The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ COVID-19 Immunization Workgroup has proposed three federal actions to address post-acute COVID-19 vaccination syndrome, or PACVS, a condition characterized by multisystem symptoms that persist for 12 or more weeks after vaccination, The New York Times reported March 15.
In a Feb. 15 confidential report obtained by the Times, the group recommended the CDC establish new ICD-10 codes for PACVS, including one chronic condition code modeled after long COVID’s U09.9 code. It also called for formal diagnostic guidelines and a national network of long COVID and PACVS clinical centers coordinated by the CDC.
The report said current U.S. pharmacovigilance systems underrecognize vaccine-related chronic illness and lack infrastructure for diagnosis, tracking and treatment. It cited a survey in which 10% of vaccinated individuals reported major side effects and 24% said they knew someone who died following COVID-19 vaccination. However, most studies estimate PACVS prevalence may range from 0.003% of the general population to 0.9% of young and middle-age adults.
The work group said patients with PACVS often face delayed or denied care and recommended integrating the World Health Organization’s U12.9 code and creating a new U12.91 code to improve clinical documentation and insurance reimbursement.
The ACIP group’s report said formal recognition and surveillance are needed to address growing evidence of PACVS and rebuild public trust in vaccination policy.
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