2019 Vaccination Schedules Updated by CDC

The 2019 updated childhood and adolescent immunization schedules have been published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on February 4, 2019. 

According to the CDC, these schedules are revised annually to reflect current recommendations for the use of vaccines licensed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 

The following changes to the vaccination schedules are as follows:

• Hepatitis A vaccine:
  • Information regarding the use of combined HepA-HepB (Twinrix) vaccine in persons 18 years of age or older has been added.
  • A section for international travel has been added with a recommendation for vaccination of those 6 through 11 months of age and unvaccinated persons 12 months of age or older.
  • Homelessness has been added as an indication for vaccination.
• Hepatitis B vaccine:
  • The word “all” has been added to the vaccine recommendation for the birth dose for medically stable infants (≥2000 g) born to hepatitis B surface antigen-negative mothers. This was added to emphasize the recommendation for this population.
  • Information regarding the use of CPG–adjuvanted HepB (Heplisav-B) vaccine and combination Twinrix vaccine in persons 18 years or older have also been added.
• Polio vaccine:
  • A bullet has been added regarding the use of combination vaccines that contain IPV. This bullet mirrors similar information presented in the hepatitis B vaccine note.
• Influenza vaccines:
  • LAIV (FluMist) has been added where appropriate.
  • A “special situations” section has been added with information regarding vaccination of persons with a history of egg allergy and information regarding when not to use LAIV.
• MMR and meningococcal vaccines:
  • Language regarding the use of the MMR vaccine in the setting of a mumps outbreak and MenACWY and MenB vaccine use in the setting of meningococcal outbreaks has been removed.
  • Providers are now directed to local health departments for information regarding vaccination during an outbreak.
• Tdap vaccine:
  • The catch-up vaccination section has been updated to indicate that those who received a dose of Tdap or DTaP at 7 through 10 years of age inadvertently or as part of the catch-up schedule should receive the routine dose of Tdap at 11 through 12 years of age.

The 2019 version and notes are available on the CDC Web site.

And, parent-friendly vaccine schedule for children and adolescents is available, as well as, the adult immunization schedule.

Additional information can be found in the Red Book and at Red Book Online.

The CDC Vaccine Price List provides the private sector vaccine prices for general information.

And, vaccine discounts can be found here.

Vaccines, similar to medications, can cause side effects, says the CDC. Guidance about how to obtain and complete a Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System form can be obtained at VAERS or by calling 800-822-7967.

The CDC ’s recommendations on the use of each vaccine are developed after an in-depth review of vaccine-related data.

This revised vaccination schedule has been approved by the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and by the American Academy of Pediatrics. 

A list of current ACIP members can be found here.