Hello,
Yesterday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated the recommendation for COVID-19 booster doses for individuals who are 18 years and older.
The updated recommendation is that everyone aged 18 and older should receive a booster dose either six months after their initial Pfizer or Moderna series or two months after their initial Janssen vaccine.
CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky provided the following explanation of the updated recommendations:
The recent emergence of the Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) further emphasizes the importance of vaccination, boosters, and prevention efforts needed to protect against COVID-19. Early data from South Africa suggest increased transmissibility of the Omicron variant, and scientists in the United States and around the world are urgently examining vaccine effectiveness related to this variant. I strongly encourage the 47 million adults who are not yet vaccinated to get vaccinated as soon as possible and to vaccinate the children and teens in their families as well because strong immunity will likely prevent serious illness. I also want to encourage people to get a COVID-19 test if they are sick. Increased testing will help us identify Omicron quickly. And finally, to stop the spread of COVID-19 we need to follow the prevention strategies we know work.
See the full press release for more information.
Impact on IIS
The Clinical Decision Support for Immunization (CDSi) rules are currently being developed and reviewed.
The next scheduled ACIP meeting is February 23–24, 2022. The committee is also likely to continue to have emergency meetings to respond to new COVID-19 vaccines, vaccine age indications, or issues related to vaccine safety.
