- 2025 U.S. recommended immunization schedules published in MMWR with articles describing changes
- CDC issues Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory: “Accelerated Subtyping of Influenza A in Hospitalized Patients”
- Immunize.org updates its "Standing Orders for Administering Hepatitis B Vaccine to Children and Teens" template
- Immunize.org updates its resource "Don't Be Guilty of These Preventable Errors in Vaccine Storage and Handling!"
- Immunize.org updates its "Notification of Immunization Letter Template"
- Influenza activity remains elevated across the country; it's not too late to vaccinate
- Immunize.org revises "Supplies You May Need at an Immunization Clinic"
- “How Is RSV Preventive Antibody Different from an RSV Vaccine?” Watch the 2-minute answer, part of the Ask the Experts Video Series on YouTube.
- IZ Express keeps 52,000+ readers up to date on what’s new in vaccines each week; invite your colleagues to subscribe!
- Vaccines in the news
- Now shipping! Order laminated 2025 U.S. immunization schedule booklets from Immunize.org.
- Visit St. Jude’s HPV Cancer Prevention Program for resources for Cervical Cancer Awareness Month and beyond
- Immunize Kansas Coalition offers HPV education module to help increase HPV vaccination rates; CE credit available
- National Foundation for Infectious Diseases shares its “U.S. Vaccine Uptake Dashboard” mapping attitudes, behaviors, and barriers to vaccination against respiratory diseases
- Voices for Vaccines releases podcast featuring Paul Offit, MD, on the role of school vaccine requirements in protecting children
- CHOP and Pennsylvania pediatricians offer online modules on vaccine communication; CE credit available
- Moderna offers "Healthy Discussions" simulation to aid healthcare professionals in discussing COVID-19 vaccines with patients
On January 16, CDC published two articles in MMWR highlighting the differences between the 2024 and 2025 recommended immunization schedules:
- Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Recommended Immunization Schedule for Children and Adolescents Aged 18 Years or Younger—United States, 2025
- Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Recommended Immunization Schedule for Adults Aged 19 Years or Older—United States, 2025
The 2025 schedules were originally posted online and available for free download in November 2024 on the CDC Immunization Schedules for Healthcare Providers main page. Immunize.org offers laminated booklet versions of the 2025 schedules for sale in its online shop.
The updated schedules for children and adolescents reflect more than a dozen changes to guidance made by ACIP during 2024, including:- Adoption of the new Bexsero (GSK) dosing regimens, matching Trumenba (Pfizer) for MenB
- Supplemental doses of COVID-19 vaccine for people with moderate or severe immunocompromise
- Timing for nirsevimab (Beyfortus, Sanofi) or maternal RSV vaccine (Abrysvo, Pfizer)
Access the full-color, 17-page PDF of the child/adolescent schedule.
The 2025 schedules for adults reflect multiple changes to guidance, including:
- Revisions to the pneumococcal row for PCV21 and routine PCV use at age 50
- Addition of a polio vaccine row for adults known or suspected of being unimmunized
- Revisions to the RSV row specifying routine use at age 75 or older and risk-based use age 60 through 74
- Supplemental doses of COVID-19 vaccine for people age 65 or older and those with moderate or severe immunocompromise
Access the full-color, 15-page PDF of the adult schedule.
Related Links
- CDC: Immunization Schedule-Related Resources for Healthcare Providers main page
- CDC: Vaccine Schedules for You and Your Family main page, includes links related to vaccination during childhood/adolescence, adulthood, and pregnancy
- CDC: Vaccines & Immunizations: Education and Training main page
On January 16, CDC issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory: Accelerated Subtyping of Influenza A in Hospitalized Patients. CDC issued this notice due to sporadic human infections with avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses amid high levels of seasonal influenza activity. A portion of the summary of the HAN appears below.
Clinicians and laboratorians are reminded to test for influenza in patients with suspected influenza and, going forward, to now expedite the subtyping of influenza A-positive specimens from hospitalized patients, particularly those in an intensive care unit (ICU). This approach can help prevent delays in identifying human infections with avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses, supporting optimal patient care and timely infection control and case investigation.
CDC recommends a shortened timeline for subtyping all influenza A specimens among hospitalized patients and increasing efforts at clinical laboratories to identify nonseasonal influenza.
