• Vaccine Recommendations

Is it standard practice to revaccinate a child who is adopted from another country?

No. According to ACIP, vaccines administered outside the U.S. generally can be accepted as valid if the schedule (i.e., minimum ages and intervals) is similar to that recommended in the U.S. However, with the exception of the influenza and pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines, only written documentation should be accepted as evidence of previous vaccination. In general, if records cannot be located or will definitely not be available anywhere because of the patient’s circumstances, children without adequate documentation should be considered susceptible and should be started on the age-appropriate vaccination schedule. Serologic testing for immunity is an alternative to vaccination for certain antigens. More information is available in the ACIP “General Best Practice Guidelines for on Immunization”, available at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/acip-recs/general-recs/special-situations.html.

Last reviewed: August 22, 2020

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