CDC, ACIP Announce Vaccine Recommendations and Updates

Biscaldi,Lauren;

CDC, ACIP Announce Vaccine Recommendations and Updates

June 28, 2024

By Lauren Biscaldi, MS, Managing Editor

News

Article

Drug Topics JournalDrug Topics July/August 2024

Volume 168

Issue 06

The updates follow the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practice meeting held June 26 to 28, 2024.

The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has announced a number of updates following their June 2024 meeting. Read on for the latest updates immunization updates for COVID-19, influenza, and more.

For Invasive Disease, Pneumonia Due to Streptococcus pneumoniae

In a unanimous vote, ACIP recommended Merck’s pneumococcal 21-valent conjugate vaccine (Capvaxive) for use in adults aged 65 years and older.¹ The committee specifically recommends vaccination with Capvaxive for adults aged 65 years and older who have not previously received a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, for adults aged 19 to 64 years with certain underlying medical conditions or other risk factors who have not previously received a pneumococcal vaccine, and for adults aged 19 years and older who have started a pneumococcal vaccination series with a pneumococcal 13-valent conjugate vaccine (PCV13) but who have not received all recommended pneumococcal 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) doses.

The CDC provided updates to their recommendations around immunization for RSV, COVID-19, and the flu. | Image credit: stock.adobe.com

Capvaxive is indicated for active immunization of adults for the prevention of invasive disease and pneumonia due to Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes 3, 6A, 7F, 8, 9N, 10A, 11A, 12F, 15A, 15B, 15C, 16F, 17F, 19A, 20A, 22F, 23A, 23B, 24F, 31, 33F and 35B; as well as for the prevention of pneumonia caused by S pneumoniae serotypes 3, 6A, 7F, 8, 9N, 10A, 11A, 12F, 15A, 15C, 16F, 17F, 19A, 20A, 22F, 23A, 23B, 24F, 31, 33F and 35B.

Approval for prevention of pneumonia caused by S pneumoniae serotypes 3, 6A, 7F, 8, 9N, 10A, 11A, 12F, 15A, 15C, 16F, 17F, 19A, 20A, 22F, 23A, 23B, 24F, 31, 33F and 35B was approved through the FDA’s accelerated approval pathway based on immune responses.

“Capvaxive represents an innovative approach to invasive pneumococcal disease prevention in adults, as it is specifically designed to help protect against the strains that cause the majority of severe disease in adults [aged 65 years and older],” said Eliav Barr, MD, senior vice president, head of global clinical development, and chief medical officer at Merck Research Laboratories.

The ACIP recommendations remain provisional and will be official once reviewed by CDC director Mandy K. Cohen, MD, MPH, and the Department for Health and Human Services.

For Invasive Haemophilius influenzae type b

In another unanimous vote, ACIP members voted to add to the CDC’s preferrental recommendation for the vaccination of American Indian and Alaska Native infants, based on the vaccine’s Haemophilius influenzae type b (Hib) component.²

The vaccine, diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis, inactivated, poliovirus, haemophilius b conjugate and hepatitis B vaccine (Vaxelis) is a combination vaccine indicated for active immunization to prevent diphteria, tetanus, pertussis, poliomyelitis, hepatitis B, and invasive disease due to H influenzae type b. It is administered as a 3-dose series in children aged 6 weeks through 4 years of age.

“American Indian and Alaska Native children have historically had higher rates of invasive Hib disease than the general population, and disease onset often occurs at earlier ages,” said Paula Annuziato, MD, senior vice president of Merck Research Laboratories. “The ACIP vote to include Vaxelis in the preferential recommendation recognizes the data supporting the use…in this population and highlights the importance of research in communities that have a higher risk of certain infectious diseases.”

This recommendation is also provisional until finalized by Cohen and the Department of Health and Human Services.

For COVID-19

ACIP’s also voted unanimously in favor of a universal recommendation for the use of 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccines in all individuals aged 6 months and older.³

In a news release, Novavax, which manufactuers a protein adjuvant-based COVID-19 vaccine, provided an update on their plans to provision doses of the company’s 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine “at the start of the vaccination season and umpon [Emergency Use Authorization] by the FDA.” The Novavax COVID-19 vaccine remains the only protein-based COVID-19 vaccine option authorized for use in adults aged 12 years and older. This recommendation has been endorsed by the CDC.

On June 14, the company announced that they had submitted an amendment to their existing Emergency Use Authorization to the FDA for their updated JN.1 COVID-19 vaccine (NVX-CoV2705) for use in adults and children aged 12 years and older.⁴ The updated vaccine “has demonstrated broad cross-neutralizing antibodies against multiple variant strains, including KP.2 and KP.3, indicating the potential to protect against forward drift variants,” a company news release noted. Following a meeting of the FDA Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee Meeting earlier in June, Novavax indicated that they anticipate being ready for commercial delivery of their vaccine in June by September 2024.⁵

For Respiratory Syncytial Virus

The CDC announced an update to their recommendation for the use of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccines in adults aged 60 years and older for the upcoming respiratory virus season.⁶ The agency now recommends that all adults aged 75 years and older receive the RSV vaccine, and that individuals aged 60 to 74 years at increased risk for severe RSV—due to underlying chronic medical conditions or residency in a nursing home—also be vaccinated.

This updated recommendation for adults aged 60 years and older replaces the previous RSV vaccine recommendation, in an effort to simplify decision making for clinicians and patients.

This recommendation is specific to adults who did not receive an RSV vaccine during the 2023-2024 respiratory virus season; the RSV vaccine “is not currently an annual vaccine,” the CDC noted. Although eligible adults can receive their RSV vaccine at any time, the CDC suggests vaccination “in late summer and early fall before RSV starts to spread in communities.”

For the 2024-2025 Flu Season

The CDC recommends that all individuals aged 6 months and older receive an updated 2024-2025 flu vaccine.⁷ The agency is encouraging health care providers to begin planning their influenza vaccination efforts as soon as possible, keeping in mind that September and October “remain the best times for most people to get vaccinated”; vaccination in July and August is not recommended for most individuals, with some exceptions for specific patient populations.

The updated 2024-2025 flu vaccines will be trivalent vaccines that protect against H1N1, H3N2, and a B/Victoria lineage virus. Compared with last season’s flu vaccine, the 2024-2025 vaccine has been updated to include a new influenza A(H3N2) virus.

READ MORE: Immunization Resource Center