2017 update to the immunization schedule for kids

Follow me on Twitter @drClaire Every year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) update the recommendations for immunizing children from birth to 18 years. This past week, the latest changes were published. The changes are usually small, and this year is no exception. But they are important — and they are a sign of how these organizations, and all the scientists who study immunization, take immunization effectiveness and safety very seriously. There is ongoing research to be sure that vaccines do everything we want them to do. As that research is done, discoveries are made that change what happens when kids come in for their checkups and shots. Sometimes the changes in the schedule aren’t actually changes. Sometimes the experts want to emphasize something about a vaccine that not everyone knows — and sometimes they tweak the way the schedule looks to make it easier to read and understand. Here are the latest changes, reminders and tweaks: There are two for the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine: A reminder that it can be given as early as age 9-10, something many people don’t realize And a reason to start early: if kids get the first dose of vaccine before their 15th birthday, they only need 2 doses (6 months apart) instead of the previously recommended 3 doses. Anyone who starts on or after the 15th birthday still needs those three doses The LAIV or nasal spray version of the flu vaccine is officially o...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Children's Health Infectious diseases Parenting Prevention Vaccines Source Type: blogs