Recommended Vaccinations for Children 7 to 18 Years Old, Parent-Friendly Version

United States, 2023

Vaccine recommendations have been updated. The content on this page is not current and will be updated to align with the new recommendations published in the 2024 Immunization Schedules:

Additional Information

  1. If your child misses a shot recommended for their age, talk to your child’s doctor as soon as possible to see when the missed shot can be given.
  2. If your child has any medical conditions that put them at risk for infection or is traveling outside the United States, talk to your child’s doctor about additional vaccines that they may need.

Talk with your child’s doctor if you have questions about any shot recommended for your child.

Key

Key – This table is for layout.
Parent-friendly schedule key
Indicates when the vaccine is recommended for all children unless your doctor tells you that your child cannot safely receive the vaccine.
Parent-friendly schedule key
Indicates the vaccine series can begin at this age.
Parent-friendly schedule key
Indicates the vaccine should be given if a child is catching up on missed vaccines. A vaccine series does not need to be restarted, regardless of the time that has elapsed between doses.
Parent-friendly schedule key
Indicates children not at increased risk may get the vaccine if they wish after speaking to a provider.
Recommended Vaccines
2023 Recommended Immunizations for Children 7–18 Years Old
Vaccine
7
Years
8
Years
9
Years
10
Years
11
Years
12
Years
13
Years
14
Years
15
Years
16
Years
17
Years
18
Years
COVID-19*
Coronavirus disease 2019
COVID-19*
Flu**
Influenza
Flu (One or Two
Doses Yearly)**
Flu (One Dose Yearly)
Tdap
Tetanus, Diphtheria, & Pertussis
Tdap
HPV
Human papillomavirus
HPV
MenACWY
Meningococcal disease
MenACWY
MenACWY
MenB
Meningococcal disease
MenB
Catching Up On Missed Childhood Vaccination
Catching Up On Missed Childhood Vaccination
Vaccine
7
Years
8
Years
9
Years
10
Years
11
Years
12
Years
13
Years
14
Years
15
Years
16
Years
17
Years
18
Years
MMR
Measles, Mumps, & Rubella
MMR
Varicella
Chickenpox
Varicella
HepA
Hepatitis A
HepA
HepB
Hepatitis B
HepB
IPV
Polio
IPV
ONLY IN PLACES WHERE DENGUE IS COMMON — MUST have a laboratory test confirming past dengue infection
ONLY IN PLACES WHERE DENGUE IS COMMON — MUST have a laboratory test confirming past dengue infection
Vaccine
7
Years
8
Years
9
Years
10
Years
11
Years
12
Years
13
Years
14
Years
15
Years
16
Years
17
Years
18
Years
Dengue
Dengue

Footnotes

Footnotes – This table is for layout.
COVID-19*

Number of doses recommended depends on your child’s age and type of COVID-19 vaccine used.

Flu**

Two doses given at least 4 weeks apart are recommended for children age 6 months through 8 years of age who are getting an influenza (flu) vaccine for the first time and for some other children in this age group.

HPV

Ages 11 through 12 years old should get a 2-shot series separated by 6 to 12 months. The series can begin at 9 years old. A 3-shot series is recommended for those with weakened immune systems and those who start the series after their 15th birthday.

Originally recommended age ranges for missed childhood vaccinations: 2-dose series of MMR at 12–15 months and 4–6 years; 2-dose series of Varicella at 12–15 months and 4–6 years; 2-dose series of HepA (minimum interval: 6 months) at age 12–23 months; 3-dose series of HepB at birth, 1–2 months, and 6–18 months; and 4-dose series of Polio at 2 months, 4 months, 6–18 months, and 4–6 years.


