developments per year (2023)

first vaccines

Edward Jenner was the first to scientifically prove a method of protection against smallpox. He conducted his study in 1796, and although he didn't invent the method, he is often considered the father of vaccines for his scientific approach that proved the method worked.

The method Jenner tried was to take material from the bladder of a person infected with cowpox and inoculate it into the skin of another person; this was called arm-to-arm vaccination. However, by the late 1940s, scientific knowledge had advanced enough to allow large-scale vaccine production and disease control efforts to begin in earnest.

The following routinely recommended vaccines were developed in the early 20th century. These included vaccines that protected against whooping cough (1914), diphtheria (1926) and tetanus (1938). These three vaccines were combined in 1948 and administered as the DTP vaccine.

Late 1940's | recommended vaccines

smallpox
Diphtheria*
Tetanus*
Pertussis*
* Indicated in combination with DTP

The vaccine everyone has been waiting for: the polio vaccine

Parents were afraid of the polio epidemics that hit every summer; They kept their children out of swimming pools, sent them to live with relatives in the countryside, and called for understanding about the spread of polio. They were waiting for a vaccine, closely monitoring vaccine trials, and sending dimes to the White House for help. When the polio vaccine was approved in 1955, the country celebrated and Jonas Salk, its inventor, became an overnight hero.

Late 1950's | recommended vaccines

smallpox
Diphtheria*
Tetanus*
Pertussis*
Poliomyelitis (IPV)
* Indicated in combination with DTP

Other vaccines followed in the 1960s: measles, mumps and rubella.

The measles vaccine was developed in 1963, and by the late 1960s, vaccines were also available that protect against mumps (1967) and rubella (1969). These three vaccines were combined to form the MMR vaccine.Dr Maurício Hilleman1971.

Late 1960's | recommended vaccines

smallpox
Diphtheria*
Tetanus*
Pertussis*
poliomyelitis (OPV)
measles
Mumps
rubella
* Indicated in combination with DTP

1970s: The success of the vaccine

One vaccine was phased out in the 1970s. Due to the success of eradication efforts, the smallpox vaccine was no longer recommended after 1972. Although vaccine research continued, no new vaccines were introduced in the 1970s.

Late 1970's | recommended vaccines

Diphtheria*
Tetanus*
Pertussis*
poliomyelitis (OPV)
Measles**
Mumps**
Rubella**
* Indicated in combination with DTP
** Indicated in combination with MMR

Vaccine development in the 1980s: hepatitis B andHaemophilus influenzaetype b

the vaccine forHaemophilus influenzaeType B was approved in 1985 and added to the recommended schedule in 1989. When the schedule was republished in 1994, the hepatitis B vaccine was added.

The hepatitis B vaccine was not new, having been approved in 1981 and recommended for high-risk groups such as infants whose mothers tested positive for hepatitis B surface antigen, healthcare professionals, intravenous drug users, gay men and people with multiple sexual partners. However, immunization of these groups was not effective in interrupting transmission of the hepatitis B virus. This is because about one third of patients with acute illness did not belong to recognizable risk groups. The 1991 change in the recommendation to vaccinate all children was the result of these failed attempts to control hepatitis B by vaccinating only high-risk groups. Following this recommendation, hepatitis B in children under age 18 has been virtually eliminated in the United States.

1985 - 1994 | recommended vaccines

Diphtheria*
Tetanus*
Pertussis*
Measles**
Mumps**
Rubella**
poliomyelitis (OPV)
ola

1994 - 1995 | recommended vaccines

Diphtheria*
Tetanus*
Pertussis*
Measles**
Mumps**
Rubella**
poliomyelitis (OPV)
ola
Hepatitis B
* Indicated in combination with DTP
** Indicated in combination with MMR

Annual Immunization Schedule Updates – 1995 to 2010

As more vaccines became available, it was important to update the schedule annually because providers needed to be aware of changes such as the use of combination vaccines. New vaccines were also added.

The main time changes between 1995 and 2010 were:

• New vaccines: chickenpox (chickenpox - 1996), rotavirus (1998-1999; 2006, 2008); hepatitis A (2000); Pneumococcal Vaccine (2001)
• Additional recommendations for existing vaccines: Influenza (2002); Hepatitis A (2006)
• New versions of existing vaccines: acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP, 1997); intranasal flu (2004)
• Vaccine Discontinuation: Oral Polio Vaccination (2000)

2000 | recommended vaccines

Diphtheria*
Tetanus*
Pertussis*
Measles**
Mumps**
Rubella**
Poliomyelitis (IPV)
ola
Hepatitis B
chickenpox
Hepatitis A

2005 | recommended vaccines

Diphtheria*
Tetanus*
Pertussis*
Measles**
Mumps**
Rubella**
Poliomyelitis (IPV)
ola
Hepatitis B
chickenpox
Hepatitis A
pneumococcus
Gripe

2010 | recommended vaccines

Diphtheria*
Tetanus*
Pertussis*
Measles**
Mumps**
Rubella**
Poliomyelitis (IPV)
ola
Hepatitis B
chickenpox
Hepatitis A
pneumococcus
Gripe
rotavirus
* In combination indicated as DTaP
** Indicated in combination with MMR

The 2011 calendar so far

The annual updates to the immunization schedules for adults and children provide guidance to healthcare professionals in the form of new recommendations, changes to existing recommendations, or clarification to help interpret the immunization schedule in specific circumstances. Calendars are reviewed by expert committees from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Major changes to the schedule:

• New Vaccines: Meningococcal Serogroup B Vaccine (2014)
• Additional recommendations for existing vaccines: HPV (2011 for routine vaccination of men), intranasal influenza vaccination (recommended in 2018)
• Vaccination discontinuation: intranasal influenza vaccination (2016)

2020 | recommended vaccines

Diphtheria*
Tetanus*
Pertussis*
Measles**
Mumps**
Rubella**
Poliomyelitis (IPV)
ola
Hepatitis B
chickenpox
Hepatitis A
pneumococcus
Gripe
rotavirus
* In combination indicated as DTaP
** Indicated in combination with MMR

combination vaccines

In the early 1950s, four vaccines were available: diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, and smallpox. As three of these vaccines were combined in a single dose (DTP), children up to 2 years of age received five vaccines and no more than one vaccine at a single visit.

