Vaccination schedule for adolescents. Consensus of the AEV, CAV-AEP and SEMA

• Published in: Anales de Pediatría 2023-08, Vol.99 (2), p.122-128
• Main Authors: García, Francisco José Álvarez, Tejada, Ana María Grande, Heras, Ignacio Güemes, de Arce, Antonio Iofrío, Llop, Fernando Moraga, Herreros, Félix Notario, Martín, Jaime Jesús Pérez, Marchuet, Pepe Serrano, Rodríguez, José Valdés
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescente; Calendario de inmunización; Grupos de riesgo; Immunization schedule; Risk groups; Vaccines; Vacunas
• ISSN: 2341-2879; 2341-2879
• DOI: 10.1016/j.anpede.2023.07.004

We present the consensus document on the immunization schedule for adolescents developed by 3 scientific societies: the Spanish Association of Pediatrics (AEP), through its Advisory Committee on Vaccines (CAV-AEP), the Spanish Society of Adolescent Medicine (SEMA) and the Spanish Association of Vaccinology (AEV). There are particularities in infectious disease during adolescence, such as an increased susceptibility to pertussis, poorer outcomes of chickenpox, mumps and hepatitis A, a high incidence of sexually transmitted infections or increased prevalence of meningococcal carriage. The document analyses the schedule for adolescents in the context of vaccination policy overall. It contemplates the vaccines to be included in the immunization schedule for healthy adolescents: against invasive meningococcal disease (tetravalent ACWY and B), against human papillomavirus (which should be gender-neutral), against pertussis, against influenza and against SARS-CoV-2 (in unvaccinated individuals and at-risk groups). It is worth noting that the 4CMenB vaccine appears to confer some protection against gonococcal infection, which would be a considerable added value for adolescents. The vaccination of adolescents belonging to risk groups or travelling abroad also needs to be contemplated, as is the case in any other age group. Vaccination against hepatitis A, which is included in the routine immunization schedule of Catalonia, Ceuta and Melilla from the second year of life, should also be considered a priority in adolescents traveling to endemic areas. El documento de consenso Calendario de vacunaciones del adolescente que se presenta tiene la autoría de tres sociedades científicas: la Asociación Española de Pediatría (AEP) con su Comité Asesor de Vacunas (CAV), la Sociedad Española de Medicina de la Adolescencia (SEMA) y la Asociación Española de Vacunología (AEV). Las infecciones tienen sus peculiaridades en la adolescencia, como la mayor susceptibilidad a la tosferina, la peor evolución de la varicela, la parotiditis y la hepatitis A, la incidencia frecuente de infecciones de transmisión sexual, o el aumento de la tasa de portadores de meningococo. Se analiza el calendario correspondiente a esta franja de edad sin perder la visión global de las inmunizaciones. Se contemplan las vacunaciones del calendario del adolescente sano: frente a la enfermedad meningocócica invasora (tetravalente MenACWY y MenB), frente al virus del papiloma humano (que debe hacerse con indepe