Vaccine-Preventable Diseases and the Vaccines that Prevent Them

Parent-Friendly 7-18 Years old vaccine preventable disease
Disease Vaccine Disease spread by Disease symptoms Disease complications
Coronavirus disease 2019
(COVID-19)
COVID-19
vaccine protects against severe complications from coronavirus disease 2019.
Air, direct contact May be no symptoms, fever, muscle aches, sore throat, cough, runny nose, diarrhea, vomiting, new loss of taste or smell Pneumonia (infection in the lungs), respiratory failure, blood clots, bleeding disorder, injury to liver, heart or kidney, multi-system inflammatory syndrome, post-COVID syndrome, death
Influenza
(Flu)
Flu
vaccine protects against influenza.
Air, direct contact Fever, muscle pain, sore throat, cough, extreme fatigue Pneumonia (infection in the lungs), bronchitis, sinus infections, ear infections, death
Tetanus
Tdap*
and Td** vaccines protect against tetanus.
Exposure through cuts in skin Stiffness in neck and abdominal muscles, difficulty swallowing, muscle spasms, fever Broken bones, breathing difficulty, death
Diphtheria
Tdap*
and Td** vaccines protects against diphtheria.
Air, direct contact Sore throat, mild fever, weakness, swollen glands in neck Swelling of the heart muscle, heart failure, coma, paralysis, death
Pertussis
(whooping cough)
Tdap*
vaccine protects against pertussis (whooping cough).
Air, direct contact Severe cough, runny nose, apnea (a pause in breathing in infants) Pneumonia (infection in the lungs), death
Human papillomavirus
HPV
vaccine protects against human papillomavirus.
Direct skin contact May be no symptoms, genital warts Cervical, vaginal, vulvar, penile, anal, oropharyngeal cancers
Meningococcal disease
MenACWY
MenB
vaccines protect against meningococcal disease
Air, direct contact Sudden onset of fever, headache, and stiff neck, dark purple rash Loss of limb, deafness, nervous system disorders, developmental disabilities, seizure disorder, stroke, death
Measles
MMR
vaccine protects against measles.
Air, direct contact Rash, fever, cough, runny nose, pink eye Encephalitis (brain swelling), pneumonia (infection in the lungs), death
Mumps
MMR
vaccine protects against mumps.
Air, direct contact Swollen salivary glands (under the jaw), fever, headache, tiredness, muscle pain Meningitis (infection of the covering around the brain and spinal cord), encephalitis (brain swelling), inflammation of testicles or ovaries, deafness, death
Rubella
MMR
vaccine protects against rubella.
Air, direct contact Sometimes rash, fever, swollen lymph nodes Very serious in pregnant women—can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, birth defects
Chickenpox
Varicella
vaccine protects against chickenpox.
Air, direct contact Rash, tiredness, headache, fever Infected blisters, bleeding disorders, encephalitis (brain swelling), pneumonia (infection in the lungs), death
Hepatitis A
HepA
vaccine protects against hepatitis A.
Direct contact, contaminated food or water May be no symptoms, fever, stomach pain, loss of appetite, fatigue, vomiting, jaundice (yellowing of skin and eyes), dark urine Liver failure, arthralgia (joint pain), kidney, pancreatic and blood disorders, death
Hepatitis B
HepB
vaccine protects against hepatitis B.
Contact with blood or body fluids May be no symptoms, fever, headache, weakness, vomiting, jaundice (yellowing of skin and eyes), joint pain Chronic liver infection, liver failure, liver cancer, death
Polio
IPV
vaccine protects against polio.
Air, direct contact, through the mouth May be no symptoms, sore throat, fever, nausea, headache Paralysis, death
Dengue
Dengue
vaccine protects against dengue.
Bite from infected mosquito May be no symptoms, fever, headache, pain behind the eyes, rash, joint pain, body ache, nausea, loss of appetite, feeling tired, abdominal pain Severe bleeding, seizures, shock, damage to the liver, heart, and lungs, death
Footnotes – This table is for layout.
Tdap*
Tdap combines protection against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis.
Td**
Td combines protection against diphtheria and tetanus
MMR
MMR combines protection against measles, mumps, and rubella.
Dengue
Recommended where dengue is common.
This schedule is recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).