SPECIAL ARTICLE Standards for Child and Adolescent Immunization Practices National Vaccine Advisory Committee ABBREVIATIONS. NVAC, National Vaccine Advisory Commit-

representing public and private agencies with input from state and local health departments, physician and nursing organizations, and public and private providers, developed a set of standards as to what constitutes the most essential and desirable immuni-zation policies and practices. These standards were endorsed by a variety of medical and public health organizations and represented an important element in our national strategy to protect America’s children against vaccine-preventable diseases. Since that time, vaccine delivery in the United States has changed in several important ways. First, vaccination coverage rates among preschool children have increased substantially and are now monitored by the National Immunization Survey.1,2 Second