(USA TODAY) -- An updated schedule of recommended children's
vaccinations, published today in the journal Pediatrics, aims to
clarify and simplify the list of shots that kids need to stay
healthy and avoid preventable diseases. The 2013 edition of that
guide, the Recommended Childhood and Adolescent Immunization
Schedule, has been approved by the American Academy of
Pediatrics, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the American
Academy of Family Physicians. The schedule features several
changes from the 2012 edition, including a redesigned layout,
allowing for easier reading and more room for clarification in
the footnotes, says H. Cody Meissner, a pediatric infectious-
disease specialist at Tufts Medical Center and a contributor to
the statement. Also, a single schedule for kids up to age 18
replaces separate schedules for children 6 and under, and kids
ages 7 to 18. Key among the vaccination changes is the new
recommendation that pregnant wome