American Academy of Pediatrics Issues 2020 Immunization Schedule for Children and Teens

The American Academy of Pediatrics has released a policy statement to describe the recommended 2020 immunization schedule for children and adolescents for the best protection against disease. The statement, “Recommended Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedules: United States, 2020,” will be published in the March 2020 issue of Pediatrics (published online Feb. 4). The schedule is updated annually and outlines the timetable for administering vaccinations during stages of a child’s development that have proven to be safe and effective at preventing specific diseases. The schedules include recommended vaccines from birth through age 18 years, as well as a catch-up immunization schedule for those ages 4 months through 18 years who start late or are more than one month behind the recommended age for vaccine administration. The 2020 recommendations provide additional guidance regarding adolescent revaccination of children who received the meningococcal serogroup ACWY vaccine. The Tdap vaccine was added as an option for booster doses and remaining doses of the catchup series. Guidance also was added for DTaP and Tdap doses received at 7-10 years of age, including that children age 10 years who receive Tdap do not need to receive the routine Tdap dose at age 11-12 years. The immunization schedules are approved annually by the AAP, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.