Updated Tuberculosis (TB) Testing Recommendations Around COVID-19 Vaccinations

Situation:

On August 31, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its interim guidance on clinical considerations for use of the COVID-19 vaccines and included guidance on the timing of tuberculosis (TB) testing (see section “Laboratory Testing” in the full CDC guidance). The full updated CDC Clinical Considerations can be accessed at https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/info-by-product/clinical-considerations.html

Update: The CDC is now recommending administering TB testing, such as a TB skin test or interferon gamma release assay (IGRA), without regard for the timing of COVID-19 vaccination.

• Testing for TB infection can be done before, during, or after a COVID-19 vaccination.
• Continued emphasis is placed on not delaying COIVD-19 vaccination.
• The previous interim guidance of administering TB testing ≥ four weeks after completion of any COVID-19 vaccination was recommended out of an abundance of caution given the newness of these vaccines.

The Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health TB Program agrees with these recommendations.

Resources:

Nevada Administrative Codes related to TB Testing, NAC 441A.370-380: https://www.leg.state.nv.us/NAC/NAC-441A.html#NAC441A

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention TB website: https://www.cdc.gov/tb/default.htm

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 Vaccination website: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/index.html

Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health: http://dpbh.nv.gov/

Questions:

For updated guidance, please review the DPBH Technical Bulletin website and Nevada’s health response website regularly.