Archived 29: Amendment to January 25, 2022: NACI updated recommendations on the use of COVID-19 vaccines in children 5 to 11 years of age

Following consultation with HIV experts, NACI has updated the suggested list of conditions for children 5 to 11 years of age to be considered moderately to severely immunocompromised, for the purposes of a 3-dose primary series:

• Active treatment for solid tumor or hematologic malignancies;
• Receipt of solid-organ transplant and taking immunosuppressive therapy;
• Receipt of hematopoietic stem cell transplant (within 2 years of transplantation or taking immunosuppression therapy);
• Receipt of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T-cell therapy;
• Moderate to severe primary immunodeficiency with associated humoral and/or cell-mediated immunodeficiency or immune dysregulation;
• HIV with AIDS-defining illness or TB diagnosis in last 12 months before starting vaccine series, or severe immune compromise with CD4 < 200 cells/uL or CD4% < 15%, or without HIV viral suppression;
• Active treatment with the following categories of immunosuppressive therapies: anti-B cell therapies (monoclonal antibodies targeting CD19, CD20 and CD22), high-dose systemic corticosteroids (refer to Immunization of Immunocompromised Persons, Immunosuppressive Therapy in Part 3 of the Canadian Immunization Guide for suggested definition of high dose steroids), alkylating agents, antimetabolites, or tumor-necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors and other biologic agents that are significantly immunosuppressive.

Please see NACI updated recommendations on the use of COVID-19 vaccines in children 5 to 11 years of age issued on January 25, 2022, for additional guidance.