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Dear Immunization Partners,
Recently the Health and Human Service (HHS) director issued guidance to change COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for healthy children and pregnant persons. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has diligently been reviewing the available scientific data and recommendations to provide the guidance below.
MDHHS COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
MDHHS continues to recommend, in alignment with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy and for every person 6 months and older to protect from serious COVID-19 illness and to prevent spreading it to others. mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are safe during pregnancy, and vaccination can protect women and their infants after birth. Newborns depend on maternal antibodies from the vaccine for protection.
CDC Updated COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
On May 29, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) made updates to the vaccine schedules on their website. These updates include:
- The child and adolescent immunization schedule now reflects shared clinical decision making for all children and adolescents aged 6 months–17 years, including those who are moderately or severely immunocompromised.
- Children will be allowed to obtain vaccine after a shared clinical decision with their health care provider.
- No changes were made to the recommendations for people who are ages 19 or older who are not pregnant or do not have other medical conditions.
- The COVID-19 vaccine guidance for pregnancy immunization schedule has been changed from recommended to no guidance/recommendation.
MDHHS continues to support the evidence-based method for reviewing, testing, and approving COVID-19 vaccines.
The COVID-19 vaccine has been and continues to be an important tool in preventing severe illness and death from COVID-19. The vaccine continues to be tested in large clinical trials to ensure it meets established safety standards.
COVID-19 vaccines have been approved following rigorous testing and safety review processes, including clinical trials and review by medical experts. COVID-19 vaccines have received medical and safety review and authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), and the CDC director. The recent changes in CDC guidance were not made based on new data, evidence, or scientific or medical studies, nor was the guidance issued following normal processes. Following national approval, MDHHS independently reviews FDA and CDC recommendations to provide clinical guidance to Michigan providers and the public.
MDHHS supports COVID-19 vaccination and recognizes that COVID-19 vaccine helps to support the health and well-being of Michigan residents.
COVID-19 continues to cause illness, hospitalization, and deaths. To protect and promote the health and safety of people in Michigan, we encourage everyone to stay up to date on their vaccinations. This protects themselves and their loved ones from vaccine preventable diseases.
Last week, the newly restructured Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) also met to discuss and vote on recommendations for seasonal respiratory virus vaccines. ACIP voted to approve a new monoclonal antibody for infants entering their first RSV season. They also voted to reaffirm recommendations for influenza vaccines for all persons 6 months and older with a single-dose, thimerosal-free flu vaccines. ACIP announced two new workgroups, one to review the current childhood schedule and the other to review the safety and effectiveness of vaccines that have not been reviewed for more than seven years.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) continually reviews evidence on new and existing vaccines. This evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates that vaccines are safe and have saved millions of lives and prevented tens of millions of hospitalizations in the US over the past 30 years.
We appreciate your continued partnership and commitment to reducing the incidence of vaccine preventable diseases for our Michigan residents.
Thank you,
Michigan Dept of Health and Human Services
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