2011 Immunization Schedule

1. kids between the ages of 14 and 59 months (and 60 to 71 months if they have underlying medical problems) should receive a single dose of the newer Prevnar 13, even if they have completed the whole Prevnar series with the older Prevnar 7 vaccine. If your child started the Prevnar series with Prevnar 7 but finished it with one or more doses of Prevnar 13, then she won't need an extra dose.
   
   

1. teens should get a booster dose of the latest meningococcal vaccines (Menactra or Menveo) when they are 16 to 18 years old, in addition to the first shot they got at 11 or 12 years old. The booster dose should be given even if they got their first dose of Menactra or Menveo when they were 13 to 15 years old.
   
   

• a reminder that infants should receive three doses of the hepatitis B vaccine, with six months being the minimum age for the third dose.
  
  
• clarification of who needs two doses of flu vaccine, including children six months through eight years who are getting the flu vaccine for the first time, children who were vaccinated against the flu during the previous year but only got one dose of seasonal flu vaccine, or who didn't get at least one dose of the 2009 H1N1 vaccine last year.
  
  
• the recommendation (likely in response to the recent pertussis outbreaks) that kids between the ages of seven and ten who are not fully immunized against pertussis get a Tdap vaccine and older kids and adults who already got a Td shot don't have to wait any specific amount of time before getting a Tdap shot.
  
  

• high risk kids with immune system problems between the ages of two and ten should get two doses of the meningococcal vaccine eight weeks apart and then a booster dose every five years
  
  
• the recommendation that kids over five who are at high risk for infections from the Haemophilus influenzae type B bacteria, such as those with sickle cell disease, leukemia, HIV infection, or who have had a splenectomy, should get a dose of the Hib vaccine (was previously only recommended for kids five and under).
  
  
• that either HPV vaccine, Gardasil or Cervarix, should be given to all girls (typically starting at age 11 to 12 years of age, but may be given as early as nine years) to prevent cervical cancer from HPV. Although not a formal recommendation, boys can get three Gardasil shots to decrease their chances of getting genital warts.