Keeping track of your child’s immunizations can feel like a complex puzzle, but your pediatrician is here to help. Every visit is a good visit to check whether your child is up to date on recommended vaccines, since children and teens may need immunizations at different ages. Consider taking a photo of your child’s immunization records and saving it to your phone or computer, especially if they’ve received care at multiple clinics or in another state or country. Even if your child has a mild illness, they can often still receive vaccines, so be sure to ask your pediatrician if you’re unsure.
The chart below illustrates the approximate vaccine schedules by age group recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Doctors try to limit frequent injection numbers through combination vaccines
When available, many immunizations are given as combination vaccines. Combination vaccines are single shots that contain multiple vaccines. Combination vaccines are safe, and allow immunizations to be given as one shot so that your child does not have to receive multiple injections. Common combination vaccines are DTaP (Diphtheria, Tetanus, and acellular Pertussis), MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) and Vaxelis (DTaP, Polio, Haemophilus influenzae type B, Hepatitis B).
It is important to note that immunizations are given based on your child’s past immunizations, as well as available supply. Sometimes your pediatrician may recommend a combination vaccine that will give your child an additional dose of an immunization. This occurs commonly and is safe and will limit the number of injections that your child receives.
Find out more about vaccines by taking this quiz.
Vaccines have made certain childhood diseases rare in this country.
1. The first vaccine developed was against smallpox.
2. To offer the widest protection against a certain disease such as measles or diphtheria, at least 90% of children should be vaccinated.
3. Vaccines work by teaching your immune system to know what the real infection looks like.
4. Some vaccines against bacterial infections contain inactivated poisons (toxins) that those bacteria make.
5. The yearly flu vaccine is recommended only for people 50 and older.
6. Besides an annual flu shot, adults also need a booster for tetanus and diphtheria every 10 years.
7. One of the newest vaccines available protects women against cervical cancer.
8. Fever and soreness at the site of the injection are two mild reactions that may occur after getting a vaccine.
Newborns to 18 months
Newborn visit (1-2 days after hospital or birth center discharge)
- Hepatitis B, Dose 1 of 3 (if not received at birth)
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV, given during RSV season, if mother was not immunized in pregnancy and if not received at birth)
2 weeks well child visit
- None, if up-to-date on immunization schedule
- RSV, if not already given during current RSV season, needed once
1 month well child visit
- Hepatitis B, Dose 2 of 3
- RSV, if not already given during current RSV season, needed once
2 months well child visit
- DTaP, Dose 1 of 5
- Polio, Dose 1 of 4
- HiB, Dose 1 of 4
- PCV, Dose 1 of 4
- Rotavirus (oral), Dose 1 of 3
- RSV, if not already given during current RSV season, needed once
4 months well child visit
- DTaP, Dose 2 of 5
- Polio, Dose 2 of 4
- HiB, Dose 2 of 4
- PCV, Dose 2 of 4
- Rotavirus (oral), Dose 2 of 3
- RSV, if not already given during current RSV season, needed once
6 months well child visit
- Hepatitis B, Dose 3 of 3
- DTaP, Dose 3 of 5
- Polio, Dose 3 of 4
- HiB, Dose 3 of 4
- PCV, Dose 3 of 4
- Rotavirus (oral), Dose 3 of 3
- Influenza, which is given every year during the flu season. For children, ages 6 months to 8 years, receiving the flu vaccine for the first time, two doses are needed four weeks apart.
- COVID, which is given every year during cold/flu season. For children ages 6 months to 4 years receiving the COVID vaccine for the fist time, two or three doses are needed depending on the product used.
