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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the release of the 2016 childhood and adolescent immunization schedule for patients from birth through 18 years of age. The corresponding policy statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), “Recommended Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule — United States, 2016” will also be published online in Pediatrics.
The new schedule contains updated recommendations on the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to include the 9vHPV vaccine. The 9-valent vaccine, approved in 2014, offers protection against ≥80% of the cervical, vulvar, and anal cancers caused by HPV. Vaccination is still recommended to start at age 11 but for children with a history of sexual abuse that are at an increased risk of HPV, vaccination should start at age 9.
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In addition, the new schedule includes a permissive recommendation for the meningococcal B vaccine for certain adolescents based on risk assessment. If children are at high risk, vaccination is recommended as early as age 10. Recommendation for the quadrivalent meningococcal vaccine still stands for adolescents aged 11–12 years and a booster at age 16 against 4 other strains of the bacteria.
The schedules are approved annually by the AAP, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the CDC, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
The full immunization schedule is posted here.
For more information visit CDC.gov.
