CECC announces ACIP's recommendations on rollout of Moderna's second-generation bivalent COVID-19 vaccine, booster dose interval, and use of Novavax COVID-19 vaccine in adolescents aged 12-17


PublishTime:2022-09-05
On September 5, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) reported that the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) at the Ministry of Health and Welfare held an expert meeting in the afternoon and issued recommendations on the priority list for vaccination with Moderna's second-generation bivalent COVID-19 vaccine, the interval for this bivalent vaccine, and the use of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine in adolescents 12-17 years of age. The ACIP recommendations are listed below.

I. In response to the potential risks associated with the gradual easing of border measures, the bivalent vaccine to be imported at the end of September is recommended to be used as a booster dose and rolled out in two phases.
A. First phase: Elderly people aged 65 and older, residents of long-term care facilities, and individuals aged 18 and above who are immunocompromised or have a weak immune system.
B. Second phase: Medical personnel in the first priority group, airport/port workers, home quarantine workers, airline/vessel crew members, and workers in care institutions and social welfare system, adults 50-64 years of age, and individuals aged 18 and older who need to travel abroad for diplomatic reasons, official business, business, or other work-related reasons.

II. In response to the possible further spread of the variants and recent increases in the number of cases, the ACIP recommends changing the minimum interval between the last COVID-19 dose and a booster shot (including the current monovalent vaccines and the second-generation bivalent vaccine) to at least three months:
A. This applies to the interval between the last dose of the primary series vaccination/the additional dose and the first booster shot, the interval between a first and second booster dose, and the interval between a second and third booster dose. Those infected with COVID-19 should wait three months before getting vaccinated.
B. For adolescents 12-17 years of age, the interval between the last dose of the primary series vaccination/additional dose has been adjusted to at least three months.
C. The Novavax COVID-19 vaccine will be available for use as a two-dose primary series given at least four weeks apart for adolescents aged 12-17. Adolescents in this age group are recommended to complete their primary series vaccination with the same brand of vaccine. The Novavax COVID-19 vaccine can also be used as a booster dose for adolescents aged 12-17 (can be a brand different from that of their primary series vaccination).