This schedule may vary depending upon where you live, your child's health, the type of vaccine, and the vaccines available. Some of the vaccines may be given as part of a combination vaccine so that your child gets fewer shots. Ask your doctor which vaccines your child should receive.
Birth
- Hep B: Hepatitis B vaccine (HBV); recommended to give the first dose at birth, but may be given at any age for those not previously immunized.
1–2 months
- Hep B: Second dose should be administered 1 to 2 months after the first dose.
2 months
- DTaP: Diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis vaccine
- Hib: Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine
- IPV: Inactivated poliovirus vaccine
- PCV: Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine
- Rota: Rotavirus vaccine
4 months
6 months
6 months and annually
- Seasonal influenza. Influenza vaccine is now recommended every year for children older than 6 months (instead of just the youngest, as before). Kids under 9 who get a flu vaccine for the first time will receive it in two separate doses a month apart.
Although young tots (from 6 months to 5 years old) are still considered the group of kids who need the flu vaccine the most, updated guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommend that all older kids and teens get it, too (as long as enough is available).
It's also especially important for high-risk kids to be vaccinated. High-risk groups include, but aren't limited to, kids with asthma, heart problems, sickle cell anemia, diabetes, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
It can take up to 1 or 2 weeks after the shot for the body to build up protection to the flu.
-
H1N1 (Swine) Influenza. All children 6 months and older should receive this vaccine in addition to the seasonal flu vaccine. Kids under 9 will receive the vaccine in two separate doses (a month apart), while older kids will receive just one dose. Following the 2009-2010 flu season, recommendations for this vaccine may change, so talk to your doctor about what's recommended for your child.
6–18 months
12–15 months
- Hib
- MMR: Measles, mumps, and rubella (German measles) vaccine
- PCV
- Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine
12–23 months
- Hep A: Hepatitis A vaccine; given as two shots at least 6 months apart
15–18 months
4–6 years
11–12 years
- HPV: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, given as 3 shots over 6 months. It’s recommended for girls ages 11 or 12, and also recommended for girls ages 13 to 18 if they have not yet been vaccinated. The vaccine also may be given to boys ages 9 to 18.
- Tdap: Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis booster
- MCV: Meningitis vaccine; should also be given to 13- to 18-year-olds who have not yet been vaccinated. Children between the ages of 2 and 10 who have certain chronic illnesses will also need this vaccine, with a booster shot a few years later, depending on the age at which the first dose was given.
College entrants
- MCV: Meningitis vaccine; recommended for previously unvaccinated college entrants who will live in dormitories. One dose will suffice for healthy college students whose only risk factor is dormitory living.
Reviewed by: Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph, MD
Date reviewed: January 2010
