Health Groups Release 2008 Immunization Schedules

Children and Adolescents now Protected Against More Diseases than Ever Before

ATLANTA, Jan. 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Updated immunization
recommendations for childhood influenza and adolescent meningococcal
vaccinations are included in the 2008 Childhood and Adolescent Immunization
Schedules released jointly today by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the American
Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).
"Although we can now protect more children against more vaccine-
preventable diseases than ever before, the immunization schedules can be
confusing for parents and physicians," said Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the
National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at CDC. "The
updates to this year's schedule help clarify our vaccination recommendations
and, therefore, should make it easier for parents to protect their children
against potentially serious diseases."
The childhood schedule expands the recommendation for the nasal spray
influenza vaccine, FluMist, to include children from 2 to 4 years of age who
don't have a history of asthma or wheezing. The vaccine, which contains a
weakened form of the live virus and is sprayed in the nose, had previously
been limited to healthy children 5 years of age and older and healthy adults
up to age 50.
"We know that vaccinating children protects them against flu," said Dr.
Schuchat. "This recommendation gives parents another choice when vaccinating
their children."
The new guidance also addresses vaccination against meningococcal disease.
Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine (MCV4) is now recommended for routine
vaccination of children 11 - 12 years of age and of adolescents 13-18 years of
age who have not been previously vaccinated and other people at increased risk
of meningococcal disease, including college freshmen living in dorms, as well
as military recruits.
This recommendation modifies and simplifies the previous recommendation
for routine vaccination with MCV4 of children at 11-12 years of age,
adolescents before high school entry (approximately 15 years of age), and
other people at increased risk.
"Our goal is routine vaccination of all children beginning at age 11
years. College freshmen living in dormitories are at increased risk of
meningococcal disease and should be vaccinated with MCV4 before college entry,
if not previously," said Dr. Schuchat.
An estimated 1,400 to 2,800 cases of meningococcal disease occur annually
in the United States. Meningococcal disease can have severe complications and
can be life threatening. About 76 percent of cases of meningococcal disease
among 11-19 year olds are vaccine-preventable.
The new schedule also clarifies and updates recommendations for use of
pneumococcal vaccine. Healthy children 24 through 59 months of age who are
incompletely vaccinated should receive one dose of pneumococcal conjugate
vaccine (PCV4). Children age two and older with underlying medical conditions
should receive pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV).
The 2008 immunization schedule can be found at CDC's Morbidity and
Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr or
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/schedules/child-schedule.htm
SOURCE Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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