FPMD

New guidelines on adult vaccinations were released today (they’ve been available for the past few days, but it’s official now — same thing with pediatric vaccine schedules). Some notable points:

• The herpes zoster (shingles) vaccine is recommended one time after age 60, regardless if there is a prior episode of shingles (this is not new, but just bears repeating!)
• Tdap vaccination is recommended for adults over 65 who are in contact with infants. The Tdap vaccine is a tetanus vaccine with an added dose of pertussis (whooping cough). Previously, it was only recommended for those less than 65 years old, but in October of 2010 the CDC issued some preliminary guidance that off-label use of the vaccine over age 65 would probably be OK. The reasoning behind this change is that adults of all ages are the reservoir of pertussis who infect young children and infants. 
• Vaccination for HPV (human papillomavirus) with either commercially available vaccine is recommended. Males may be considered for the vaccine (although in my experience most insurances companies do not pay for it)
• Revaccination for the adult pneumonia vaccine after five years is only recommended in select populations.

And of course, universal influenza vaccination for those over 6 months of age is again recommended. Check out the new schedule for yourself. Always remember: vaccines save lives!

(Source: cdc.gov)