GNN monthly update: February' 22

Dear all,

Please find below the GNN monthly update for February’ 22:

 

NITAG publications and updates:

 

COVID-19 booster Doses:

  • ATAGI (Australia) recommends the use of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine as a booster dose in adolescents aged 16-17 years. The statement is available here. Of note, Pfizer vaccine is the only brand currently registered for use as a booster dose in this age group in Australia.
  • STIKO recommends a 2nd booster vaccination with an mRNA vaccine for groups of people who are particularly at risk of health or who are exposed after the COVID-19 basic immunization has been completed and the 1st booster vaccination has been carried out – more here.
  • JCVI advises a spring COVID-19 vaccine dose for the most vulnerable. An extra spring dose is advised around 6 months after the last vaccine dose for:
  • adults aged 75 years and over, residents in a care home for older adults
  • individuals aged 12 years and over who are immunosuppressed, as defined in in the COVID 19 healthcare guidance Green Book
  • The types of vaccine offered for the spring dose will be as follows:
  • for eligible adults aged 18 years and over, 50mcg Moderna (Spikevax) vaccine or 30mcg Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty) vaccine
  • for eligible persons aged 12 to 18 years, 30 mcg Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty) vaccine
CAVEI (Chile) Supports the MoH strategy of offering a second booster dose to immunosuppressed people, health workers and residents and workers of long-term care homes with COVID-19 vaccine preferably mRNA vaccines and 16 weeks apart from the first booster against SARS-CoV-2. CAVEI also recommends a second booster dose for the general population in consideration of the objective of preventing morbidity and mortality from COVID-19 in other groups and preserving the health system against a potential scenario of co-circulation of SARSCoV-2 with other respiratory viruses during the winter period, thus preventing stress and the increase in the demand for health care. The second booster vaccination in the general population should preferably be with the COVID-19 vaccine based on mRNA and 16 weeks apart from the first vaccination booster against SARS-CoV-2.

 

Immunocompromised people:

  • CDC updated guidance for moderately or severely immunocompromised people, including
  • Clarification of existing recommendation to receive a 3-dose mRNA vaccine primary series followed by a booster dose for a total of 4 doses
  • New guidance to shorten the interval between completion of the mRNA vaccine primary series and the booster dose to at least 3 months (instead of 5 months)
  • New guidance for those who received the Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine primary series to receive an additional dose and a booster dose, for a total of 3 doses to be up to date

 

Dose interval:

  • CDC added considerations for an 8-week interval between the first and second doses of a primary mRNA vaccine schedule: An 8-week interval may be optimal for some people ages 12 years and older, especially for males ages 12 to 39 years. A shorter interval (3 weeks for Pfizer-BioNTech; 4 weeks for Moderna) between the first and second doses remains the recommended interval for: people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised; adults ages 65 years and older; and others who need rapid protection due to increased concern about community transmission or risk of severe disease. More here.

 

Children:

  • JCVI has updated its vaccination advice for children aged 5 to 11, with a view to increasing protection against potential future waves of coronavirus (COVID-19). The committee has advised a non-urgent offer to all 5 to 11 year olds of 2 (10mcg) doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech paediatric vaccine. The 2 doses should be given with an interval of at least 12 weeks between doses.
  • ATAGI recommends Spikevax (Moderna) COVID-19 vaccine can be used for primary vaccination in children aged 6-11 years. The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine continues to be available and recommended for 5-11 year old children. The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is an alternative option for children aged 6-11 years. Pfizer remains the only vaccination available for children who are 5 years old. There are currently no vaccines licensed for children aged 4 years and under.

 

Novavax vaccine :

  • NACI recommends the use of the Novavax Nuvaxovid COVID-19 vaccine. These recommendations are based on current scientific evidence and NACI's expert opinion. NACI continues to preferentially recommend that a complete primary series of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty, Moderna Spikevax) should be offered to individuals in the authorized age group without contraindications to the vaccine. NACI recommends that the recombinant protein subunit COVID-19 vaccine Novavax Nuvaxovid may be offered to individuals in the authorized age group without contraindications to the vaccine who are not able or willing to receive an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.
  • The Spanish NITAG recommends the use of the Nuvaxovid vaccine, from Novavax, for people aged 18 + who have not been able to be vaccinated or who have received incomplete vaccination due to serious adverse reactions to mRNA vaccines, due to a history of allergy to any of its components, or for other medical indications that recommend avoiding vaccination with mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.
  • STIKO recommends the Nuvaxovid vaccine from Novavax for primary immunization against COVID-19 for people ≥ 18 years of age as an alternative to the already recommended COVID-19 vaccines.

 

Janssen vaccine:

  • In France, Given the new pharmacoepidemiology data from the EPI-PHARE report of January 18, 2022, the French NITAG revised its recommendations on the Janssen vaccine. The French NITAG continues to preferentially recommend the use of mRNA vaccines in the context of primary vaccination as well as for the administration of the booster dose when possible, including for those who have already received a dose of the Janssen vaccine as a primary vaccination, due to their better efficacy. Pending the conclusions of the EMA, it recommends postponing vaccination with the Janssen vaccine, with the exception of people at risk of a severe form of the disease who have a contraindication to the administration of mRNA vaccines. The Janssen vaccine may be offered to these individuals.

 

COVID-19 vaccines & Travels:

  • ATAGI recognizing the importance of providing guidance on a person’s ‘up-to-date' vaccination status from the clinical benefit perspective, issues an advice that may serve as the basis for policies for the public health management of the COVID-19 pandemic in a domestic context. This guidance summarises 'up-to-date' vaccination status, as defined by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) in their clinical guidance for the use of COVID-19 vaccines.

 

SARS COV-2 & influenza:

  • CAVEI recommends co-administration influenza and COVID-19 vaccines in people aged 3 years and older. CAVEI also emphasizes that the COVID-19 vaccines only prevent cases of COVID19 and that the influenza vaccine only prevents cases of influenza. It is recommended that communication efforts around each of the campaigns convey this message for the population to decide to receive both because they are necessary for different purposes instead of choosing one of the two vaccines.

 

HPV:

  • JCVI issued an interim advice on a one-dose schedule for the human papillomavirus (HPV) immunisation programme, recommendation available here.

 

SAGE resources:

  • The SAGE interim recommendations for use of the Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine have been updated to reflect latest evidence. See more here.
  • Updated recommendations for Bharat, Sinovac, Sinopharm and AZ vaccines will be published by end of this week. Please check the SAGE WHO webpage.

WHO resources:

·         a new WHO document: Questions and Answers: COVID-19 vaccines and pregnancy, which summarizes and interprets WHO SAGE recommendations related to pregnancy for 8 COVID-19 vaccines approved by WHO under Emergency Use Listing (EUL).

COVID-19 can have severe consequences in pregnancy. Pregnant women with COVID-19 are at increased risk of severe illness, of giving birth to preterm babies, and potentially of other adverse pregnancy outcomes such as stillbirth. The Q&As summarize the growing evidence on the effectiveness and safety of COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy, which suggests that the benefits of vaccination during pregnancy outweigh potential risks whenever there is ongoing or anticipated community transmission of the virus. The Q&As highlight the importance of ensuring pregnant women, and those planning to become pregnant, have access to WHO EUL-approved COVID-19 vaccines, to protect their health and that of their babies.

Partners’ resources:

  • ECDC published a technical report on  COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness in adolescents aged 12–17 years and interim public health considerations for administration of a booster dose, available here.

All the very best to all of you and my thoughts to the people of Ukraine,

Louise

 

 

Louise Henaff

Technical officer

WHO HQ, IVB/APS

Geneva, Switzerland

+33684466133