STARTING next year, the voices of the various groups responsible for recommendations about the use of childhood vaccines will sing in unison.
Since 1965, efforts have been made to try to ensure compatibility in the recommendations dealing with vaccine use made by public health and physicians' groups, but differences still arose.
A number of groups routinely make such recommendations. They include the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).
Late last year, these groups gave a mandate to the CDC to develop a common immunization schedule for the administration of childhood vaccines. The mandate was backed by the CDC's working group on immunization, and an ad hoc group was created to draft such as a schedule.
'An Unambiguous Message'
"There are many reasons for providing an unambiguous message