New Vaccines For HPV, Meningitis Recommended For Kids And Adults

New vaccines for meningococcal type B and HPV and are among the updates to the immunization schedule published for children and adults.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, known as ACIP, makes the updates every year. ACIP is a part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A number of medical groups, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Family Physicians, have endorsed the new schedules.

One of the biggest changes this year is a new recommendation for MenB, a vaccine that protects against meningococcal serotype B infections, said Dr. Candice Robinson, a member of the childhood and adolescent working group for the ACIP.

Meningococcal serotype B infections are responsible for about one-third of U.S. cases of meningitis, an infection that attacks the lining of the brain and spinal cord. It is fatal in 10% to 14% of cases and can lead to permanent disability, including hearing loss and loss of limbs. 

"Parents need to know about it. ... It strikes quickly, it's unforgiving and it's often deadly," said Dr. Sandra Fryhofer, the American College of Physicians liaison to the ACIP. Parents and young adults should talk with their doctor about whether they should get the vaccine, she added.

For the first time, the schedule includes advice about MenB vaccination even for those who are not at high risk of disease. It applies to certain groups of young people, generally 16 to 23, who might face elevated risk because they will be moving into college dormitories or military barracks.

The immunization schedule recommends one of the new MenB vaccines, Bexsero or Trumenba, for anyone older than 10 who is at increased risk of developing serious meningococcal disease, such as those with sickle cell disease or other conditions that damage the spleen and those with immune problems that could affect their ability to fight off the meningitidis bacteria.

"Providers should discuss with the family the circumstances for that individual child," Robinson said.

Last year's recommendation that all children and adults at elevated risk receive the MenACWY vaccine still stands.

"Getting one does not mean they don't need the other," Robinson said.