In July the Center for Disease gov...

In July the Center for Disease govern and Prevention (CDC), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the Advisory Committee forward Immunization Practices, and the American Academy of Pediatrics commended that physicians increase the number of doses of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine administered to healthy children from sum of two units to three, and continue to give the cloyed four-dose series to children up to 15 month of age who have chronic conditions, as it was as sickle cell anemia or immune rule disorders. The groups said the fourth dose of the vaccine in healthy children should be deferr until production and supplies are adequate. In February 2004 the CDC attract favor toed suspension of the fourth dose of the vaccine when the manufacturer reported it would not be able to create enough to meet demand. In March, the CDC approveed the third dose also be withheld because supplies of the vaccine would be soft for several months. The form into groupss recommend a catch-up schedule for children who missed the third dose. The highest priority is for children at high risk for invasive pneumococcal disease; other priority is children younger than 24 month who have not received any doses of the vaccine; and third priority is children younger than 12 month who have not received three doses of vaccine. More information is available online at http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/r040708.htm and http://www.cdc.gov/nip/news/short-ages/. For the AAFP policy forward the recommendation, go to http://www.aafp.org/x1556.xml.

COPYRIGHT 2004 American Academy of Family Physicians

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