Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumPreventive Care and Immunizations

An 8-year-old boy is evaluated in the pediatric clinic to establish care after his family recently moved from another state. He has a history of moderate persistent asthma. His current daily medications include a medium-dose fluticasone inhaler and a short-acting beta-agonist as needed. Three weeks ago, he was treated for an acute asthma exacerbation with a 4-day course of oral prednisone. He is currently asymptomatic and his lung examination is clear. Review of his medical record indicates he completed all routine immunizations up to age 2, but he missed the vaccine series typically given between ages 4 and 6 years (DTaP, IPV, MMR, and varicella). His father expresses concern about the safety of administering vaccines, particularly live vaccines, given the patient's asthma medications. Which of the following is the most appropriate action regarding this patient's immunizations today?

  1. Administer the DTaP, IPV, MMR, and varicella vaccines todayAnswer
  2. B
    Administer the DTaP and IPV vaccines today; schedule the MMR and varicella vaccines in one month
  3. C
    Administer the DTaP and IPV vaccines today; withhold the MMR and varicella vaccines while he requires inhaled corticosteroids
  4. D
    Delay all immunizations for one month due to his recent hospitalization for an asthma exacerbation
  5. E
    Administer the DTaP, IPV, and MMR vaccines today; withhold the varicella vaccine due to his history of reactive airway disease

Answer

Administer the DTaP, IPV, MMR, and varicella vaccines today.
The correct action is to administer the DTaP, IPV, MMR, and varicella vaccines today. This patient is due for his 4- to 6-year-old boosters. Live-attenuated vaccines (such as MMR and varicella) are contraindicated in severely immunocompromised patients, including those on high-dose systemic corticosteroids (defined as ≥2\ge 2 mg/kg/day or ≥20\ge 20 mg/day of prednisone for 1414 or more days). However, short courses of systemic corticosteroids (less than 1414 days) and the use of inhaled, topical, or intra-articular corticosteroids do not induce sufficient systemic immunosuppression to contraindicate live vaccines. Furthermore, the convalescent phase of a mild to moderate acute illness is not a reason to delay vaccination.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Review the patient's immunization record and current age to determine which vaccines are due.
The patient is 8 years old and missed his 4- to 6-year-old boosters, so he is due for DTaP, IPV, MMR, and varicella vaccines.
Identifying missing vaccines is the first step in catch-up immunization scheduling.
2
Evaluate the patient's medical history for potential contraindications to live-attenuated vaccines (MMR and varicella).
The patient takes a daily inhaled corticosteroid and recently completed a 4-day course of oral prednisone.
Severe immunosuppression is an absolute contraindication to live-attenuated vaccines, and high-dose corticosteroid use must be evaluated.
3
Apply CDC immunization guidelines regarding corticosteroid use.
Guidelines state that inhaled corticosteroids and short courses of systemic corticosteroids (less than 14 days) do not cause sufficient immunosuppression to delay live vaccines.
Only high-dose systemic corticosteroids (≥2\ge 2 mg/kg/day or ≥20\ge 20 mg/day of prednisone for ≥14\ge 14 days) require a 1-month delay before live vaccine administration.
4
Determine the appropriate clinical intervention for today's visit.
Since there are no contraindications, all four indicated vaccines should be administered safely today.
Maximizing every clinical encounter to administer all eligible vaccines prevents further delays in care.

Key Concept

Short courses of systemic corticosteroids (less than 14 days) and inhaled corticosteroids are not contraindications to live-attenuated vaccines.
Rate this question

Topics

Preventive Care and Immunizations

More questions from this topic