The recommended CDC vaccinations are vaccinations that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend be received by all people in the United States, with some important exceptions. There are also some special vaccinations that are not among the regular CDC vaccination recommendations that may be needed by people in certain circumstances. Doctors usually keep up with the CDC recommendations so that they can provide the highest level of care to their patients.
Recommended CDC vaccinations include vaccinations against the following: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, seasonal flu, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, Haemophilus influenzae type B (HiB), pneumococcal disease, rotavirus, human papilloma virus (HPV), and meningococcal disease. These vaccines must be administered on a schedule and are often available in combination format so that people can be vaccinated for multiple things at once. Vaccination schedules start with babies and continue with boosters through adulthood.
There are some debates about vaccine schedules. The CDC vaccination recommendations include recommended schedules, but in individual cases, adjustments may be made. People who are sick should not receive vaccinations because their immune systems are compromised, for example, and thus it may be necessary to wait on a recommended vaccine. There are also certain contraindications for particular vaccines that may lead a doctor to drop a recommended vaccine for patient safety.
There are also CDC vaccinations for people in certain circumstances. College students are strongly encouraged to be vaccinated against things like meningococcal disease because the crowded environment at a college can increase the risk of exposure. Crowded environments are also present in locations like military barracks, and the military has a set of required vaccines that recruits and active duty members must receive for their own safety.
Recommendations for vaccinations are also published for people who plan to travel. One vaccine, the yellow fever vaccine, is required for travel to certain parts of Africa and South America. Other vaccines are strongly recommended for visitors to various countries. People planning a trip abroad should ask about CDC vaccinations for travel to make sure that they are fully vaccinated.
Keeping a complete record of all vaccinations received is important. Vaccine records usually indicate when a booster was due and provide information about the vaccine batch and lot number in case there is a problem with a vaccine. Patients may ask their doctors to keep a card on file in the office and copy the card for their own records along with a chart of CDC vaccinations so that they know when their next vaccines are coming up.
