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ACIP updates general recommendations for immunization
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Changes to recommendations about proper preparation and timely disposal of vaccines were presented to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
The General Recommendations on Immunizations Work Group has made changes that include new language about keeping the vaccine preparation area separate from locations where there can be potential contamination or patient access. The new language states the following:
- Vaccines should be drawn up in a designated clean medication area that is not adjacent to areas where potentially contaminated items are placed.
- Multidose vials to be used for more than one patient should not be kept or accessed in the immediate patient area. If a multidose vial enters the immediate patient area, it should be discarded after use.
There are also adjustments to the language regarding the use in preparing multiple doses of a single vaccine type, such as organizing for a community influenza vaccination campaign. In these situations, the following is recommended:
- Filling a small number of syringes at once, 10 or fewer, may be considered. When syringes are filled, type of vaccine, lot number and date of filling must be labeled on each syringe, and the doses should be used as soon as possible after filling, by the same person who filled the syringes.
- Unused syringes that are prefilled by the manufacturer and have been activated should be discarded by the end of clinic day.
“These recommendations are based on CDC guidance already available,” Andrew Kroger, MD, MPH, of the CDC, said during his presentation. “These two sections have recently generated a lot of discussion in the work group. This has been an interesting issue because of mass clinics and how to apply these concepts together in this setting.”