Each beginning of the year, the Vaccine Advisory Committee of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics updates its vaccination recommendations, in childhood and adolescence. The post has just been published Vaccination calendar for 2013, with some news regarding 2012.
It is based on the reviews of vaccines that appeared in the most recent scientific studies and the changes in the way in which diseases that can be avoided with these medications are presented.
As you know, in Spain there is a vaccination schedule for each autonomous community. Although it has been requested for some time, there is no single calendar for the entire territory.
In the scheme you will see three different colors that correspond to the systematic vaccines, which are part of all Spanish regional calendars, except for the pneumococcus, which is only integrated in the Galicia and the Basque Country, the recommended vaccines those that should all receive but are less important than the previous ones and the vaccines for risk groups for children who suffer from some diseases or who are at special risk, such as the flu vaccine or hepatitis A.
Recommended changes for 2013:
The first doses of triple viral vaccines (TV) and chickenpox are recommended at 12 months of age. In varicella vaccine it is considered acceptable between 12 and 15 months, but not in the viral triple, which is recommended at 12 months.
Second doses of TV and chickenpox vaccines are recommended between 2 and 3 years of age, preferably for 2 years.
If epidemiological circumstances require it, a booster dose against meningococcus C is recommended for those children who have received only the primary series in the first year of life, without reinforcement after 12 months of age.
The combined low antigen load vaccine against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (Tdpa) is recommended at 4-6 years of age, but necessarily followed by another dose of Tdpa at 11-14 years, with preference to 11-12 years.
