All Recommended Vaccines Should Be Administered According to the Standard Schedule
All vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) should be administered according to the standard schedule, as no alternative schedules have been evaluated and found to provide better safety or efficacy. 1
Evidence-Based Rationale for Complete Vaccination
- The current recommended vaccine schedule is the only evidence-based schedule that has been tested and approved by multiple authoritative experts for safety and efficacy 1
- No alternative vaccine schedules have demonstrated better safety or efficacy than the recommended schedule 1
- The safety of currently recommended vaccines administered according to established schedules was strongly affirmed by the Institute of Medicine in 2013 1
- All age-appropriate vaccines are recommended for infants, children, adolescents, and adults to prevent disease before exposure to potentially infectious organisms 1
Why Each Vaccine Is Important
Vaccines are administered at specific ages based on:
- Age-specific risks for disease acquisition
- Age-specific risks for complications
- Ability to respond to the vaccine
- Potential interference from maternal antibodies in infants 1
Multiple vaccines are often required to develop appropriate and persisting immune responses:
Handling Delayed Vaccination
- Any vaccine dose not administered at the recommended age should be given at any subsequent medical encounter when indicated and feasible without restarting the series 1
- For children who begin late or fall behind, catch-up schedules are available:
- Printed catch-up schedules for ages 4 months through 18 years
- Interactive computer-based programs for children from birth through 5 years 1
- A vaccine series should never be restarted, regardless of the time elapsed between doses 1
Simultaneous Administration of Vaccines
- When appropriate, all indicated vaccines should be administered simultaneously at the same visit 1
- Simultaneous administration increases the probability that a child will be fully immunized at the appropriate age 1
- Studies have shown that simultaneously administering the most widely used live and inactivated vaccines produces:
- Similar seroconversion rates
- Similar rates of adverse reactions compared to when vaccines are administered separately 1
Common Concerns and Pitfalls
- Delaying or deferring vaccines may leave children vulnerable to preventable diseases 1
- There is no evidence supporting the viewpoint that delaying or deferring vaccines is safer or more effective 1
- Healthcare providers should clearly articulate that vaccines are safe and effective, and serious disease can occur if children and families are not immunized 1
- Pediatricians should not overestimate parental vaccine hesitancy or mistake a simple lack of knowledge for opposition 1
Communication Strategies with Hesitant Parents
- Acknowledge parents' concerns while correcting misconceptions 1
- Provide parents with the rationale for why vaccines are administered and their potential adverse effects 1
- Use a presumptive delivery strategy, presenting vaccines as required immunizations to maintain optimal disease prevention 1
- Nearly half of parents who were initially vaccine hesitant ultimately accepted vaccines after practitioners provided a rationale for vaccine administration 1
In conclusion, the evidence strongly supports that all recommended vaccines should be administered according to the standard schedule. No vaccines in the recommended schedule should be skipped, as each plays a crucial role in preventing specific diseases and protecting both individual and public health.