The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday that COVID-19 vaccines can be given along with other childhood shots, CNN reported Wednesday.

Doctors had been cautioned to not give the COVID-19 vaccine within two weeks of any other vaccines, but Kate Woodworth, M.D., of the CDC birth defects division, said lots of data exist on the safety of the vaccines.

"Extensive experience with non-COVID-19 vaccines has demonstrated that immunogenicity and adverse event profiles are generally similar when vaccines are administered simultaneously as when they are administered alone," Woodworth told a meeting of the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

Recommendations are being updated so that COVID-19 and other vaccines can be given together "without regard to timing," including on the same day, CNN reported.

Many children have fallen behind on their vaccination schedule during the pandemic, so this change will be an important step in getting them back on their vaccine track. They can now get the COVID-19 vaccine along with vaccinations for influenza, tetanus, and human papillomavirus, CNN said. But the CDC does not know if people are more likely to have a reaction if they get a COVID-19 vaccine along with other vaccines, the news outlet added.

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