- RSV, if not already given during current RSV season, needed once
9 months well child visit
- Influenza, if not already given during the current flu season, needed every year
- COVID, if not already given during the current cold/flu season, needed every year
12 months well child visit
- PCV, Dose 4 of 4
- Chicken Pox, Dose 1 of 2
- Measles, Mumps, and Rubella, Dose 1 of 2
- Hepatitis A, Dose 1 of 2
- Influenza – if not already given during the current flu season, needed every year
- COVID, if not already given during the current cold/flu season, needed every year
15 months well child visit
- DTaP, Dose 4 of 4
- HiB, Dose 4 of 4
- Influenza, if not already given during the current flu season, needed every year
- COVID, if not already given during the current cold/flu season, needed every year
18 months well child visit
- Hepatitis A, Dose 2 of 2
- Influenza, if not already given during the current flu season, needed every year
- COVID, if not already given during the current cold/flu season, needed every year
Vaccines needed for 2 to 9 year olds
2 years well child visit
- Influenza, if not already given during the current flu season, needed every year
- COVID, if not already given during the current cold/flu season, needed every year
2 1/2 years well child visit
- Influenza, if not already given during the current flu season, needed every year
- COVID, if not already given during the current cold/flu season, needed every year
3 years well child visit
- Influenza, if not already given during the current flu season, needed every year
- COVID, if not already given during the current cold/flu season, needed every year
4 years well child visit
- DTaP, Dose 5 of 5
- Polio, Dose 4 of 4
- Chicken Pox, Dose 2 of 2
- Measles, Mumps, and Rubella, Dose 2 of 2
- Influenza, if not already given during the current flu season, needed every year
- COVID, if not already given during the current cold/flu season, needed every year
5 years well child visit
- Influenza, if not already given during the current flu season, needed every year
- COVID, if not already given during the current cold/flu season, needed every year
6 years well child visit
- Influenza, if not already given during the current flu season, needed every year
- COVID, if not already given during the current cold/flu season, needed every year
7 years well child visit
- Influenza, if not already given during the current flu season, needed every year
- COVID, if not already given during the current cold/flu season, needed every year
8 years well child visit
- Influenza, if not already given during the current flu season, needed every year
- COVID, if not already given during the current cold/flu season, needed every year
9 years well child visit
- Influenza, if not already given during the current flu season, needed every year
- COVID, if not already given during the current cold/flu season, needed every year
Vaccinations for 10 to 14 year olds
10 years well child visit
- Influenza, if not already given during the current flu season, needed every year
- COVID, if not already given during the current cold/flu season, needed every year
11 years well child visit
- Tdap, Dose 1 (Booster dose is then needed every 10 years)
- HPV, Doses 1 of 2 (Dose 2 is given 6 months after Dose 1)
- Meningococcal ACWY, Dose 1 of 2
- Influenza, if not already given during the current flu season, needed every year
- COVID, if not already given during the current cold/flu season, needed every year
12 years well child visit
- Influenza, if not already given during the current flu season, needed every year
- COVID, if not already given during the current cold/flu season, needed every year
13 years well child visit
- Influenza, if not already given during the current flu season, needed every year
- COVID, if not already given during the current cold/flu season, needed every year
14 years well child visit
- Influenza, if not already given during the current flu season, needed every year
- COVID, if not already given during the current cold/flu season, needed every year
Vaccines in 15 to 21 year olds
15 years well child visit
- Influenza, if not already given during the current flu season, needed every year
- COVID, if not already given during the current cold/flu season, needed every year
16 years well child visit
- Meningococcal ACWY, Dose 2 of 2
- Discuss with your pediatrician whether your child needs the Meningococcal B vaccine, Dose 1 of 2 (Dose 2 is given 6 months after Dose 1)
- Influenza, if not already given during the current flu season, needed every year
- COVID, if not already given during the current cold/flu season, needed every year
17 years well child visit
- Influenza, if not already given during the current flu season, needed every year
- COVID, if not already given during the current cold/flu season, needed every year
18 years well child visit
- Influenza, if not already given during the current flu season, needed every year
- COVID, if not already given during the current cold/flu season, needed every year
19 years well child visit
- Influenza, if not already given during the current flu season, needed every year
- COVID, if not already given during the current cold/flu season, needed every year
20 years well child visit
- Influenza, if not already given during the current flu season, needed every year
- COVID, if not already given during the current cold/flu season, needed every year
21 years well child visit
- Influenza, if not already given during the current flu season, needed every year
- COVID, if not already given during the current cold/flu season, needed every year
