Social distancing measures put in place to reduce the transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have led to decreased use of routine preventive medical services, including immunization services because many patients are scared to go out in public and particularly concerned about visiting a health care setting. Ensuring that routine vaccination is maintained or reinitiated during the current pandemic is important to protect patients from vaccine-preventable diseases, especially as influenza season approaches.
In the slideshow below, we highlight key takeaways from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for immunization services during the COVID-19 pandemic that can help clinicians ensure concerned patients are receiving the proper vaccinations.
Vaccine recommendations during COVID-19. All vaccines due or overdue should be administered according to the recommended CDC immunization schedules during that visit, unless a specific contraindication exists, to provide protection as soon as possible as well as minimize the number of health care visits needed to complete vaccination.
Considerations for routine vaccination. Children and adolescents:
- Identify children who have missed well-child visits and/or recommended vaccinations.
- Contact parent to schedule in-person appointments, starting with newborns, infants and children up to 24 months, young children, and extending through adolescence.
Considerations for routine vaccination. Pregnant women: If administration of the recommended maternal vaccines (tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, acellular pertussis, influenza) has been delayed due to reduced or deferred in-person prenatal care visits, pregnant women should be scheduled for follow-up and receive vaccination during the next in-person appointment.
Considerations for routine vaccination. Adults:
- Whether they administer vaccines or not, clinicians should take steps to ensure that their patients continue to receive vaccines according to the Standards for Adult Immunization Practice:
- ASSESS immunization status of all patients at every clinical encounter
- Strongly RECOMMEND vaccines that patients need
- ADMINISTER or REFER your patients to a vaccination provider
- DOCUMENT vaccines received by your patients
- Older adults and adults with underlying medical conditions are particularly at increased risk for preventable disease and complications if vaccination is deferred.
Considerations for influenza vaccination. Use every opportunity during influenza vaccination season to administer influenza vaccines to all eligible persons, including:
- Essential workers: Health care personnel, including nursing home, long-term care facility, and pharmacy staff, and other critical infrastructure workforce
- Persons at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19: Adults aged ≥65 yrs, nursing home or long-term care residents,persons of all ages with certain underlying medical conditions
- Persons at high risk for influenza complications: Infants and young children, children with neurologic conditions, pregnant women, adults aged ≥65 yrs, and other persons with certain underlying medical conditions
Vaccination of persons with suspected or confirmed COVID-19:
- DEFER routine vaccination for persons with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, regardless of symptoms, until criteria has been met for them to discontinue isolation.
- While mild illness is not a contraindication to vaccination, POSTPONE vaccination visits for these patients to avoid exposing health care personnel, other patients to COVID-19.
- When scheduling or confirming appointments for vaccination, INSTRUCT patients to notify the office in advance if they currently have or develop any COVID-19 symptoms.
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For more COVID-19 coverage for primary care, visit our COVID-19 Resource Page.
