Vaccines Schedules

Adults
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

(Page 3 of 4)

Approval of vaccine for meningococcal disease. In January 2005, the FDA licensed Menactra (MCV4) for people ages 11 years to 55 years. MCV4 is a meningococcal vaccine manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur of Swiftwater, Pa. The vaccine is not indicated for the treatment of meningococcal infections.

Meningococcal disease strikes up to 3,000 Americans, killing 300 people every year. The infection can present as meningitis or an overwhelming bloodstream infection. The disease often begins with symptoms that can be mistaken for flu or other common illnesses. But it progresses rapidly and can kill within hours. People at elevated risk include first-year college students living in dorms, military recruits, and travelers to areas with high meningococcal disease.

In May 2006, the ACIP recommended routine meningococcal vaccine for adolescents at 11 to 12 years of age. For those who have not previously received MCV4, the ACIP recommends vaccination at high school entry, for entering college students who plan to live in dorms, and for people at high risk for meningococcal disease.

MCV4 is given as a single injection, and the most common reaction is a sore arm.

In September 2005, the FDA and the CDC issued an alert on MCV4 and Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), a serious neurological disorder that can occur either spontaneously or after certain infections. The disorder typically involves increasing weakness in the legs and arms that can be severe and that can require hospitalization.

As of October 2006, 15 cases of GBS were reported in people ages 11 years to 19 years with onset within 6 weeks of vaccination with MCV4, according to the CDC. So far, the data suggest that there is no definitive link between the MCV4 vaccine and GBS, and there hadn't been any changes in vaccination recommendations as of October 2006. The FDA and the CDC continue to evaluate the cases. The ACIP has recommended that people with a history of GBS should not be vaccinated with MCV4.

For Adults

Adults ages 19 years and older should talk with their physicians about what vaccines they might need, says Larry Pickering, M.D., senior advisor to the director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease.

"Many young adults entering college are more susceptible to some infectious diseases because they live in dorms, which makes it easier for illness to spread," Pickering says. The CDC, the FDA, and state and local health departments investigated a mumps outbreak that began in Iowa in December 2005 and involved at least 10 other states. The first cases were detected on a college campus in eastern Iowa. In 2006, cases continued to be reported from college campuses. As a result of these outbreaks, a two-dose mumps vaccine regimen has been recommended.

"Adults should talk with their physicians about their risks for vaccine-preventable diseases, and the elderly population should be especially encouraged to get the flu-vaccine and pneumococcal vaccine," Pickering says. Some adults may need revaccination with the pneumococcal vaccine, which should be discussed with their physicians. Influenza, pneumococcus, tetanus, and shingles can be especially serious diseases for adults ages 65 years and older.

Most hospitalizations and deaths from the flu occur in people ages 65 years and older. Adults 65 years and older should get the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine, which protects against blood-borne pneumococcal disease. This illness can lead to serious infections of the lungs, the blood, and the covering of the brain.

All adults should receive the Td booster every 10 years throughout life to protect against these infections. Some adults should get the MMR vaccine and have all of their recommended vaccines reviewed regularly. According to the CDC, generally any persons born after 1956 should get at least one dose of MMR vaccine unless they can show that they have had either the vaccine or each of the three diseases.

"Adults also are at greater risk of complications from chickenpox than young children," Pickering says. "People without a reliable history of having the disease or a vaccine should get two doses of varicella vaccine."

If you have no idea of your vaccination record, your physician can help evaluate your vaccination status. In some cases, a blood test can indicate whether you have immunity to particular diseases. New vaccine developments for adults include:

More flu vaccines available. During an influenza vaccine shortage in the 2004-2005 flu season, the ACIP recommended that the vaccine be reserved for people in high- priority groups, including people ages 65 years and older. This year, it is estimated that 110 million to 115 million doses of flu vaccine will be available in the United States, which should be sufficient to meet the demand.

To further the availability of flu vaccine, the FDA recently licensed two more manufacturers to market flu vaccines in the United States. Fluarix, manufactured by a subsidiary of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Biologicals, protects people ages 18 years and older against influenza types A and B. FluLaval, another vaccine manufactured by ID Biomedical, also a subsidiary of GSK, is for people ages 18 years and older. Both vaccines contain inactivated or killed virus, and were approved using the FDA's accelerated approval pathway, which allows the agency to approve products for serious or life-threatening diseases based on early evidence of a product's effectiveness.

About the Author

www.fda.gov
FDA is A United States government body that oversees medical devices, including contact lenses, intraocular lenses, excimer lasers and eyedrops. In the US, these products must be approved by the FDA before they can be marketed.