By the mid-1980s, seven vaccines were available: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, and polio. Because six of these vaccines were combined in two injections (DTP and MMR) and one, the polio vaccine, was administered orally, children up to 2 years of age received five injections and no more than one in a single visit.

Since the mid-1980s, many vaccines have been added to the schedule. The result is that the immunization schedule has become more complicated than it used to be, and children receive many more vaccines than before (seevaccine safetyfor answers to the questions: "Are vaccines safe?"; "Do vaccines weaken the immune system?" and more). Children as young as 2 years old can now receive up to 27 injections and up to six injections in a single visit. However, just as the DTaP and MMR vaccines were combined, new combinations are being developed to reduce the number of vaccinations. The following vaccine combinations used in different age groups of children are now available:

• Diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis
• Diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis, and inactivated poliomyelitis
• Diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis, inactivated polio and hepatitis B
• Diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis, inactivated poliomyelitis andHaemophilus influenzaetype b
• diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis, inactivated poliomyelitis,Haemophilus influenzaetype B and hepatitis B
• Measles, mumps and rubella
• measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox
• Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B (only for people over 18)

Adolescent vaccines: a new generation of vaccines

Teenagers, like adults, were recommended to get a tetanus shot every 10 years; most needed their first booster by age 11. Other than that, however, most teens don't require additional immunizations unless they missed one in childhood. Until 2005, vaccines specifically recommended for adolescents were only recommended for subgroups based on where they lived or their medical conditions. However, at the end of the decade, a new group of vaccines became available.

• New vaccines: Tdap, 2005, meningococcal conjugate (2005), HPV (2006 female, 2009 male), serogroup B meningococcal vaccine (2014)
• Additional recommendations for existing vaccines: HPV (2011 for routine vaccination of men), intranasal influenza vaccination (recommended in 2018)
• New versions of existing vaccines: HPV (protection against 9 types, 2015)
• Vaccination discontinuation: intranasal influenza vaccination (2016)

2000

recommended vaccines
Td

update yourself
MMR
Hepatitis B
chickenpox

subgroups
Hepatitis A

2005

recommended vaccines
tdap

update yourself
MMR
Hepatitis B
chickenpox

subgroups
Hepatitis A
pneumococcus
Gripe

2010

recommended vaccines
tdap
HPV
Meningococcal Conjugate (Serogroups A, C, W, Y)
Gripe

update yourself
MMR
Hepatitis B
chickenpox
Polio

subgroups
Hepatitis A
pneumococcus

2020

recommended vaccines
tdap
HPV
Meningococcal Conjugate (Serogroups A, C, W, Y)
Gripe
Serogroup B meningococcus

update yourself
MMR
Hepatitis B
chickenpox
Polio

subgroups
Hepatitis A
pneumococcus

Adult vaccines: more opportunities for health

In the past, vaccines were considered "just for kids". However, adult vaccines are becoming more common and necessary. Most adults only think about the recommended tetanus booster shot every 10 years, and even then, many adults only get the shot if they are injured. In 2005, the Tdap vaccine was approved as an improved version of the typical Td tetanus booster. The latest version also includes a component to protect against whooping cough (whooping cough). All adults, especially those who will be around young babies, should receive the Tdap vaccine. Adults often transmit whooping cough to young children, for whom the disease can be fatal. In 2012, the CDC recommended that pregnant women receive a dose of Tdap while using it.eachPregnancy between the 27th and 36th week of gestation. In 2019, the CDC recommended that Tdap or Td vaccine could be used for booster vaccination every 10 years.

Flu vaccines, available since the 1940s, are now recommended for most adults. Vaccines such as MMR and chickenpox are recommended for adults who have not had the illnesses, and vaccines including hepatitis A, hepatitis B, pneumococcal, and meningococcal are recommended for subsets of the adult population. The HPV vaccine became available in 2006. In 2018, admission was expanded to people up to 45 years of age.

The first herpes vaccine, Zostavax^®, was licensed in 2006; a second herpes vaccine, Shingrix^®, approved in 2017, produces a more robust immune response than Zostavax. Two doses of this vaccine given two to six months apart are recommended for people aged 50 years and older. As of 2019, Zostavax is no longer available.

In late 2020, the first COVID-19 vaccines were approved for use in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was recommended that most adults receive this vaccine, but limited supplies have required adults to divide into advocacy groups to protect those most at risk first.

Unlike childhood immunizations, which are usually required for school entry, adult immunizations are usually not required. However, people in certain occupations may be required to be vaccinated as a condition of employment. This is most common in the military and healthcare professions, but other industries may also require employment-related vaccinations. Limited requirements and lack of preventive health care by most adults has resulted in reduced vaccine use among adults.

The first official adult vaccination schedule was published in 2002 and is updated annually.

Learn more about the adult vaccination schedule.