General Best Practices for Immunization

Describes the purpose of and topics covered by the General Best Practices for Immunization.

Discusses vaccine scheduling, supply and lapsed schedule, spacing of doses, simultaneous and nonsimultaneous administration, licensed combination vaccines, interchangeability of formulations, extra doses, and conjugate vaccines.

Covers general principles and standards of valid contraindications and precautions, and conditions incorrectly perceived as contraindications.

Includes information on benefit and risk communication, reporting adverse reactions, and the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.

Discusses infection control and sterile technique, route of administration, multiple and jet injections. alleviating discomfort and pain, and clinical implications of nonstandard practices.

General principles such as storage temperature and response to out-of-range temperature reading.

This section describes situations in which vaccines are recommended outside of the routine-age-based recommendation because the risk for vaccine-preventable disease is increased due to altered immunocompetence.

Describes several special situations in immunization, including concurrent administration with antimicrobial agents, vaccination outside the United States, administration of live vaccines and Tuberculin Skin Tests (TSTs) and Interferon-gamma Release Assays (IGRAs), and vaccination of preterm infants, people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or people with increased bleeding risk.

Discusses vaccination documentation including records of health care providers, personal records of patients, and Immunization Information Systems (IISs).

Certain programs and other efforts attempt to ensure all patients receive the full schedule of appropriate vaccinations by removing barriers posed by access to immunizations, cost, or other factors.

Definitions from "Adverse event" to "Vaccine."