Vaccines

"These findings support Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ recommendations for maternal vaccination or nirsevimab to protect against severe RSV disease in infants," wrote the MMWR study investigators.

Recommendations from the ACIP are forwarded to the director of the CDC, and if adopted, become official CDC policy.

View our Q1 2025 recap of standout pediatric news from FDA regulatory updates, clinical trial results, and expert commentary.

A look ahead to 5 key regulatory decisions scheduled to take place during the second quarter of 2025, from a monoclonal antibody to topical psoriasis treatments.

Prior to approval on February 14, 2025, the only FDA approved vaccine for chikungunya protection was indicated for 18 years and up.

Karen Y. Capusan, DNP, CPNP-PC, explored RSV’s shifting epidemiology, seasonal trends, and new vaccines’ role in reducing hospitalizations at the 2025 NAPNAP National Conference.

Tina Tan, MD, FIDSA, FPIDS, FAAP, comments on the FDA's recent selection of the 2025-2026 influenza vaccine compositions, without the CDC's ACIP meeting and FDA's VRBPAC meeting.

Mary Koslap-Petraco highlighted the need to address vaccine hesitancy, catch up on immunizations, and build trust with parents at the 2025 NAPNAP National Conference on Pediatric Health Care.

"The measles outbreak that is currently happening in Texas and New Mexico is occurring in an area of the states that have very high anti-vaccine sentiments," Tan said.

Donna Hallas, PhD, PPCNP-BC, CPNP, PMHS, FAANP, FAAN, breaks down key highlights of the latest double issue of Contemporary Pediatrics.

Study findings underscore the effectiveness of a dual approach to RSV prevention.

Amin Barakat, MD, FAAP, details meningococcal disease vaccines and highlights the recently FDA-approved MenABCWY vaccine from GSK.

Nurse practitioner Donna Hallas, PhD, PPCNP-BC, CPNP, PMHS, FAANP, FAAN offers her thoughts on the recent FDA approval of GSK's meningococcal ABCWY vaccine.

The combination vaccine targets 5 groups of the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis (A,B,C,W, AND Y) that cause the most invasive meningococcal disease cases (IMD) globally.

Of those with a minimum age or minimum interval vaccine dose, 44.9% ended up receiving extra doses to complete a vaccination series.

The initiation of a phase 2 study of the investigational 31-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine is expected by the end of January 2025.

The study outcomes were estimated IMD cases and deaths averted by MenACWY vaccination in adolescents and adults aged 11 to 23 years.

"The novel RSV prevention strategies may reduce ICU morbidity and mortality for children," the study authors concluded.

Donna Hallas, PPCNP-BC, CPNP, PMHS, FAANP, FAAN, highlights key takeaways from our October Vaccine issue of Contemporary Pediatrics.

Infants, young children, and older adults are at the highest risk for pneumococcal infection, and viral illnesses, such as influenza, may predispose sensitive groups to pneumococcal infection.

Overall, 2 doses of TAK-003 successfully induced the production of neutralizing antibodies against all 4 dengue serotypes in at least 90% of adults, children, and adolescents, regardless of whether they were seronegative or seropositive at baseline.

The CDC committee has set new recommendations based on children's age, vaccination status, and overall immunity health, for the 2024 - 2025 period.

IIV3s, RIV3, and LAIV3 influenza vaccines are expected to be available.

A CDC report reviews HPV vaccination trends in US Pacific Islands, revealing mixed progress towards the 2030 goal of 90% completion among girls by age 15.

The federal agency advised manufacturers in June that 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccines should be monovalent JN.1, with the preferred lineage being the KP.2 strain.