APHA Immunization Schedules & Vaccine Administration 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A 12-year-old has no documentation of varicella vaccination or prior disease. How many doses of varicella vaccine are required?
- 1 dose
- 2 doses at least 3 months apart
- 2 doses at least 4 weeks apart (Correct answer)
- 3 doses over 6 months
Correct answer: 2 doses at least 4 weeks apart
Children aged 7 years and older who have never had varicella require 2 doses of varicella vaccine separated by at least 4 weeks.
Question 2: Which vaccine requires a 3-dose schedule when the first dose is given at age 15 years or older?
- MenACWY
- Tdap
- HPV (Correct answer)
- Influenza
Correct answer: HPV
HPV vaccine requires a 3-dose series (0, 1–2, and 6 months) when initiated at age 15 or older, whereas 2 doses suffice if started before age 15.
Question 3: A pregnant patient at 27 weeks gestation asks about vaccines. Which is recommended during every pregnancy?
- MMR and varicella
- Tdap and influenza (Correct answer)
- Hepatitis A and typhoid
- Yellow fever and meningococcal
Correct answer: Tdap and influenza
Tdap (preferably at 27–36 weeks) and influenza (inactivated) are recommended during every pregnancy to protect the infant.
Question 4: During simultaneous vaccine administration, what is the minimum distance between injection sites?
- 0.5 inch (1.3 cm)
- 1 inch (2.5 cm) (Correct answer)
- 1.5 inches (3.8 cm)
- 2 inches (5 cm)
Correct answer: 1 inch (2.5 cm)
Injection sites should be separated by at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) to allow attribution of local reactions to the correct vaccine.
Question 5: A 65-year-old patient is due for pneumococcal vaccination and has never received any pneumococcal vaccine. What is the current ACIP recommendation?
- 1 dose PCV15 or PCV20 only
- 1 dose PPSV23 only
- PCV15 followed by PPSV23 at least 1 year later, or PCV20 alone (Correct answer)
- 2 doses PCV20 separated by 6 months
Correct answer: PCV15 followed by PPSV23 at least 1 year later, or PCV20 alone
ACIP recommends PCV15 followed by PPSV23 one year later, or a single dose of PCV20, for pneumococcal-naive adults aged 65 and older.
Question 6: An adolescent received a MenACWY vaccine at age 11. When is the booster dose recommended?
- At age 13
- At age 16 (Correct answer)
- At age 18
- Only if traveling to endemic areas
Correct answer: At age 16
ACIP recommends a MenACWY booster at age 16 for adolescents who received the first dose at 11–12 years.
Question 7: Which route of administration is used for the oral rotavirus vaccine?
- Intradermal
- Intramuscular
- Subcutaneous
- Oral (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Oral
Rotavirus vaccines (Rotarix and RotaTeq) are administered orally, not by injection.
APHA Immunization Schedules & Vaccine Administration 3
A 12-year-old has no documentation of varicella vaccination or prior disease.
How many doses of varicella vaccine are required?