General Recommendations for Vaccination and Immunoprophylaxis

Recommendations for immunisation are developed by the Advisory Committee on Immunisation Practices (ACIP), and these guidelines assist CDC in its role in the ongoing education of health-care providers and the public. To achieve optimal levels of protection against vaccine-preventable diseases, the recommendations are based on scientific evidence of benefits and risks, and, where there are little or no data, on expert opinion. The recommendations include information on general immunisation issues and the use of specific vaccines. When these recommendations are issued or revised, they are published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Repor.

Vaccinations against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, poliomyelitis, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type b, and pneumococcal invasive disease are routinely administered in the United States, usually in childhood. If travellers do not have a history of adequate protection against these diseases, immunisations appropriate to their age and previous immunisation status should be obtained, whether or not international travel is planned. The fact that a person is seeing a travel health provider or a primary provider for immunisations for travel should be a signal to take the opportunity and vaccinate where there are gaps in routine coverage.