Interim recommendations for the use of inactivated COVID-19 vaccine

Overview

Inactivated vaccines platforms have been used in the production of vaccines against diseases such as seasonal influenza, pertussis, and diphtheria as well as COVID-19. Inactivated (or killed) vaccines cannot replicate; they are formulated with an adjuvant to increase immunogenicity and usually require more than one dose to elicit a durable immune response. 

This interim recommendation for the use of inactivated COVID-19 vaccines summarizes previous interim recommendations for inactivated vaccines against COVID-19. These were developed on the basis of advice issued by the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) and the evidence summary included in the background document referenced below.  

In the subsequent text, these vaccines will be referred to as inactivated COVID-19 vaccines. Future interim recommendations will include additional inactivated COVID-19 vaccines should such vaccines be licensed. In cases where a recommendation differs by product, product-specific names will be used. Timing, frequency and target populations for booster doses are derived from the revised 2023 WHO prioritization roadmap on the use of COVID‑19 vaccines.