As COVID-19 cases rise, clinicians may consider vaccinating certain high-risk patients instead of waiting for updated vaccines this fall, according to federal health officials.
Wastewater testing by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates COVID levels are very high nationally and especially in the West and South. Hospitalizations also appear to be rising and are significantly higher than they were in the spring, according to data from 300 hospitals in 13 states.
New variants, decreasing immunity and spending more time indoors can contribute to periodic increases, according to a CDC spokesperson.
When deciding whether to vaccinate a patient this summer, the CDC recommends considering the person’s medical and vaccination history, risk of becoming infected and risk of developing severe disease. They should take into consideration that receiving the 2023-'24 vaccine might delay their ability to get an updated vaccine this fall. Clinicians can consider summer vaccination for those in the following groups:
- children ages 6 months through 4 years who need an initial vaccination series,
- people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised,
- people with underlying medical conditions,
- people who have not received any COVID-19 vaccine doses,
- pregnant people who have not received a 2023-’24 dose,
- people who otherwise may not receive the 2024-’25 COVID-19 vaccine and
- adults ages 65 and older.
Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech and Novavax expect to have updated COVID-19 vaccines for the 2024-’25 respiratory virus season ready in August or September pending final sign-off from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The CDC recommends everyone 6 months and older get an updated vaccine as previous vaccines have waned and circulating strains have changed. The FDA has asked manufacturers to specifically target the KP.2 strain from the JN.1 lineage if feasible.
Uptake of the 2023-’24 COVID-19 vaccines was low — 6% of children ages 6 months through 4 years, 13% of children ages 5-11 years, 18% of adolescents ages 12-17 years and 23% of adults, according to the CDC.
In addition to vaccination, the CDC is encouraging people to practice good hygiene, take steps for cleaner air and use precautions to prevent virus from spreading when they are sick. People at risk for severe illness should seek health care promptly for testing and/or treatment when they believe they may have a respiratory virus.
Resources
- CDC clinical considerations for administering COVID-19 vaccines
- AAP COVID vaccination resources
- AAP pediatric COVID-19 vaccine dosing quick reference guide
- CDC COVID Vaccination Field Guide
- AAP/Health and Human Services COVID vaccine toolkit
- Information for parents on COVID vaccines from HealthyChildren.org
