The
Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
(ACIP) periodically reviews the recommended
childhood and adolescent immunization
schedule to ensure that the schedule
is current with changes in vaccine formulas
and reflects revised recommendations
for the use of licensed vaccines, including
those new licensed.
Recommendations
and format of the childhood and adolescent
immunization schedule for July - December
2004, were approved by ACIP, the American
Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP),
and the American Academy of Pediatrics
and were published in April 2004. That
schedule updated previous ones by adding
a recommendation, that beginning in fall
2004, healthy children aged 6-23 months,
receive annual influenza vaccine.
The
childhood and adolescent immunization
schedule for 2005 is unchanged from that
published in April 2004. In addition,
the catch-up immunization schedule for
children and adolescents who start late
or more than 1 month behind remains unchanged
from that published in January 2004 and
again in April 2004. The childhood and
adolescent immunization schedule and
the catch-up immunization schedule for
2005 have been approved by ACIP, AAFP
and AAP. The 2005 schedule can be found
at
www.cdc.gov/nip/recs/child-schedule.htm
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Influenza
Vaccination Recommendations
Effective
January 3, 2005, the Advisory Committee
on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends
the following priority groups should
receive injectable inactivated influenza
vaccine:
- All
children aged 6-23 months
-
Adults aged 65 years and older
- Persons
aged 2-64 with underlying chronic medical
conditions
-
All women who will be pregnant during
the influenza season
- Residents
of nursing homes and long-term care
facilities
-
Children aged 2-18 on chronic aspirin
therapy
-
Health care workers involved in direct
patient care
-
Out-of-home caregivers and household
contacts of children under six months
of age.
When
supply is sufficient, the injectable
inactivated vaccine also is recommended
for the following additional priority
groups:
- Out-of-home
caregivers and household contacts of
persons in high-risk groups (e.g.,
persons aged 65 years and older; persons
with chronic conditions such as diabetes,
heart or lung disease, or weakened
immune systems because of illness or
medication; and children under two
years of age)
-
All adults aged 50-64 years.
The
intranasally administered, live, attenuated
influenza vaccine, if available is encouraged
for all healthy persons who are aged
5-49 years and are not pregnant, especially
health care workers, out-of-home caregivers
and household contacts of persons in
high-risk groups.
Persons
in the priority groups identified above
are encouraged to search locally for
vaccine if their regular health care
provider does not have vaccine available.
Children under nine years of age require
two doses of vaccine if they have not
previously been vaccinated.
To
view the ACIP recommendations or for
more information visit www.cdc.gov/flu
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