Related Links
- CDC: Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) main page
- Immunize.org: Vaccines A–Z: Influenza main page
Immunize.org made minor updates to its Standing Orders for Administering Hepatitis B Vaccine to Children and Teens template. All hyperlinks were reviewed and updated as needed, and a note was added to reinforce that teens age 18 years and older who received 2 doses of Heplisav-B at least 4 weeks apart do not need a third dose.
Related Links
- Immunize.org: Clinical Resources: Standing Orders Templates main page
- Immunize.org: Clinical Resources: Hepatitis B main page
- Immunize.org: Clinical Resources A–Z main page, where you can filter by topic, vaccine, language, or other criteria
Immunize.org edited its Don't Be Guilty of These Preventable Errors in Vaccine Storage and Handling! resource. Updates now indicate that COVID-19 content is now blended into the CDC's main vaccine storage toolkit. Additionally, two new bullets were created to encourage:
- Checking for NSF/ANSI 456 certification indicating compliance with voluntary standards of quality performance when purchasing new vaccine storage units
- Use of digital data loggers for temperature monitoring, which is required for Vaccines for Children (VFC) vaccines
Related Links
- Immunize.org: Clinical Resources: Storage and Handling main page
- Immunize.org: Clinical Resources A–Z main page, where you can filter by topic, vaccine, language, or other criteria
Immunize.org updated its Notification of Immunization Letter Template, removing PreHevbrio from the list of possible immunizations given. VBI Vaccines withdrew PreHevbrio from the U.S. market in fall 2024 for business reasons.
Related Links
- Immunize.org: Clinical Resources: Documenting Vaccination main page
- Immunize.org: Clinical Resources A–Z main page, where you can filter by topic, vaccine, language, or other criteria
For week 2, ending January 11, CDC’s Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report, FluView, showed influenza-like illness activity at high to very high levels in 35 jurisdictions. This week, 5.4% of outpatient visits were for influenza-like illness, well above the epidemic threshold of 3.0% for the seventh consecutive week. Eleven pediatric deaths associated with seasonal influenza virus infection were reported this week, bringing the 2024–25 season total to 27 pediatric deaths.
RESP-NET
Visit the CDC Respiratory Virus Hospitalization Surveillance Network (RESP-NET) for weekly reports of hospitalizations due to three vaccine-preventable seasonal respiratory viruses: COVID-19, influenza, and RSV.
Influenza Vaccination Dashboard
CDC's Weekly Flu Vaccination Dashboard shows that, as of January 4, 36.2% of pregnant patients had received influenza vaccination, the same rate as this time in 2024. Vaccination coverage was highest among non-Hispanic Asian pregnant patients (51.6%) and lowest among non-Hispanic Black pregnant patients (24.5%). Vaccination coverage during pregnancy decreased between 2019–20 and 2023–24 overall and in all race and ethnicity groups. Vaccination during pregnancy helps protect both mother and infant from the consequences of influenza infection.
CDC recommends everyone age 6 months and older get annual influenza vaccination. Influenza and other vaccines (e.g., COVID-19 vaccine, RSV vaccine) may be given at the same visit, if needed. Infants age 6 months and older may receive influenza and COVID-19 vaccines at the same visit when they receive nirsevimab (Beyfortus, Sanofi).
Identify pharmacies in your area that may offer influenza and COVID-19 vaccines by entering a zip code in the VaccineFinder on Vaccines.gov or Vacunas.gov.
Related Links
- CDC: Weekly National Flu Vaccination Dashboard main page
- CDC: FluView main page
- CDC: RESP-NET main page
- Immunize.org: free clinical resources and patient handouts related to influenza
- Immunize.org: Vaccines A–Z: Influenza main page
Immunize.org updated the URLs in its resource, Supplies You May Need at an Immunization Clinic.
Related Links
- Immunize.org: Clinical Resources: Administering Vaccines main page
- Immunize.org: Clinical Resources A–Z main page, where you can filter by topic, vaccine, language, or other criteria
“How Is RSV Preventive Antibody Different from an RSV Vaccine?” Watch the 2-minute answer, part of the Ask the Experts Video Series on YouTube.
This week, our featured episode from the Ask the Experts Video Series is How Is RSV Preventive Antibody Different from an RSV Vaccine? The video describes how antigens in vaccines activate the immune system. The resulting immune response induces antibody production. In contrast, monoclonal antibodies give the recipient direct, immediate protection through passive immunization.
