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ACIP publishes updated immunization schedule for adults
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has published its 2016 immunization schedule for adults aged 19 years and older in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
The revised schedule includes changes to pneumococcal, meningococcal and HPV vaccinations, which reflect recommendations from the ACIP. They were reviewed and approved by the American College of Physicians, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American College of Nurse-Midwives.
According to David K. Kim, MD, from the CDC’s Immunization Services Division, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, and colleagues, the recommendations for pneumococcal vaccination include an interval change between Prevnar 13 (13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, PCV13; Pfizer) and Pneumovax 23 (23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine, PPSV23; Merck) to at least 1 year for adults aged 65 years and older. The vaccination interval is at least 8 weeks for adults aged 19 years and older who are immunocompromised or who have anatomical or functional asplenia, cerebrospinal fluid leaks, or cochlear implants.
Kim and colleagues wrote that serogroup B meningococcal vaccine — a two-dose series of Bexsero (4CMenB, Novartis) or three-dose Trumenba (MenB-FHbp, Pfizer) — is recommended for patients aged 10 years and older who are at risk for serogroup B meningococcal disease. Risk factors include anatomical or functional asplenia or persistent complement component deficiencies.
Adults aged 16 to 23 years can be immunized with a MenB vaccine for short-term protection against most strains of serogroup B meningococcal disease.
Changes also include the addition of HPV vaccinations, including Gardasil 9 (9-valent HPV vaccine, Merck), to the 2016 adult immunization schedule. Females aged 13 to 26 years should receive a three-dose series of the 2-valent, 4-valent or 9-valent HPV vaccine. Males aged 13 to 21 years should receive a three-dose series of 4-valent or 9-valent HPV vaccine. Additionally, vaccination is recommended for men aged 26 years and younger who have sex with men or are immunocompromised.
Other changes include revisions to schedule figures and footnotes with additional information regarding indications for influenza, meningococcal, pneumococcal and HPV vaccination.
“Primary care providers and specialty providers, such as obstetrician-gynecologists, cardiologists, and other clinical specialists, have the responsibility to help ensure that their patients are protected from vaccine-preventable diseases and their sequelae,” the authors wrote. “The use of proven, existing strategies can lead to improvement in immunization coverage rates and reduced illness and disability from vaccine-preventable diseases among adults in the United States.” – by Chelsea Frajerman Pardes
- Reference:
- Kim DK, et al. Ann Intern Med. 2016;doi:10.7326/M15-3005.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.