New Childhood, Adolescent Vaccination Guidelines Due

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will publish new 2006 vaccination guidelines later this month. Physicians can expect to see a number of changes from 2005, including a new preadolescent visit around age 11 or 12.

"We are creating a preadolescent platform for vaccination and counseling," explained Jon Temte, M.D. associate profession at the University of Wisconsin Department of Family Medicine and American Association of Family Physicians liaison to CDC?s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. "Vaccinating preteens can head off multiple risks that may arise during the teen years when intervention is more difficult."

New recommendations will include meningococcal (MCV4) vaccination at the preadolescent visit or at high school entry for those who have not previously received MCV4. Also new is a recommendation for Tdap for everyone aged 11 to 18 years of age to protect against pertussis. A current Canadian study suggests that Tdap can be given safely regardless of prior Td booster history.

CDC will also recommend vaccination with both MCV4 meningococcal and Tdap during the same visit. Details of the recommendations and links to a variety of vaccination resources are available at www.aafp.org/x10615.xml. At latest count, Dr. Temte said, there are 42 or 43 separate vaccinations recommended by the age of 18, including annual influenza vaccination. Total cost is approximately $1,100 per child.

Vaccination is a tremendously cost-effective intervention, he noted. A single case of measles in Iowa in 2004, the state?s first since 1996, cost $142,452 to trace potential contacts, set up vaccination clinics, enforce quarantine orders, and answer more than 2,000 telephone calls from the public. An equivalent vaccination expenditure could have given the complete MMR series to 1,780 patients.