The 2-minute video is available on our YouTube channel, along with our full collection of quick video answers to popular Ask the Experts questions.
Like, follow, and share Immunize.org’s social media accounts and encourage colleagues and others interested in vaccination to do likewise.
- Facebook at ImmunizeOrg
- Instagram at ImmunizeOrg
- LinkedIn at ImmunizeOrg
- YouTube at ImmunizeOrg
Encourage your coworkers to subscribe to IZ Express so they get all the news that matters to vaccinators in their own inbox each Wednesday. It’s free! IZ Express, the weekly e-newsletter produced by Immunize.org, alerts 52,000+ readers to the week’s important vaccine developments. IZ Express also features:
- Educational materials from Immunize.org, CDC, AAP, and others
- Newly posted VISs and their translations
- Notices about online and in-person educational opportunities, many offering free continuing education credit
We appreciate you as a subscriber! Thank you for helping us get the latest vaccine news to every clinical and public health professional who needs to know.
These recent articles convey the potential risks of vaccine-preventable diseases and the importance of vaccination.
- Annals of Internal Medicine: Letter from the American College of Physicians to the U.S. Presidential Transition Team (1/14/25)
- New York Times: Even Adults May Soon Be Vulnerable to ‘Childhood’ Diseases (1/13/25)
- Washington Post: My Mother Had Polio. We Thought It Was Gone for Good. (1/13/25)
- New York Times: Don’t Call Kennedy a Vaccine Skeptic. Call Him What He Is: A Cynic. (commentary) (1/13/25)
- New York Times: Falling Child Vaccination Rates (1/13/25)
- New York Times: How Lagging Vaccination Could Lead to a Polio Resurgence (1/13/25)
Today, we turn the spotlight on WHO and FDA immunization-related resources, which are located under the Official Guidance menu tab atop each page.
Selecting the WHO option under Official Guidance leads you to the World Health Organization page, which links to current vaccine-specific and general position papers. Also included are links to the Bulletin of the World Health Organization and Weekly Epidemiological Record.
Find direct links to vaccine package inserts and related content under Official Guidance. Click FDA, then click FDA Package Inserts & EUAs. Use the Vaccine or Disease Name filter to narrow results.
Package inserts can also be accessed from their respective Vaccines A–Z page. For example, package inserts for both PCV and PPSV vaccines are included on Pneumococcal Vaccine. View the right menu on this page and click on FDA Package Inserts & EUAs to jump directly to their location.
Laminated booklets of the 2025 U.S. child and adolescent immunization schedule and the 2025 U.S. adult immunization schedule are available now in the Immunize.org shop. The laminated booklets are shipping now.
The schedules are available online as PDFs from CDC at no cost. Immunize.org’s laminated booklets are ideal for use in any busy healthcare setting where vaccines are given. Features include:
- Durability: Their tough coating can be wiped down, and they can stand up to a year's worth of use.
- Format: Each schedule is produced in an 8.5” X 11” booklet format; with color coding for easy reading, our laminated schedules replicate the original CDC formatting, including all tables and notes. The adult schedule is 16 pages and the child and adolescent schedule is 20 pages.
- Easy access to CDC updates: The CDC online schedule includes an addendum page that will display ACIP’s new recommendations as CDC adopts them during 2025. Each Immunize.org laminated schedule addendum page includes QR codes you can scan to view or print the online addendum page as it is revised.
- Bonus content: Both schedules include a bonus page with Immunize.org’s popular 1-page handout summarizing the dose, route, and needle size recommendations for all vaccines and recipients.
Pricing:
Shop Immunize.org: Laminated Schedules web page to view images and preorder today!
For additional information, call 651-647-9009 or email admininfo@immunize.org.
Related Links
- Immunize.org: Laminated Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedules (0–18 years) web page
- Immunize.org: Laminated Adult Immunization Schedules (19 and older) web page
- Immunize.org: Shop Immunize.org main page
Visit St. Jude’s HPV Cancer Prevention Program for resources for Cervical Cancer Awareness Month and beyond
The St. Jude HPV Cancer Prevention Program website identifies opportunities for increasing HPV vaccination. You will find a wide range of HPV- and HPV-vaccine-related resources.
Visit St. Jude HPV Prevention Program to view the resources.
