2011 recommendations for childhood and adolescent vaccination released

The childhood and adolescent immunization schedules for 2011 have been approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (Centers for Disease Control), and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Among the revisions from 2010:

• A minimum age of 24 weeks is recommended for the third dose of the catch-up schedule for the hepatitis B vaccine for children who did not receive the recommended dose at birth.

• For children who received the age-appropriate series of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7), a single supplemental dose of PCV13, given at least 8 weeks after the previous dose of PCV7, is recommended for children 14 to 59 months old and for children 60 to 71 months old who have underlying medical conditions.

• Guidance was added for the administration of 1 or 2 doses of seasonal influenza vaccine to children 6 months to 8 years old, based on the child’s history of monovalent 2009 H1N1 vaccination. Two doses are recommended in those receiving influenza vaccine for the first time or in those who were immunized for the first time during the previous influenza season but received only 1 dose. Two doses of 2010-2011 seasonal influenza vaccine are recommended for those who received no doses of monovalent 2009 H1N1 or in whom the dosing schedule is unknown.

• A dose of Tdap is recommended for children 7 to 10 years old who are not completely immunized against pertussis.

• A routine 2-dose schedule of quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4) is recommended for persons at high risk for meningococcal disease. A booster dose is recommended at age 16 to 18 years when a first dose was received at age 13 to 15 years.

• Guidance for the use of Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) vaccine in children 5 years and older in the catch-up schedule has been condensed.

• Boys 9 to 18 years old may receive the quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV4) to reduce their risk of genital warts. HPV4 and HPV2 are recommended for girls to reduce their risk of cervical precancers and cancers. HPV4 is recommended to reduce girls’ risk of genital warts.

Committee on Infectious Diseases. Recommended childhood and adolescent immunization schedules-United States, 2011. Pediatrics. 2011;127(2):387-388.