Consensus recommendations on immunization, 2008.

JUSTIFICATION

There is a need to formulate recommendations regarding use of new vaccines which have become recently available/will soon be available and to review/revise recommendations about existing vaccines in light of recent information.

PROCESS

Following an IAPCOI meeting in March 2008, a draft statement was prepared and circulated among the meeting participants to arrive at a consensus.

OBJECTIVES

To formulate recommendations pertaining to use of Tdap, human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccines and rotavirus vaccines and to revise recommendations pertaining to use of pneumococcal and inactivated poliovirus vaccines (IPV). These recommendations are primarily for pediatricians in office practice.

RECOMMENDATIONS

IAP COI recommends (i) offering Tdap vaccine instead of Td/TT vaccine to all children/ adolescents who can afford to use the vaccine at the age of 10-12 yrs; (ii) offering HPV vaccine to all females who can afford the vaccine at the age of 10-12 years; (iii) offering both seven valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV 7) and 23 valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV 23) in all high risk children who can afford the vaccine; (iv) offering IPV in addition to oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) in all children who can afford the vaccine at the age of 6, 10, 14 weeks and a booster at 15-18 months; (v) the use of oral rotavirus vaccines after one-to-one discussion with parents beginning age 6 weeks; and (iv) the use of PCV 7 in healthy children aged below 2 years after one-to-one discussion with parents at the age of 6, 10, 14 weeks and booster at 15-18 months.