The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on Tuesday released its annual recommended immunization schedule update for adult and pediatric patients.
Here are three notable changes to ACIP's immunization updates.
1. Mumps: Amid rising rates of mumps activity in the U.S., APIC now recommends a third dose of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine for both adults and children at risk of contracting the mumps during an outbreak, as identified by public health officials. A CDC-backed study published in The New England Journal of Medicine last September suggested an additional doseof the MMR vaccine could result in a 78 percent lower risk of contracting the mumps.
2. Shingles: APIC recommends providers administer adults over 50 two doses of GlaxoSmithKline's recombinant zoster vaccine six months apart, regardless of the patient's past live zoster vaccine history. If the patient previously received the live zoster vaccine, providers should wait two months before administering the recombinant zoster vaccine. For adult patients over 60, ACIP recommends administering either the live zoster vaccine or the recently approved recombinant vaccine, which is the preferred immunization method.
3. Influenza: ACIP does not recommend the use of the live attenuated influenza vaccine in adults or children for the 2017-18 flu season due to concerns regarding its efficacy against the H1N1 strain of influenza A in both the 2013-14 and 2015-16 flu seasons. To see a list of currently available flu vaccines, click here.
More articles on infection control:
Hospital wastewater systems are a reservoir for drug-resistant bacteria: 5 study findings
135 surgical patients exposed to unsterile equipment at Missouri hospital
Former CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden: Agency cuts significantly boost chance of epidemic