Vaccination of school-aged children will likely begin at the same time as the flu season. Is there a contraindication to receiving vaccines against these two diseases at the same time?
“The short answer is that it is a little too early to answer the question,” says Dr. Nicholas Brousseau, medical specialist at the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ) and chairman of the Committee on immunization of Quebec. The vaccine is not yet authorized for the youngest. The question will therefore be “assessed in due course by the expert committees”.
The specialist points out, however, that it is “difficult to think of a potential problem” for this “co-administration” of vaccines.
In general, several vaccines can be given at the same time, with the exception of so-called “live” vaccines, such as the measles vaccine, where deadlines must be respected.
The authorities always rely on caution, specifies Dr. Brousseau. For example, at the start of the adult vaccination campaign, it was not possible to receive a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the same time as other vaccines. Scientists subsequently gathered more information and revised their position. “For adults, it is now allowed to administer a vaccine against COVID-19 with the vaccine against the flu,” confirms the specialist in preventive medicine. “But at the start, there was a position of caution. “
The vaccines against COVID-19 being very recent and the health of the children, very important, “there may be an excess of precautions to be applied”, he concludes.
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