Issue 1774: September 11, 2024

Immunize.org reviews its Checklist of Current Versions of U.S. COVID-19 Vaccination Guidance and Clinic Support Tools at least monthly, prominently indicating when it was last revised. In September, Immunize.org updated the checklist to reflect the FDA licensed/authorized 2024–25 COVID-19 mRNA vaccines (Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech) and adjuvanted-protein vaccine (Novavax).

ACIP voted in June 2024 to recommend the use of these vaccines as licensed or authorized by FDA. Therefore, clinicians may begin using any of the 2024–25 COVID-19 vaccines as indicated by FDA as soon as they receive them.
 
Related CDC resources, including standing orders templates, are being updated, and Immunize.org will revise the checklist as resources become available. The out-of-date 2023–24 COVID-19 vaccine resources are highlighted on the checklist as "under revision."

All COVID-19 vaccine providers should regularly review this checklist. Download the latest documents and discard outdated versions.

Related Links

• Immunize.org: Checklist of Current Versions of U.S. COVID-19 Vaccination Guidance and Clinic Support Tools (PDF)
• Immunize.org: Vaccines A–Z: COVID-19 main page
• CDC: Interim Clinical Considerations main page for use of COVID-19 vaccines in the United States

On August 19, FDA approved a new dosing schedule for GSK meningococcal B (MenB) vaccine (Bexsero) that matches the schedule for Pfizer MenB vaccine (Trumenba). The routine 2-dose schedule requires a 6-month interval between doses. If a second dose is given earlier than 6 months after the first dose, a third dose should be administered at least 4 months after the second dose. Immunocompromised people and those at high risk of MenB disease should receive a 3-dose schedule with doses given at 0, 1–2, and 6-month intervals. If the second dose of a 3-dose schedule is delayed and administered 6 months or longer after the first dose, the third dose is not needed. Bexsero’s original 2-dose schedule, with a 1-month interval between the doses, is no longer licensed.

Immunize.org is updating its MenB resources to reflect the new schedule. The first updated resources include:

• Standing Orders for Administering Meningococcal B Vaccine to Adolescents and Adults – several URLs were updated and sutimlimab (Enjaymo, Bioverativ Therapeutics) was added to the list of complement inhibitors. The precaution concerning latex allergy was removed because Bexsero packaging no longer contains natural latex.
•  Meningococcal B Vaccine Recommendations by Age and Risk Factor – This one-page reference was updated with the new Bexsero schedule

     

ACIP is expected to review the new schedule at its October 2024 meeting. Questions about recipients of the previously approved 2-dose (1-month interval) Bexsero schedule are likely to be discussed. Until then, healthcare providers should refer to the updated Bexsero package insert for the currently approved schedule.

Related Links

• Immunize.org: Vaccines A–Z: Meningococcal B main page 
• Immunize.org: Clinical Resources A–Z main page, where you can filter by topic, vaccine, language, or other criteria

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The 2024–25 version of Immunize.org handout Influenza: Questions and Answers is now available. It includes ACIP’s recommendation for the off-label option to use high-dose IIV or adjuvanted IIV (licensed for adults age 65 years or older) in adults age 18–64 who received a solid organ transplant and are on an immunosuppressive medication regimen, without preference over other age-appropriate influenza vaccine options. URLs were updated throughout the document.

Related Links

• Immunize.org: Influenza: Questions and Answers (PDF)
• Immunize.org: Vaccines A–Z: Influenza main page

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Immunize.org updated its clinician resource, Standing Orders for Administering Haemophilus influenzae Type B Vaccine to Children & Teens:

• Vaxelis (Merck/Sanofi), a combination DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB vaccine, was added as a preferred option for American Indian and Alaska Native infants, in addition to PedvaxHIB (Merck)
• Precautions about latex allergy were removed because packaging is now latex-free

Related Links

• Immunize.org: Vaccine A–Z: Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b) main page
• Immunize.org: Clinical Resources A–Z main page, where you can filter by topic, vaccine, language, or other criteria

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National Hispanic Heritage Month, observed from September 15 to October 15, celebrates the histories, cultures, and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain and elsewhere in the Americas. Immunize.org offers a variety of resources in Spanish, including translated handouts for patients and healthcare personnel and Spanish-language VISs.



Related Links

• National Hispanic Heritage Month website
• Immunize.org: VIS Translations: Spanish main page
• Immunize.org: Clinical Resources: Spanish Translations main page

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¡Viva México! September 16 is the 214th anniversary of Mexico’s independence. We celebrate our neighbors by sharing select Mexican resources for vaccination information and advocacy.

Expert committees:

• Consejo Nacional de Vacunación (CONAVA), National Advisory Committee for Vaccination, counterpart to ACIP

Advocacy groups and resources:

• Asociación Mexicana de Vacunología
• Alianza por la Vacunación

Helpful resources:

• Boletín Epidemiológico: Sistema Nacional de Vigilancia Epidemiológica Sistema Único de Información (Epidemiological Bulletin: National Epidemiological Surveillance System Unique Information System), counterpart to MMWR
• Lineamientos Generales del Programa de Vacunación Universal y Jornadas de Salud Pública 2020 (General Guidelines of the Universal Vaccination Program and Public Health Conference 2020)
• Esquema Nacional de Vacunación (routine vaccination schedule)

Government institutions:

• Programa Nacional de Vacunación (National Vaccination Program)
• Comisión Federal para la Protección contra Riesgos Sanitarios (COFEPRIS) (Federal Commission for Protection against Health Risks), counterpart to FDA
• Vacunas Autorizadas en México Incluyendo Fichas Tecnicas (Vaccines authorized in Mexico, including technical sheets)

This week, our featured episode from the Ask the Experts Video Series is How to Repeat a Second Dose of Hepatitis A Vaccine Given Too Early. The video briefly describes what to do if the second dose of the hepatitis A vaccine is given more than 4 days before the minimum interval of 6 months after the first dose. 

The 1-minute video is available on our YouTube channel, along with our full collection of quick video answers to popular Ask the Experts questions.

Like, follow, and share Immunize.org’s social media accounts and encourage colleagues and others interested in vaccination to do likewise.

• Facebook at ImmunizeOrg
• Instagram at ImmunizeOrg
• LinkedIn at ImmunizeOrg
• YouTube at ImmunizeOrg

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These recent articles convey the potential risks of vaccine-preventable diseases and the importance of vaccination.

• STAT: Trying to Time Your Vaccines Just Right? There Are No Easy Answers, but Here Are Some Factors to Consider (9/4/24)
• The Guardian: 'A Ton of COVID Out There’: US Summer Wave Not Taken Seriously Enough – Experts (9/4/24)
• Washington Post: Coronavirus Vaccines, Once Free, Are Now Pricey for Uninsured People (9/3/24)
• Healthline: Why Getting Your Flu and COVID-19 Shots at the Same Time Is a Good Idea This Year (9/3/24)
• MPR News: Measles Outbreak Affects at Least 30 in Minnesota, Closes Somali Religious School (9/2/24)
• NPR: Childhood Vaccination Rates and the New School Year (9/2/24)

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