Is it safe to vaccinate children during the COVID-19 pandemic?
WHO recommends that all routine vaccinations be administered as scheduled, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is currently no evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic poses any specific risk linked to vaccination. Evidence for other infectious diseases is therefore applied. This evidence suggests that potential contact with an infectious disease is not a contraindication for routine immunization. Routine immunization sessions should continue to the extent possible and as permitted within the local COVID-19 response context. However, standard infection prevention measures should be in place to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission to all staff and visitors to the health facility.
It is especially important that children receive all the vaccines scheduled at birth and in the first two years of life. These vaccines may vary according to national recommendations. Any interrupted immunization services for any age groups should be resumed and catch-up vaccinations offered as quickly as possible. Timely vaccination is key to protect young and old from serious and life-threatening infectious diseases, and to avoid the accumulation of unvaccinated groups and potential loss of community immunity.
Is COVID-19 a contraindication for vaccination?
Mild symptoms such as fever and/or cough are not necessarily a contraindication for vaccination. In line with normal procedures, the health-care provider should make recommendations based on a risk—benefit assessment (severity of symptoms and risk and severity of VPDs). If the practitioner decides against vaccination on that day, the normal vaccination schedule for the child should be resumed as soon as possible after he or she recovers.
It is important that anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19 remains isolated in line with national recommendations to ensure that they do not infect others and contribute to further spread of the virus.
How many days after a negative COVID-19 test can vaccines be administered?
At the moment, there is no specific evidence of a potential impact of COVID-19 on vaccination response or vice versa. Systematic COVID-19 testing before routine vaccination is not currently required or recommended. Any patient with a negative COVID-19 test can be vaccinated at any time if their clinical condition allows.
Is it dangerous to vaccinate a child during the incubation period of COVID-19?
There is currently no specific evidence regarding COVID-19 and vaccination, and general principles of vaccination of patients with infectious diseases should be applied. According to these principles, vaccination will not influence the course of infectious disease in a child who might already be infected but who is not yet symptomatic at the time of vaccination, or a child who becomes infected soon after vaccination. Neither will the child’s potential infection influence the safety or efficacy of the vaccine that is administered.