GNN monthly update: March' 22

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NITAG publications and updates:

 

COVIFENZ:

  • NACI recommends the Medicago Covifenz COVID-19 vaccine for use as a primary series in people 18 to 64 years of age. This is the first plantbased virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine authorized for use in Canada. Clinical trials show the Medicago Covifenz COVID-19 vaccine has a good safety profile and is efficacious (71%) at preventing confirmed symptomatic COVID-19 disease in the short term, prior to the circulation of Omicron. This vaccine is an option for people who have been unable or unwilling to receive an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. Full recommendation here.

 

Booster:

  • ATAGI updated its recommendations on the use of additional (booster) doses of COVID-19 vaccine. What has changed:
  • Nuvaxovid (Novavax) can be used as a booster in an individual aged 18 years and above if no other COVID-19 vaccine is considered suitable for that individual.
  • Recommendations concerning the use of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine as a booster dose have been updated. AstraZeneca is no longer recommended for use as the booster dose for people who received a primary vaccination course of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, although it can still be used for this purpose if these individuals decline receiving an mRNA vaccine as a booster dose. AstraZeneca is now only recommended when there are medical contraindications to the mRNA vaccines.
  • Comirnaty (Pfizer) can be used as a booster in individuals aged 16 years and above.
Summary of EU countries that have already recommended a 4th dose: Germany for people aged 70+, UK for people aged 75+, Finland, Sweden and France for people aged 80+

 

Children:

  • NACI has updated its Recommendations on the use of Moderna Spikevax COVID-19 vaccine in children 6 to 11 years of age. Full text here.
  • The NITAG in Belgium published recommendations on booster vaccination against COVID-19 for children and adolescents aged 12-17 years in Belgium. Full text here.
  • The SHC recommends the systematic administration of a booster dose for all children and adolescents who are immunocompromised patients and all children and adolescents with level 1, 2 and 3 priority comorbidities as well as all children and adolescents living under the same roof as people who remain at risk of severe disease despite full vaccination.
  • Taking into account the current spread of COVID-19, the severity of the disease in younger persons, and the known risk of side effects (particularly the very rare complications of myocarditis), the SHC is not in favor of the systematic administration of a booster dose for healthy vaccinated adolescents 12 to 17 years of age at this very moment.

 

Moderna vaccine:

  • ACIP issued a standard recommendation for use of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in persons aged ≥18 years. CDC provided guidance that an 8-week interval between primary series doses of mRNA vaccines might be optimal for some persons. Full recommendation here.

 

Rotavirus:

  • The French NITAG published a concept note to revise its recommendations on the rotavirus vaccines (ROTARIX and ROTATEQ). The NITAG should make its recommendations on May 2022. The concept note, including the literature search strategy can be accessed here.

 

SAGE resources:

  • The first-ever malaria vaccine recommendation  is now published in a SAGE position paper and in the WHO guidelines for malaria. The update position paper is available here and complements the recent addition of the recommendation to the WHO Guidelines for malaria.
  • SAGE ordinary meeting is on April 4-7th and the draft agenda is available online. If you wish to attend and have not yet received an invitation, please reach out to me. REGISTRATION DEADLINE is by Monday 28th.
  • SAGE secretariat updated recommendations of Bharat, Sinovac, Sinopharm, AstraZeneca to reflect considerations of the SAGE roadmap on boosters and data on vaccine performance as well as to give guidance on heterologous schedules.

WHO resources:

Partners’ resources:

  • ECDC published a second update of the Interim analysis of COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness against Severe Acute Respiratory Infection due to laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 among individuals aged 30 years and older, ECDC multi-country study – available here.
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