WHO released new tables presenting recommendations for current routine immunization as well as interrupted and delayed vaccination. The announcement noted:
Every immunization programme in the world has a national vaccination schedule that specifies the age at which antigens are to be given. But as we well know, in real life things rarely go according to plan!
Inevitably, children and individuals come late for their vaccinations or for whatever reason, are unable to stick to the usual schedule. These irregular situations can be challenging to health workers who may not know what to do. If a child starts a vaccination series late, how many doses should be given? If a vaccination series is interrupted, does it need to be restarted or can it simply be resumed without repeating the last dose?
The Global Immunization Vision & Strategy 2006-2015 aims to protect more people by expanding beyond the traditional immunization target group. This includes those who may be “off schedule”. Regardless of when children and individuals come in contact with immunization services, it is important that their immunization status be checked and that they are provided with the vaccines they need or have missed.
To help guide national programmes, WHO has consolidated its recommendations for interrupted and delayed vaccination into one summary table:
http://www.who.int/immunization/newsroom/newsstory_recommendations_interrupted_delayed/en/index.html
In order to assist programme managers develop optimal immunization schedules WHO has compiled key information on its current routine immunization recommendations into three summary tables.
Table 1 – en français
– pdf, 206kb
Table 2 – en français
– pdf, 187kb
– A User’s Guide to the Summary Tables
pdf, 998kb
Table 1 summarizes recommended routine immunizations for all age groups – children, adolescents, and adults. As such, it provides an overview of vaccine recommendations across the lifespan, including both primary series and booster doses.
Table 2 provides detailed information for routine immunizations for children, including age at first dose and intervals. It reiterates recommendations on the primary series and booster doses.
In Table 3, WHO has consolidated its recommendations for interrupted and delayed vaccination. These irregular situations can be challenging to health workers who may not know what to do.
It is important to note that these recommendations are only a compilation of existing WHO routine immunization recommendations in a new format. All the recommendations come from WHO Position Papers that are published in the Weekly Epidemiological Record. The tables are updated as soon as any new WHO recommendation is published.
The tables are designed for use by national immunization managers and key decision-makers, chairs and members of national advisory committees on immunization, and partner organizations, including industry.
The tables are not intended for direct use by health workers. Rather their purpose is to aid technical decisions with respect to the national vaccination schedule.
By consolidating its many recommendations into summary tables, WHO hopes to provide easy access to its policy advice and support national immunization programmes to critically examine, and possibly modify, their schedules.
It is hoped that the tables will prove useful in highlighting disparities among countries and in bringing awareness to recommendations that do not get followed. Several countries are appropriately providing additional vaccine antigens, but they lag behind in providing the adequate number of doses or booster doses for traditional vaccines and give little consideration to older age groups. These tables can serve as a driving force and reference tool to help review and improve schedules in keeping with the Global Immunization Vision and Strategy (GIVS), which promotes immunizing more persons across wider age groups.
WHO would like to receive feedback on the content and format of these tables.
http://www.who.int/immunization/policy/immunization_tables/en/index.html
vaccines and global health :: ethics and policy 