Flu Shot & mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine Coadministration Recommended

The 2021-’22 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) influenza policy statement and companion technical report released on September 7, 2021, emphasize the importance of influenza vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is expected to continue during the flu season.

Influenza vaccines are recommended for everyone six months and older with any licensed product appropriate for age and health status, according to the AAP policy. Both inactivated influenza vaccine and live attenuated influenza vaccine are options.

Influenza vaccine can be administered simultaneously with or any time before or after administration of the currently available COVID-19 vaccines says the AAP.

As of September 19, 2021, the U.S. FDA has Approved-Authorized the Comirnaty (Pfizer - BioNTech) mRNA vaccine for most people 12 years of age and older.

Because it is unknown whether the reactogenicity of COVID-19 vaccines will be increased with the coadministration of the flu vaccine, the reactogenicity profile of the vaccines should be considered.

Clinicians should consult current guidance on coadministration of the COVID-19 vaccines with influenza vaccines from the U.S. CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

Studies to assess the safety and immunogenicity of coadministration of COVID-19 vaccines with other vaccines are underway or in development. Children who have acute moderate or severe COVID-19 should not receive the influenza vaccine until they have recovered.

“As we continue to face another year of the COVID-19 pandemic, timely influenza vaccination of all persons six months of age and older is a priority this year,” commented Flor M. Munoz, M.D., M.Sc., FAAP, a lead author of the policy statement issued on September 7, 2021.

“This is particularly important for anyone who has medical conditions that increase the risk for complications for both influenza and COVID-19, including children.”

The AAP policy Recommendations for Prevention and Control of Influenza in Children, 2021-2022, from the Committee on Infectious Diseases, is available at https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2021-053744, and the technical report is at https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2021-053745.

These AAP documents will be published in the October 2021 issue of Pediatrics.

The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 pediatricians committed to the optimal physical, mental, and social health and well-being for all infants, children, adolescents, and young adults.​