Catch-up vaccination protocols

Catch-up vaccination protocols

Catch-up vaccination protocols

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Catch-up Principles - The Rules of the Game

  • Never restart a series, regardless of the time elapsed. Simply resume the schedule.
  • Strictly follow minimum age for each dose and minimum intervals between doses.
  • If two live vaccines (e.g., MMR, Varicella) are not given on the same day, they must be separated by at least 28 days.
    • This rule does not apply to Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV).
  • Inactivated vaccines can generally be co-administered or given at any interval.

⭐ A lapsed schedule does not require restarting the entire vaccine series. Administer the missed dose as if the schedule had been on track.

Age-Specific Protocols - A Tale of Three Timelines

Catch-up schedules are tailored to the child's age at presentation. The primary goal is to complete the recommended series for their current age as efficiently as possible.

  • Infants (< 1 Year)

    • Focus: Complete primary doses of Pentavalent (DPT+HepB+Hib), OPV/IPV, and PCV.
    • Minimum interval between doses of the same vaccine is typically 4 weeks.
    • ⚠️ Rotavirus vaccine cannot be started if age is > 15 weeks.
  • Children (1-<7 Years)

    • Prioritize: DPT, OPV, MMR, and Hep B series.
    • If no prior DPT, start the series. If partially immunized, continue from where it was left off.
    • MMR-1 can be given, with MMR-2 administered after a 4-week minimum interval.
  • Older Children & Adolescents (7-18 Years)

    • Use Tdap/Td instead of DPT.
    • OPV is generally not recommended after 5 years of age.
    • Hepatitis B follows a 0, 1, 6-month schedule if not previously vaccinated.

⭐ If a child has received at least one dose of IPV, subsequent doses can be either IPV or OPV. However, if the series starts with OPV, it must be completed with OPV only.

IAP Catch-up Vaccination Schedule for Children (0-18 years)

Special Ops Vaccines - Tricky Timings

  • Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV):

    • Catch-up for children aged 1-5 years: 1 single dose if not vaccinated previously.
    • If primary doses were given before age 1, a booster is still needed at 9-12 months.
  • Rotavirus Vaccine (RVV):

    • ⚠️ Strict age cut-offs are critical.
    • Do NOT initiate the series if the infant is >15 weeks old.
    • Do NOT administer any dose beyond 32 weeks of age.
  • Japanese Encephalitis (JE) - Live (SA 14-14-2):

    • Standard doses at 9 months and 16-24 months.
    • Catch-up vaccination is permissible up to 15 years in endemic regions.

⭐ The final dose of the Rotavirus vaccine series must be completed by 32 weeks of age; it cannot be administered beyond this point, even if the series is incomplete.

High‑Yield Points - ⚡ Biggest Takeaways

  • BCG can be given up to 1 year of age without requiring a tuberculin test.
  • OPV, MMR, and Hepatitis B catch-up is permissible up to 5 years of age.
  • The DPT/Pentavalent vaccine series can be administered up to 7 years.
  • For children >1 year, a single dose of PCV is sufficient for catch-up.
  • The minimum interval between two live vaccines is 4 weeks.
  • Rotavirus vaccine is not recommended after 1 year of age.

Practice Questions: Catch-up vaccination protocols

Test your understanding with these related questions

An 11-year-old boy is brought to his pediatrician by his parents for the routine Tdap immunization booster dose that is given during adolescence. Upon reviewing the patient’s medical records, the pediatrician notes that he was immunized according to CDC recommendations, with the exception that he received a catch-up Tdap immunization at the age of 8 years. When the pediatrician asks the boy’s parents about this delay, they inform the doctor that they immigrated to this country 3 years ago from Southeast Asia, where the child had not been immunized against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. Therefore, he received a catch-up series at 8 years of age, which included the first dose of the Tdap vaccine. Which of the following options should the pediatrician choose to continue the boy’s immunization schedule?

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Flashcards: Catch-up vaccination protocols

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Which cause of viral gastroenteritis does the CDC recommend vaccination against?_____

TAP TO REVEAL ANSWER

Which cause of viral gastroenteritis does the CDC recommend vaccination against?_____

Rotavirus

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