CDC’s adult immunization schedule for 2024, which was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine on January 12, 2024, includes updates for several vaccines, including those for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), meningitis, mpox, and COVID-19. The immunization schedule is based on the recommendations of CDC’s ACIP.
Specifically, the changes from the previous iteration include the removal of the bivalent mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines, which are no longer recommended. Current mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines are monovalent.
Also removed from the guidance are all mentions of meningococcal serogroups A, C, W, Y polysaccharide diphtheria toxoid conjugate vaccine (Menactra), which is no longer distributed in the United States. While Menactra, or MenACWY-D, is out, pentavalent meningococcal vaccine, or MenACWY-TT/MenB-FHbp (Penbraya), is now included.
Among other changes, the schedule has been revised to now include modified Vaccinia Ankara vaccine (Jynneos) for protection against mpox.
Additionally, clarifications have been added regarding recommendations for the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine; hepatitis A and B vaccines; HPV vaccine; and tetanus, diptheria, and pertussis vaccine.
The full ACIP recommendations for each vaccine are available at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/acip-recs/index.html.
In October 2023, ACIP voted to approve the adult immunization schedule.
In an accompanying editorial, Scott Ratzan, MD, and other members of the Council for Quality Health Communication cited the recent CDC alert for health care providers with an “urgent need to increase immunization coverage for influenza, COVID-19, and RSV.”
In the editorial, they criticized CDC's complex written and visual presentation of the recommendations.
"The Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule article and recent CDC alert on seasonal flu, COVID-19, and RSV vaccination shortfalls are the latest warning signs that the CDC needs to upgrade its health communication capability now,” they wrote. “Our nation's health and security depend on it.”