• COVID-19 Vaccine

    Updated August 9, 2023

    COVID-19 vaccines offer high levels of protection against severe disease, hospitalization, and death — especially for people who receive vaccine boosters. They are now included in the 2023 CDC Immunization Schedules.
     

    COVID-19 vaccines

    CDC's COVID-19 Vaccination Clinical & Professional Resources

    The AAFP looks to the CDC as the primary source for family physicians. You'll find Interim Clinical Considerations, information on each COVID-19 vaccine, provider support, vaccine counseling guidance, and COVID-19 tracking. 

    The Latest: 

    New COVID-19 Vaccines Spur CPT Coding Overhaul

    The American Medical Association (AMA) CPT Editorial Panel has updated its COVID-19 vaccine coding guidance with the release of COVID shots reformulated to target new variants. Read a summary of the updated guidance and get a list of the new active codes on FMP Journal's Getting Paid blog.

    CDC Updates Clinical Considerations

    As of  May 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its Interim Clinical Considerations for the use of COVID-19 vaccines in the United States. Please visit the Interim COVID-19 vaccine schedules to obtain the most updated guidance on COVID-19 vaccinations.

    Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine No Longer Available in U.S.

    Guidance for use of Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 Vaccine has been removed as the vaccine is no longer available in the United States.

    FDA Amends Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalent EUA

    The FDA amended the EUA of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, Bivalentto provide for a single booster dose of the vaccine in children 6 months through 4 years of age at least 2 months after completion of primary vaccination. 

    COVID-19 Vaccines for Kids Under 5

    How to talk with parents and caregivers about their concerns

    Now that the COVID-19 vaccines are widely available for children and adolescents 6 months and older, parents and caregivers may have questions for you. Answering their questions and providing your expert opinion about COVID-19 vaccines can help reassure them about the safety of vaccinating their children.

    To guide you and your practice team in these conversations, the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) has provided common questions, quick answers, and resources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to assist you in these important discussions.

    Conversation with the White House

    Click to watch this Q&A session with Dr. Sterling Ransone, AAFP president and Dr. Cameron Webb, White House COVID-19 Response Team senior advisor.

    They cover multiple topics, including: 

    • How vaccination efforts for young children are going.
    • Why immunization rates are declining for children and how the administration is responding.
    • The latest guidance on COVID-19 booster shots and therapeutics, especially Paxlovid.
    • The upcoming influenza season, with a focus on flu vaccines.

    Virus mutations are common, and SARS-CoV-2 variants continue being detected. The CDC is monitoring these variants and tracking spread across the U.S., as well as the effect on infection and disease. Researchers are also checking vaccine effectiveness against the different variants. 

    As of Nov. 30, the CDC recognized Omicron as a new variant of concern. There aren't a lot of details at this time. They will continue tracking the mutation and its impact. 

    This past summer and fall, the Delta variant spread faster and caused more infections. According to the CDC, it has 

    • Increased transmissibility29
    • Potential reduction in neutralization by some EUA monoclonal antibody treatments 7, 14
    • Potential reduction in neutralization by post-vaccination sera 21

    It is important to note that all the variants appear to have increased efficiency in spreading from person to person so the use of mitigation measures like masks, ventilation, hand washing, physical distancing, and quarantine are paramount. A Variant Classification scheme that defines three classes of SARS-CoV-2 variants has been developed and information for the different variants is provided at the links below:

    The B.1.1.7 (Alpha), B.1.351 (Beta), P.1 (Gamma), B.1.427 (Epsilon), B.1.429 (Epsilon), and B.1.617.2 (Delta) variants circulating in the United States are classified as variants of concern. Use the CDC's map to see where the different variants are found in the U.S.

    COVID-19 vaccines with EUAs for booster doses and pediatric vaccines. 

    See the CDC's effectiveness overview. 
    • COVID-19 Vaccination During Pregnancy Is Key to Saving Lives: This joint statement reinforces that pregnant individuals are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 infection, ICU admission, and death, as well as adverse pregnancy outcomes. If an individual is pregnant, the best way to protect themselves and their pregnancy against the potential harm.
    • CDC Recommends Pregnant People Be Vaccinated Against COVID-19: Growing evidence about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy demonstrates that the benefits of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine outweigh any known or potential risks. 
    • COVID-19 Vaccines in Pregnancy: With more than 20 health care organizations, the AAFP strongly urges individuals who are pregnant, recently pregnant, planning to become pregnant or lactating to be vaccinated against COVID-19. 

     

     

    Coding and Payment

    The American Medical Association continues publishing COVID-19 vaccine and administration codes. Their unique structure allows for tracking and accommodating multiple COVID-19 vaccines.  

    CDC's COVID-19 Vaccine Resources

    Check out information on the CDC's COVID-19 site, including:


    Expect updates to this site, plus CDC’s Vaccination and Immunization site, as more information is available. It's critical that jurisdictions and federal entities receiving vaccine have information to implement an effective COVID-19 vaccination program.

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