On April 12, 2022, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) released updated guidance from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) on the use of first booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines in adolescents and younger adults in Canada. This guidance is based on current evidence and NACI's expert opinion.
NACI released initial recommendations on the use of first booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines in adults 18 to 49 years of age in December 2021, and in adolescents 12 to 17 years who are at high risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes in January 2022.
After considering additional data on the duration of protection from a primary COVID-19 vaccine series, the safety and effectiveness of a first booster dose in adolescents and adults, and the changing epidemiology of COVID-19 in Canada, NACI has updated its recommendations for booster doses in these age groups.
NACI has strengthened the following recommendations from ‘may’ to ‘should,’ so that now all adults 18 years of age and over are strongly recommended to receive a booster dose:
- A first booster dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine should be offered at least 6 months after the completion of a primary series to all adults 18 to 49 years of age and over.
- A first booster dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine should be offered at least 6 months after the completion of a primary series to adolescents 12 to 17 years of age who:
- have an underlying medical condition that puts them at high risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19, including adolescents who are immunocompromised and have already received an additional vaccine dose;
- are residents of congregate living settings;
- belong to racialized and/or marginalized communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19.
NACI has added a new recommendation, and now recommends that for all other adolescents 12 to 17 years of age: A first booster dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine may be offered at least 6 months after the completion of the primary series in the context of increased COVID-19 activity.
Recommendations for a first booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in adolescents 12 to 17 years of age is currently off-label. At this time, only the Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty and Moderna Spikevax COVID-19 vaccines are approved for use as a first booster dose in adults 18 years of age and over
- Recommendation
- Americas
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