Recommendations for Childhood and Adolescent Immunizations
1. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has published the newest recommendations for immunization of children and adolescents. These changes include updates to the meningococcal conjugated vaccine, live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV), and human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV).
Study Rundown: The AAP has just released the new 2017 schedule for childhood and adolescent immunizations. This schedule is revised annually to reflect the United States Food and Drug Administration’s most current recommendations.
The following changes to the schedule are recommended:
- Meningococcal conjugated vaccine (MenACWY): Vaccines given at the age of 16 years have been separated from vaccines given to 17-18 year old adolescents, mainly to emphasize the importance of a booster dose at the age of 16 years.
- LAIV: This reference has been removed from the influenza section as this formulation is not currently recommended.
- HPV: Previously, only high-risk children received this vaccine at 9-10 years of age. Now, even in the absence of high-risk factors, children can receive this vaccine when they are 9-10 years old.
- A new table has been added to help providers determine appropriate immunizations for children 0 to 18 years of age with specific medical conditions including adolescent pregnancy, immunocompromised patients, and those with specific organ disease.
No changes have been made to the 2017 catch-up immunization schedule. Footnotes contain recommendations for routine vaccinations, catch-up vaccinations, and vaccination of high-risk children and adolescents.
Click to read the Policy Statement, published today in Pediatrics
Relevant Reading: American Academy of Pediatrics immunization schedules and Parent-friendly vaccine schedule for children and adolescents
Image: PD
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