1. Some vaccines have a recommended interval between doses. What if, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, my child missed their last dose, does it make the already completed doses lose their effectiveness?
The interval between vaccine doses is prescribed to allow time for your child’s body to generate the desired immune response. In almost all cases, a longer than recommended time interval between vaccine doses does not affect protection or effectiveness of a given vaccine.
Parents should check your child’s vaccination record and schedule with local public health vaccination clinic for their child to receive the missed dose first. After that, the calendar will be reset to allow for the national authority recommended interval before the next dose. [1]
2. I heard vaccination will affect the immune system. Does having multiple shots on the same day (combination vaccines) or in a short period of time make my child vulnerable to other infections?
No, vaccination with multiple shots on the same day or in national authority recommended interval does not make your child vulnerable to other infections. Although vaccines are among the safest medicines available, vaccines can have temporary, tolerable and mild effects, such as fever or a sore arm or leg in some children[2].
3. What if my child has passed the upper age limits for certain vaccines, even if we find a way to catch up, does it affect their effectiveness?
The recommended age for any vaccine reflects both the age just before the child has the greatest risk of getting such disease and the age for the best immune response. A child who receives vaccines following WHO and the national authority recommended schedule can gain the most effectiveness in prevention of diseases. The catch-up vaccination of delayed doses for child can improve the immunity, for most of vaccines there is no upper age limits for most of vaccines. In all cases, even for those few vaccines with upper age recommendations, parents should always consult with their health provider about specific vaccinations needed and how to best obtain those, given the child’s age, previous vaccination record, etc.”
4. How should prioritize which vaccine shot/dose to catch up first?
WHO recommends the public follow the national authority recommended schedule which reflects both the age just before the child has the greatest risk of getting such disease and the age for the best immune response. In the immunization catch-up guidelines issued by China’s national health authority, China CDC recommends that catch-up vaccines should be prioritized in the following order (starting with the most important vaccines to catch-up): Hepatitis B, BCG, polio, measles containing vaccine, DTP, Japanese encephalitis, meningitis, and hepatitis A. Once EPI vaccines are fully caught-up and on schedule, the parent should inquire about catch-up timelines for non-EPI vaccines.