Earlier this year, the CDC released updated vaccine schedule recommendations for 2023. The CDC is responsible for setting vaccine schedules for adults and children. The CDC makes its recommendations based on guidance from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
A summary of all changes made to the adult and child vaccine schedule is on the CDC’s website.
There are a few significant changes to both the adult and child vaccination schedules vaccine administrators should know.
Adult Vaccine Schedule Major Changes
- The addition of the primary series COVID-19 vaccine for the general population and those who are immunocompromised.
- Inclusion of information about booster doses and administration timelines.
- Recommendations for people who received the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine and reporting requirements related to myocarditis and pericarditis.
- The addition of a hepatitis B vaccine to the schedule. People older than 60 with a risk for hepatitis B should complete the HepB vaccine series, while those without known risk factors may complete the series.
- Influenza-specific recommendations for the 2022-2023 flu season were added.
- Recommendations for additional MMR doses in mumps outbreak settings have been added.
- Dosing instructions and timelines for meningococcal vaccines have been updated.
- Recommendations for poliovirus vaccinations for at-risk individuals have been added.
Child Vaccine Schedule Major Changes
- The addition of the primary series COVID-19 vaccine for the general population and those who are immunocompromised.
- Recommendations that children born to mothers who are hepatitis B surface antigen positive or whose status is unknown be vaccinated were added.
- Updated age guidelines were added for meningococcal ACWY vaccination.
- Updated influenza, polio, and MMR vaccination recommendations aligned with adult vaccine schedule recommendations.
ACIP and the CDC define adults as those older than 18. Child vaccine schedules are normally broken into two age categories: newborn to 15 months and 18 months to 18 years.
There are also specialized catch-up vaccine schedules for children who are late to begin vaccinations or fall more than one month behind the recommended schedule. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been the largest vaccination backslide in more than three decades.
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Vaccines are often cited as our best weapon in preventing and fighting disease. It is believed COVID-19 vaccinations administered between December 2020 and November 2022 prevented more than 18 million hospitalizations and more than 3 million deaths. During that same time, it is estimated COVID-19 vaccines saved $1.15 trillion.
Vaccine administrators continue to ensure vaccines recommended by the CDC’s schedule are available for individuals who need them. Once vaccine doses are received in facilities, it is the responsibility of provider to ensure proper storage and handling, so the vaccines remain safe and effective.
Choosing equipment specifically designed to store vaccines helps increase cold chain visibility and reduces the risk of temperature excursions.
The NSF/ANSI 456 Vaccine Storage Standard was created in partnership with the CDC and other leading vaccine stakeholders. It provides validation and certification of vaccine storage equipment. NSF/ANSI 456 certified equipment has been tested to ensure it can perform under the rigors of busy clinical settings.
Helmer Scientific has compiled resources related to safe vaccine storage and the NSF/ANSI 456 Vaccine Storage Standard.
