Schedule for Adults

On February 6, CDC published the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Recommended Immunization Schedule for Adults Aged 19 Years or Older – United States, 2018. In October 2017, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to approve the recommended adult immunization schedule after an in-depth review of vaccine-related data, including data on disease epidemiology, vaccine efficacy and effectiveness, vaccine safety, feasibility of program implementation, and economic aspects of immunization policy.

Changes in the 2018 adult immunization schedule from the previous year’s schedule include new ACIP recommendations for the use of recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) for adults aged 50 years or older and the use of an additional dose of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (MMR) in a mumps outbreak setting. The recently released adult immunization schedule also contains information on general principles of adult immunization, including:

• considerations for special populations, such as pregnant women
• reference resources
• instructions for reporting adverse events associated with vaccinations and suspected cases of reportable vaccine-preventable diseases; and
• an ACIP-approved list of standardized abbreviations for vaccines recommended for adults.

Visit the CDC website to access the full PDF of the Recommended Immunization Schedule for Adults Aged 19 Years or Older, United States, 2018.

Schedule for 0 through 18 Years and Catch-Up Immunization

On February 6, CDC published an early MMWR release detailing the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Recommended Immunization Schedule for Children and Adolescents Aged 18 Years or Younger. The recommended birth through 18 years and catch-up immunization schedules have been approved by ACIP, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Changes in the 2018 immunization schedules for children and adolescents aged 18 years or younger include new or revised ACIP recommendations for poliovirus, influenza, and measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines, and clarification of the recommendations for rotavirus and pneumococcal vaccines. Additionally, It is important to note that changes were also made to other sections of the schedule including the cover page, several figures, and the footnotes.

Visit the CDC website to view the full PDF of the Recommended Immunization Schedule for Children and Adolescents Aged 18 Years or Younger, United States, 2018. Ordering instructions for laminated versions and easy-to-read versions for parents are available at the CDC Immunization Schedules website.

Communications Resources

• Easy-to-read schedules (in English and Spanish), vaccine quizzes, and schedulers, as well as other resources, can be found at:
  • Infants and children – https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/easy-to-read/child.html
  • Preteens and teens – https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/easy-to-read/preteen-teen.html
  • Adults – https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/easy-to-read/adult.html
  • Information about the new shingles recommendations and vaccine – https://www.cdc.gov/shingles/vaccination.html
  • https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/shingles/public/shingrix/index.html