CDC Posts 2009 Immunization Schedule

HDM Breaking News, January 6, 2009

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has published on its Web site an updated immunization schedule for children and adolescents.

CDC, working with the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians, has recommended significant changes in the 2009 immunization schedule.

The schedule, for instance, calls for routine annual influenza vaccinations for children ages six months through 18 years. The previous recommendation was for such vaccinations from six months through 59 months of age. Further, children under nine years old receiving influenza vaccine for the first time, or who were vaccinated for the first time during the previous season but only received one dose, now should receive two doses at least four weeks apart.

The schedule also includes new recommendations for rotavirus vaccination and clarifications for administering the HPV vaccination to prevent cervical cancer.

The 2009 immunization schedule is available at cdc.gov/vaccines.

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