Updated 2011 immunization schedule for babies and kids available

Annually, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) publishes updated immunization schedules, and new recommendations (if any) for babies, kids and adolescents. Changes for this year's schedule went into affect on December 21, 2010. Some of this year's changes include:

• Guidance for parents who did not get their child vaccinated at birth with the hepatitis B vaccine.
• Information on use of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.
• Information about seasonal influenza vaccine (flu shot).
• And more.

As a parent, the stuff you'll be most interested likely includes the actual schedule and information about side effects. You can download information about any and all vaccines, for free, at the CDC website. You can also download free vaccine schedules that help you keep track of all those vaccines. Learn more about baby and child vaccines:

• Death is one risk of not getting your child vaccinated.
• Should babies get multiple vaccines at the same time?
• Baby vaccine myths
• More new evidence that vaccines do not cause autism