11-16-2023 4:21pm

American Academy of Pediatrics Approves Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule for 2024

Anita Johnson-Brown Editor

On Nov. 16, 2023

The American Academy of Pediatrics announced it has approved the Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule for 2024, which contains current updates in vaccines and new developments for the treatment of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

The AAP policy statement, "Recommended Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule: United States, 2024," outlines the latest suggestions for youngsters from birth through 18 years old. The report is published in the December Pediatrics (Nov. 16 online), months earlier than in past years to reflect the use of vaccines and other immunizing agents recently licensed by the Federal Food and Drug Administration.

"Staying up-to-date on our immunizations helps keep everyone healthy by preventing the spread of disease within our families and communities," said Pia S. Pannaraj, MD, MPH, FAAP, author of the policy statement and member of the AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases. "We all share a goal for children to remain active, in school and safe over the holidays when people are often indoors and in close proximity to others."

The updates to the child and adolescent schedules include recommendations for:

• monovalent COVID-19 vaccines;

• the monoclonal antibody immunization for RSV, nirsevimab (Beyfortus) for infants;

• RSV vaccine RSVpreF (Abrysvo) for pregnant people;

• 2023-'24 flu vaccines, including a note about people with egg allergy;

• pentavalent meningococcal vaccine (MenABCWY; Penbraya);

• 20-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine;

• mpox vaccine for adolescents age 18 years; and

• poliovirus catch-up vaccination for adolescents aged 18 years.

Additional modifications to footnotes and tables in the updated schedules will be published in the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Report (MMWR) in early 2024.

As usual, the online and MMWR publication takes place in February. However, the CDC announced plans to update the schedules earlier and more regularly as the timing impacts insurance payment and the ability of certain healthcare providers to administer immunizations in some states.

A recent CDC report showed kindergarten vaccination rates have not rebounded from the COVID-19 pandemic, and exemptions from school requirements reached an all-time high during the 2022-'23 school year. Another report found vaccine coverage for children by 2 years of age has been relatively stable, but disparities continue.

The 2024 version of the immunization schedule is available on the American Academy of Pediatrics website and the CDC website. A parent-friendly vaccine schedule for children and adolescents will be available early next year.

Anita Johnson-Brown updated this article.