COVID-19: BCCA guidance for immunisation: 18 January 2021

COVID-19 vaccination is currently being carried out in the UK.

Prioritisation for vaccination has been outlined by the UK government (see link below).

In the context of congenital heart disease:

• Adults with congenital heart disease (>16 years of age) who have been classified as clinically extremely vulnerable should be vaccinated in phase 1 as priority 4 (priority 4 includes all those who are ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’).

• Other adults with congenital heart disease should be vaccinated in phase 1 as priority 6 (priority 6 is ‘all individuals aged 16 years to 64 years with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality’). The BCCA supports clinical judgement in prioritising individual patients for vaccination within this group who are thought to be at higher risk but have not been classified as clinically extremely vulnerable. Examples include some Fontan patients and patients with pulmonary hypertension.

• Children remain at very low risk of developing a serious infection related to COVID19. There are very limited data on vaccination in adolescents and none in children at present. Children with congenital heart disease including those in the clinically extremely vulnerable group should not be routinely offered vaccination until more data are available.

Click here for more detail from the UK government.

Click here for further information for patients

BCCA, 18 January 2021