Timing of Vaccinating Your Child Against COVID Just Got Easier
Just two days after the FDA approved the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use for children aged 12 and older , parents of teenagers have received even more good news: It can be administered simultaneously ( or almost simultaneously) with the vaccine. any other vaccines they may receive.
Although the vaccine was officially approved Monday, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which is the CDC’s vaccine advisory group, met today to formalize the recommendation and include any additional considerations.This committee stated that the COVID-19 vaccine can be given alongside any other vaccine, regardless of timing. This effectively means teens (and adults, for that matter) can get the COVID shot at the same time as any other vaccine they need.
Until now, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that you not receive any other vaccines for at least two weeks before or after your COVID-19 vaccination. Since Pfizer vaccine is given in two doses approximately three weeks apart, that would mean a seven- or eight-week interval during which children could not receive any other vaccines, making timing especially difficult for children who need certain vaccines. vaccines for summer camps or school in the fall.
But this new recommendation changes the situation, and it is also supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics :
AAP supports other immunizations for children and adolescents at the same time as COVID-19 vaccines, especially for children and adolescents who have not received immunizations. Between the extensive data gathered on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines and extensive experience with non-COVID-19 vaccines, which shows that the immune response and side effects are broadly similar when vaccines are given together and when vaccines are given according to individually, the benefits of simultaneous administration and timely catch-up of vaccinations outweigh any theoretical risk. The AAP encourages children and adolescents to catch up with any vaccinations that may have been delayed during a pandemic.
In other words, the initial recommendation to separate them was made with great care – not because of any known security risk.
This article was originally published on May 5, 2021. It was updated on May 12, 2021 to reflect the updated guidelines.