The latest electronic version of the vaccination guide

The currently officially released electronic version of the 2024 revised vaccination guideline is available through the official website of the National Administration for Disease Control and Prevention, the official public account of “Healthy China” and the official platforms of provincial and municipal centers for disease control and prevention. It can be downloaded for free without any additional conditions, and the content covers all areas. There are no "internal versions" or "paid full versions" of the three core sections: vaccination procedures for age groups, suitable groups for non-immunization vaccines, and vaccination contraindications for special groups. All unofficial source guides disseminated by third-party platforms may have content errors and omissions, and it is not recommended to refer to them.

Speaking of which, I just stepped into the trap of unofficial guidelines last week. My sister’s baby just turned 4 years old and wanted to catch up on the EV71 hand, foot and mouth vaccine. She downloaded a PDF file titled “2024 Latest Vaccine Guide” in the baby group, which said that the EV71 vaccine is only available. She could be vaccinated before the age of 3, which made her anxious for a long time. Later, I went to Health China to search the official electronic version and found out that when it was revised last year, the upper limit of vaccination age was raised to 5 years old. The old version in the group that I don’t know from which year had the file name changed and was circulated randomly, which almost delayed the matter.

Many people ask what is the difference between the latest version and the versions from previous years? I read it over and found that the changes are actually quite in line with the current situation. For example, the shingles vaccine could only be given to people aged over 50 before, but now it can be made at the age of 40. My mother is just 49, and she got the first shot last month, so she couldn’t sleep for fear of getting herpes. Also, the applicable age for HPV 9-price clearly states that people between 9 and 45 can get it, so there is no need to insist on getting it before the age of 26. In the past, many people were rushing to get the vaccine when they were almost 26 years old. In fact, it was completely unnecessary. Oh, yes, the first-class free vaccines and the second-class self-paid vaccines that everyone often talks about are called immunization program vaccines and non-immunization program vaccines in the guide. The names are different, but the content is the same thing, so there is no need to get entangled.

When it comes to whether non-immunization program vaccines should be taken, there is actually no unified opinion in the industry. Most of the disease control friends I have met have a "take it if you can" attitude, especially those who often travel, have elderly children at home, or have low immunity. For example, my business friend took the influenza + 23-price pneumonia vaccine before winter last year. In previous winters, he would have a cold and cough for half a month. Last year, he had a cold I only had a runny nose for two days; but many clinicians feel that it is necessary to "select according to needs." For example, if an elderly person who rarely goes out and rarely contacts outsiders lives alone, or who has severe allergies, there is no need to follow the trend and take all the second-category vaccinations, which may increase the risk of allergies. Both opinions are reasonable. You can choose according to your own living situation, and you don't have to listen to one side.

As for the most convenient way to find the official electronic version? I often use the official account of Healthy China. I type "vaccination guide" directly into the search box. The latest 2024 revised version is at the top. Click on it to download the PDF directly. There is no need to fill in a mobile phone number or forward to Moments. It is much more worry-free than searching on Baidu for a bunch of resources with advertisements and requiring you to join a group to get them. Oh, yes, if you live on the border, along the coast, or in an area where endemic diseases are prevalent, you can also search the official account of the local Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many places will produce localized revised versions. For example, the Guangdong guide will specifically add dengue vaccine vaccination recommendations, and waterfront areas in Jiangsu and Zhejiang will add relevant content on schistosomiasis vaccines, which is more in line with local conditions than the national version.

Many people also ask about the vaccination requirements for special groups. For example, can pregnant women be vaccinated? In the past, it was generally believed that no vaccine should be taken during pregnancy. The latest version of the guidelines clearly states that influenza, tetanus, and antibody-negative hepatitis B vaccines can be vaccinated during pregnancy. On the contrary, if you get influenza during pregnancy, high fever and viral infection will have a much greater impact on the fetus than the vaccine; however, there are many Conservative obstetricians will recommend that you try to avoid non-urgent vaccinations in the first trimester (the first three months). This is not contrary to the guidelines. After all, everyone’s physique and past medical history are different. If you are not sure, just ask your prenatal doctor with a screenshot of the guidelines. There is no need to read the regulations.

By the way, I would like to say something special, don’t believe the “vaccination priority list” and “internal guide” posted in Moments and short videos. The last time I came across the so-called internal guide posted by a blogger, it actually said that you have to wait 3 years before you can prepare for pregnancy after getting HPV 9-price vaccination. This statement is not found in the official guide. Normally, you can prepare for pregnancy after three months of vaccination. I don’t know when the old rumor was reinvented. Don’t be fooled.

In fact, when we ordinary people read the guide, we don’t need to read it word for word. Just scan the part that corresponds to your age group and physical condition. If you are not sure, just take a screenshot and go to the community vaccination site near your home to ask the medical staff. It is much more reliable than searching for half-time netizens on the Internet. After all, the guide is a unified standard, and each person still needs to consider the actual situation.