The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a committee within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), recently issued recommended updates to adult immunization schedules.

As an American College of Physicians (ACP) news release notes, noteworthy ACIP recommendations included the following:

• Raise the upper age for catch-up vaccination against HPV in men to age 26 years, which would mirror the recommendation for women.

• Patients 27-45 years of age should discuss receiving the HPV vaccine with their doctors.

• Administer the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) "based on shared clinical decision making" in adults 65 years or older who do not have an immunocompromising condition and who have not previously received PCV13.

• Maintain that adults 65 years or older receive a dose of the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23).

Recommendations also touched on the influenza, hepatitis B and hepatitis A vaccines, among others. View all of the recommendations approved at ACIP's June 2019 meeting here. View the 2019 recommended adult immunization schedule in the Annals of Internal Medicine here.

The recommendations must be reviewed and approved by the CDC director, with the final recommendation published in an upcoming Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

August is National Immunization Awareness Month. In its news release, ACP reminds people that vaccinations are not just for children. ACP President Dr. Robert McLean is quoted as saying, "Many adults are not aware that they need vaccines throughout their lives and so have not received recommended vaccinations. Adults should get a seasonal flu shot and internists should use that opportunity to make sure their patients are up to date on the latest recommended immunizations."