The U.S. Recommended Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule for 2005 is unchanged from the one published in mid-2004, when the influenza vaccine was recommended for all 6- to 23-month-olds and for household contacts and out-of-home caregivers for all children aged 0-23 months (PEDIATRIC NEWS, June 2004, p. 6).
Also unchanged is the catch-up immunization schedule for children and adolescents who start late or are more than 1 month behind. Both the routine and catch-up schedules for 2005 have been approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
The National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act requires that parents be provided with copies of Vaccine Information Statements before administering each dose of the vaccines listed in the schedule. Additional information is available from state health departments and at www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/vis
Detailed recommendations for using vaccines are available from the manufacturers' package inserts, the AAP's 2003 Red Book, and ACIP statements on specific vaccines, which can be viewed, downloaded, and printed from the CDC's National Immunization Program Web site, www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/vis/vis-instructions.pdf
Guidance on how to obtain and complete a Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System form is available at www.vaers.org