Form |
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archive of past Technically Speaking columns is also available through links on the right side of this web page. |
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| TECHNICALLY SPEAKING |
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| ACIP Votes to Approve That Tdap and Td Vaccines May Now Be Used Interchangeably |
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| Published
November 2019 |
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At CDC's Advisory Committee of Immunization Practices (ACIP)
meeting held in October, the committee voted unanimously to approve
that Td and Tdap vaccines may
be used interchangeably in almost all situations where currently
only Td vaccine is recommended. Specifically, Tdap may now be used
instead of Td in any of the
following situations:
- Decennial (every 10 years) Td booster
- Tetanus prophylaxis for wound management
- Catch-up immunization schedule for persons age 7 and older,
including pregnant women
The Committee reached this decision after noting that there were
no substantive safety concerns or increased adverse events when
Tdap is given in place of Td.
Several members also noted that this change supports commonly accepted clinical practice. ACIP also voted to approve Tdap for use
in the Vaccines For Children
(VFC) program.
Finally, ACIP also took this opportunity to clarify its
recommendations on the use of Tdap vaccine in children who are 10
years of age. The current ACIP guidance,
Prevention of Pertussis, Tetanus, and Diphtheria with Vaccines: Recommendations of ACIP
recommends that children 7–10 years of age who receive Tdap
inadvertently or for catch-up immunization should be given an
adolescent Tdap dose at age 11–12
years. However, both Tdap vaccines currently in use in the United
States are licensed beginning at 10 years of age. Therefore, the
Committee will issue a Policy Note in MMWR to clarify that children who receive a dose of Tdap at
> 10
years of age do not need to repeat the Tdap dose at age 11–12 years.
Note: All recommendations approved by ACIP are provisional until
they are approved by the CDC director and published in MMWR.
Presentation slides from the October ACIP meeting will be posted
on the ACIP website in late November or early December.
ACIP Meeting Information
web page
When you are on this page, click the tab titled "Meeting
Materials" to access agendas, meeting minutes, and slide
presentations.
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| This page was updated on
November 21, 2019. |
| This page was reviewed on
November 21, 2019. |
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ACIP Recommendations
Vaccine Information Statements 