Immunize Kansas Coalition offers HPV education module to help increase HPV vaccination rates; CE credit available
Immunize Kansas Coalition's (IKC) updated and accredited its Shutting the Door on HPV Cancers module, available at no cost. The module’s development team included Immunize.org’s Sharon G. Humiston, MD, MPH. During Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, IKC will focus on increasing HPV vaccination rates, emphasizing the vaccine's proven protection against cervical precancers and cancers.
This is a 0.5-hour continuing education (CE) activity. CE is available at no cost to physicians, pharmacists, physician assistants, nurses, and nurse practitioners.
View the education module.
See all of IKC's education modules.
National Foundation for Infectious Diseases shares its “U.S. Vaccine Uptake Dashboard” mapping attitudes, behaviors, and barriers to vaccination against respiratory diseases
The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) and partners created the U.S. Vaccine Update Dashboard. This tool aims to improve adult vaccine uptake by tracking motivation and access barriers to vaccination against COVID-19, influenza, RSV, and pneumococcal disease. Users can view health data at the state, county, and zip code levels and compare geographies based on intent to get vaccinated.
Request access to the dashboard.
Voices for Vaccines (VFV) posted a new entry in its Vax Talk podcast series: Vaccines Are Required for School featuring Paul Offit, MD. A description from the VFV web page appears below.
The conversation delves into pivotal moments in vaccine policy history, from the early days of state mandates to modern challenges facing public health measures. Dr. Offit recalls his firsthand experience with Philadelphia’s devastating 1991 measles outbreak and discusses how the 2014 Disneyland outbreak led to significant policy changes in California. The discussion tackles complex issues around religious and philosophical exemptions, the impact on vulnerable populations, and growing concerns about vaccine hesitancy in the post-COVID era.
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) Vaccine Education Center (VEC), the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and partners developed four free web-based, interactive learning modules related to vaccines. Several modules offer CME and CNE credit. The project’s development team included Immunize.org’s Sharon G. Humiston, MD, MPH.
Moderna developed a web-based simulation game called Healthy Discussions to help healthcare professionals hold stronger COVID-19 vaccination conversations with their patients. The game shows how to incorporate data around personal risk, use presumptive language, and frame dialogue for responding to patient concerns. Each scenario in the game takes no more than 5 minutes.
Other than a disclaimer stating "brought to you by Moderna," there is no mention of specific products or manufacturers.
View Healthy Discussions.
In the January 10 issue, Pediatrics published Invalid Vaccine Doses Among Children Aged 0 to 35 Months: 2011 to 2020. The Results section appears below.
[Among 161,187 children, 15.4%] had an invalid vaccine dose. Of children with a minimum age or minimum interval invalid dose, 44.9% . . . received extra doses and completed the series. The highest prevalence of invalid doses was for 3-dose rotavirus (n = 5733, 4.4%), with the first dose being administered after the maximum age (n = 3996, 3.1%). Overall, the percentage of children with an invalid dose decreased from 2011 (16.9%) to 2020 (12.5%). Children who moved across state lines vs not . . . had higher odds of an invalid vaccine dose.
To learn simple tips and tricks for using our website efficiently, please register for our next set of Website Office Hours on Wednesday, February 12 at 4:00 p.m. (ET) or Thursday, February 13 at 12:00 p.m. (ET). The same content will be covered in both sessions.
We will open each 45-minute session with a short, live demonstration on navigating the Official Guidance (part 2: state resources) website section and address questions submitted in advance. This section is extremely useful for those who want to know about state immunization requirements for school and childcare. You can submit questions when you register or live on Zoom during the session.
Register today for Immunize.org Website Office Hours (content is the same for both):
Mark your calendar for future Immunize.org Website Office Hours.
For more upcoming events, visit our Calendar of Events.
About IZ Express
IZ Express is supported in part by Grant No. NH23IP922654 from CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. Its contents are solely the responsibility of Immunize.org and do not necessarily represent the official views of CDC.
IZ Express Disclaimer
ISSN 2771-8085
Editorial Information
-
Editor-in-ChiefKelly L. Moore, MD, MPH
-
Managing EditorJohn D. Grabenstein, RPh, PhD
-
Associate EditorSharon G. Humiston, MD, MPH
-
Writer/Publication CoordinatorTaryn Chapman, MS
Courtnay Londo, MA -
Style and Copy EditorMarian Deegan, JD
-
Web Edition ManagersArkady Shakhnovich
Jermaine Royes -
Contributing WriterLaurel H. Wood, MPA
-
Technical ReviewerKayla Ohlde