Vaccine Schedule
Immunizations are an important part of keeping young children healthy. Unfortunately, keeping up with the schedule can be confusing, particularly since it changes periodically, and new vaccines and combinations of vaccines are constantly being developed. Your child’s particular immunization schedule will depend on the particular combinations and sequence of previous vaccines.
There are a few constants that may help you keep track of your child’s schedule:
- Your child’s schedule of well-child visits does not change based on the immunization schedule. The appropriate vaccines are given at each well-child visit. For more on the well-child visit schedule, click here.
- Shots are given at most of the physicals between ages 2 months and 18 months.
- The primary vaccine series will be completed by 18 months of age. After that, booster shots are needed between ages 4-6 years.
The immunization schedule is developed based on extensive research on the optimal timing and spacing of vaccine doses to give maximal intensity and duration of immune system response and protection from disease. Recommendations and guidelines on vaccines are developed by the medical and public health communities and are revised annually and as needed.
Below is the recommended vaccine schedule at Covenant Care Pediatrics. The schedule may change slightly from child to child based on previous immunization history.
Age | Recommended Vaccines |
---|---|
Birth | Hepatitis B usually given in the hospital |
1 month | Hepatitis B |
2 months | DTaP, IPV, Hib, PCV13, rotavirus; hepatitis B if needed |
4 months | DTaP, IPV, Hib, PCV13, rotavirus; hepatitis B if needed |
6 months | DTaP, IPV, Hib, PCV13, rotavirus; hepatitis B if needed; flu during flu season |
9 months | Hepatitis B if needed; flu seasonally |
12 months | MMR, PCV13, hepatitis A; flu seasonally |
15 months | Hib, varicella (chickenpox); flu seasonally |
18 months | DTaP, hepatitis A; flu seasonally |
2 years | None unless needed; flu vaccine annually during flu season |
3 years | None unless needed; flu vaccine annually during flu season |
4-5 years | DTaP, IPV, MMR, varicella boosters; flu vaccine annually during flu season |
6-10 years | None unless needed; flu vaccine annually during flu season |
11-12 years | Tdap, MenACWY; HPV (girls and boys) if desired; varicella booster if not given previously; flu vaccine annually during flu season |
13-15 years | catch-up vaccines including hepatitis A; HPV if indicated; flu vaccine annually during flu season |
16 years | MenACWY booster; catch-up vaccines including hepatitis A; HPV if indicated; flu vaccine during flu season |
17-21 years | catch-up vaccines including hepatitis A; HPV if indicated; flu vaccine annually during flu season; MenB if desired for college |
DtaP: Diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (whooping cough)
Hib: Haemophilus influenzae type b
IPV: inactivated polio vaccine
PCV: pneumococcal conjugate vaccine
MMR: measles-mumps-rubella vaccine
Tdap: tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis (whooping cough)
HPV: human papillomavirus vaccine
MenACWY: meningococcal conjugate vaccine for groups A, C, W, & Y
CDC Schedules
Learn more at the CDC website.