03/24/2022

CDC stretches vaccine intervals for males 12-39

The Centers for Disease Control & Management (CDC) has updated the interval between dose for the mRNA vaccines to include an 8-week interval for some people ages 12 years and older, especially for males ages 12-39 years due to the small risk of myocarditis. The Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines webpage states:

mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are FDA-approved or authorized for a 3-week (Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine) or 4-week (Moderna vaccine) interval between the first and second dose. A 3- or 4-week interval continues to be the recommended interval for people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised, adults ages 65 years and older, and others who need rapid protection due to increased concern about community transmission or risk of severe disease. mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective at the FDA-approved or FDA-authorized intervals, but a longer interval may be considered for some populations. While absolute risk remains small, the relative risk for myocarditis is higher for males ages 12-39 years, and this risk might be reduced by extending the interval between the first and second dose. Some studies in adolescents (ages 12-17 years) and adults have shown the small risk of myocarditis associated with mRNA COVID-19 vaccines might be reduced and peak antibody responses and vaccine effectiveness may be increased with an interval longer than 4 weeks. Extending the interval beyond 8 weeks has not been shown to provide additional benefit. There are currently no data available for children ages 11 years and younger. Therefore, an 8-week interval may be optimal for some people ages 12 years and older, especially for males ages 12–39 years.

LeadingAge Ohio encourages providers to keep their policies updated with current CDC guidance and ensure any education material provided to staff, residents, and clients contains the most current recommendations. The facility medical director could also assist a provider in updating their policies accordingly. For providers subject to the vaccine mandate, employers should discuss these recommendations with newly vaccinated individuals, document the interval recommendation for that specific individual, and then ensure they are vaccinated accordingly.