Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Recommended adult immunization schedule: United States, 2010. Ann Intern Med. 2010;152:36-39.
Hopkins R, Vyas K. Adult immunization guidelines: challenges and opportunities. Ann Intern Med. 2010;152:59-60.
The CDC has published the 2010 guidelines for adult immunizations in the January 5, 2010 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. There are several changes and new recommendations.
First, the CDC now recommends either the quadrivalent or the newer bivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for young adult women, ages 19 to 26. Additionally, the quadrivalent HPV vaccine is now indicated for males, ages 9 to 26, to prevent the acquisition of genital warts.
There are some changes regarding the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine as well. The CDC now clarifies that most adults born after 1957 do not need any additional doses of the vaccine if they have documentation of at least one dose. Exceptions include healthcare workers, college students, international travelers, and adults exposed to measles or mumps in an outbreak setting. Additionally, it is now strongly recommended that healthcare workers born before 1957, who lack lab evidence of immunity, be vaccinated during an outbreak.
People caring for international adoptees are now recommended to receive the hepatitis A vaccine because 99% of these adoptees are from endemic countries and could be carrying the disease, even if they are free of symptoms.
Concerning the meningococcal vaccine, it is now recommended that adults age 55 or younger receive the conjugate vaccine; older adults, and those who are at continuous risk, should receive the polysaccharide vaccine.
The Haemophilus influenzae type B vaccine is no longer contraindicated for people with sickle cell disease, leukemia, HIV, or splenectomy; however, it is still not routinely recommended.
This adult vaccination schedule has been approved by the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Although immunizations have only been mandatory for children and travelers in the past, the CDC is working hard to change this perception to include adults as well. Many strategies have been set into motion to encourage adults to maintain an immunization schedule, and emphasize their value and importance in adult preventative care.