Two Major Changes In The 2015 Adult Immunization Schedule

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has released its Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule for 2015, with updates on the committee’s suggestions for the use of vaccines for adults.

“Vaccines are recommended for adults throughout their lifetime,” says David Kim, MD, deputy associate director for adult immunizations at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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“Which vaccines adults need depend on their age, prior vaccinations, health conditions, travel, occupation, and other factors,” says Kim, noting that the CDC updates the adult immunization schedule on an annual basis.

The latest immunization schedule, now available for adults age 19 and older, includes “two major changes” from the 2014 schedule, says Kim.

First, the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV 13) is now recommended for all adults 65 years old and older, in series with the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23).

Secondly, the age group for which the recombinant influenza vaccine (RIV), which is egg-free, has been expanded from ages 18 to 49 to include all individuals 18 and older.

All adults are advised to receive the influenza vaccine yearly, says Kim, receiving “at least 1 dose of Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis) vaccine, shingles vaccine at age 60, and two different pneumococcal vaccines at age 65, or sometimes earlier, depending on medical conditions.”

Other vaccines may also be necessary, “based on an adult’s medical conditions and prior vaccinations or travel,” adds Kim. “Adults should talk to their healthcare providers about which vaccines they might need.

“We also want [primary care practitioners and other care providers] to be aware of adult immunization standards,” he says, noting that the standards are available at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/patient-ed/adults/for-practice/standards.

In addition, Kim advises primary care physicians to “assess immunization status for adult patients on every visit, strongly recommend vaccines they need, administer the vaccines or refer patients to a provider who does—eg, a pharmacist—and document the vaccines administered in your state vaccine registry.”

Details on updates to the Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule as well as information on other vaccines recommended for adults can be found in the Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule, United States, 2015, at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules. The full ACIP recommendations for each vaccine, which are not included in the schedule due to space limitations, are available at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/acip-recs/index.html.

—Mark McGraw

Reference

Kim D, Bridges C, et al. Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule: United States, 2015. Ann Intern Med. 2015.