FA16 Immunization Module’s Updates
Vaccine Contraindications
Vaccine Contraindications
Contraindications for giving a vaccine can be divided into two categories; permanent and temporary.
Permanent contraindications are those that cannot be avoided by waiting for a better opportunity to vaccinate. These include:
-Severe allergic reactions
- A severe allergic reaction is one that results in hives all over the body, difficulty breathing, low blood pressure or shock
- People with only mild allergic reactions to vaccines can still receive the vaccination.
- Be sure to be aware of the contents of the vaccine being given and ask the person receiving the vaccine if they have any allergies
-Encephalopathy (general brain dysfunction)
- Encephalopathy of unknown cause within 7 days of a previous pertussis vaccination is a contraindication for any further pertussis vaccine doses.
- Encephalopathy after pertussis vaccination is not a contraindication for other vaccines.
-Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID)
- Children with SCID or anyone who is permanently immune-compromised should not be given live attenuated vaccines
Temporary contraindications are those that can be avoided by waiting for a better opportunity to vaccinate. These include:
-Pregnancy
- Live attenuated vaccines pose a possible but never observed risk to the fetus. Inactivated vaccines, however, can typically be given to pregnant women.
-Moderate to Severe Illness
-Temporary Immunosuppression
- A person who is temporarily Immune-suppressed (by Chemotherapy, Radiation, high doses of corticosteroids, etc.) is also contraindicated.
Sources:
CDC immunization training http://www2a.cdc.gov/nip/isd/ycts/mod1/courses/genrec/ce.asp
Immunizations PPT
@coryMahler It would be interesting to see if there were some way we could extract a patients T cells before they underwent chemo/radiation, and altered them to have specific defense against certain diseases, during this time of temporary contraindications.