Vaccines schedule for children

Introduction
The children's immunization process can be confusing, especially when new vaccines are developed and added to the schedule. Complicating matters is that many vaccines require several doses before a child develops immunity to a disease. And sometimes, due to shortages of vaccines or problems with scheduling appointments, a child can get off schedule.

 

This recommended immunization schedule for children in the United States is designed to help you keep track of the vaccines your child needs. Click on the tabs to the left corresponding to your child's age to find out what vaccines he or she should have now and what vaccines are coming up.

 

If your child misses a dose of vaccine, don't worry. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides doctors with a catch-up vaccine schedule for children who may have missed some of their immunizations.

Birth to 4 months

Birth to 4 months: Vaccine recommended
Hepatitis B ? doses 1 and 2 of 3

The timing of the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine depends on whether the mother is infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) at the time of delivery. If you're HBV-positive, your baby needs the first dose of vaccine along with hepatitis B immune globulin within 12 hours of birth. Even if you're HBV-negative, your baby might receive the first dose of vaccine before leaving the hospital unless your doctor specifically recommends otherwise. The second dose of hepatitis B vaccine is given at least one month after the first dose.

2 months

2 months: Vaccines recommended

• Diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP) ? dose 1 of 5
• Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) ? dose 1 of 4
• Inactivated poliovirus (IPV) ? dose 1 of 4
• Pneumococcal conjugate (PCV7) ? dose 1 of 4

At 2 months, your baby receives the first in a series of several shots designed to protect against many diseases. To develop immunity, your baby needs several doses of each vaccine in the months to come.

Talk with your doctor about the use of combination vaccines to reduce the number of shots.

4 months

4 months: Vaccines recommended

• Diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP) ? dose 2 of 5
• Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) ? dose 2 of 4
• Inactivated poliovirus (IPV) ? dose 2 of 4
• Pneumococcal conjugate (PCV7) ? dose 2 of 4

At the 4-month checkup, your baby receives follow-up doses to those vaccines received at the 2-month checkup. Talk with your doctor about the use of combination vaccines to reduce the number of shots.

6 months

6 months: Vaccines recommended

• Diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP) ? dose 3 of 5
• Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) ? dose 3 of 4
• Pneumococcal conjugate (PCV7) ? dose 3 of 4

At the 6-month checkup, your baby receives another round of the vaccines given at 2 months and 4 months, with the exception of the polio vaccine. The third dose of polio vaccine comes a little later in your child's immunization schedule.

Talk with your doctor about the use of combination vaccines to reduce the number of shots.

6 months to 18 months

6 months to 18 months: Vaccines recommended

• Hepatitis B ? dose 3 of 3
• Inactivated poliovirus (IPV) ? dose 3 of 4

Unless your baby's hepatitis B vaccine series began in the newborn nursery, he or she receives the final dose of vaccine at this time. For full effectiveness, the final dose of hepatitis B vaccine is administered at least eight weeks after your baby receives the second dose. The last dose of hepatitis B vaccine shouldn't be given to children younger than 6 months.

Your baby's doctor may recommend giving the polio vaccine at around 9 months to avoid giving four shots at the 6-month checkup.

6 months to 59 months

6 months to 59 months: Vaccine recommended
Influenza ? annual dose

An annual influenza vaccine protects your child from the flu (influenza). Getting an influenza vaccine is particularly important for children between the ages of 6 months and 59 months because they're among those most likely to be hospitalized for complications of influenza. In the first year that your child receives a flu shot, two doses are required, spaced one month apart. In the following years, only one dose of vaccine is needed. The vaccine is available each fall and provides protection during the upcoming flu season.

12 months to 15 months

12 months to 15 months: Vaccines recommended

• Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) ? dose 4 of 4
• Pneumococcal conjugate (PCV7) ? dose 4 of 4
• Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) ? dose 1 of 2
• Chickenpox (varicella) ? dose 1 of 1

The final doses of both Hib and PCV7 vaccines need to wait until your child is 12 months or older. The first dose of MMR vaccine also is given at this time. Your child needs only one dose of varicella vaccine to protect against chickenpox. Varicella vaccine is recommended at any visit after your child is 12 months old.

Talk with your doctor about the use of combination vaccines to reduce the number of shots. To avoid giving four shots in one visit, many doctors may recommend the MMR and varicella vaccines at age 12 months and the Hib and PCV7 vaccines at 15 months.

12 months to 23 months

12 months to 23 months: Vaccine recommended
Hepatitis A ? 2 doses

Experts now recommend vaccination against hepatitis A for all children at 1 year of age, with the two doses in the series administered at least six months apart.

15 months to 18 months

15 months to 18 months: Vaccine recommended
Diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP) ? dose 4 of 5

Experts recommend that your child receive the fourth dose of DTaP between the ages of 15 months and 18 months. The fourth dose of this vaccine may be administered as early as 12 months, provided that six months have elapsed since the last dose.

4 years to 6 years

4 years to 6 years: Vaccines recommended

• Diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP) ? dose 5 of 5
• Inactivated poliovirus (IPV) ? dose 4 of 4
• Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) ? dose 2 of 2

Around the time your child starts kindergarten, he or she receives the final doses of DTaP, IPV and MMR vaccines. Many states require proof that your child's vaccinations are current before allowing school enrollment. The greater the number of vaccinated children, the greater the protection of all children in the school from vaccine-preventable diseases.

11 years to 12 years

11 years to 12 years: Vaccines recommended

• Tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid and acellular pertussis (Tdap adolescent preparation) is recommended for adolescents who have completed the childhood DTP/DTaP vaccination series but haven't received a booster shot. By age 12, your child should have a Tdap booster shot. Follow-up doses are needed every 10 years.
• Meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4) ? 1 dose

MCV4 is recommended for children age 11 and older and for unvaccinated adolescents when they enter high school (about age 15). College freshmen living in dormitories who haven't previously received the meningococcal vaccine also should be vaccinated with MCV4 or with meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine (MPSV4).

11 years to 26 years

11 years to 26 years: Vaccine recommended

• Human papillomavirus vaccine helps protect against the viruses that cause genital warts and most cervical cancers. The vaccine has been approved for routine use in girls ages 11 to 12, but it may also be used in girls as young as 9. A catch-up immunization is recommended for girls and women ages 13 to 26. The vaccine is given as a series of three injections over a six-month period. You receive the first dose followed two months later by the second dose. Four months after that, the third dose is given

GIRI

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