2021 Recommended Vaccinations for Children (7-18 Years Old) Parent-Friendly Format
COVID-19 Vaccination
ACIP recommends use of COVID-19 vaccines for everyone ages 12 and older within the scope of the Emergency Use Authorization for the particular vaccine. COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines may be administered on the same day. See the COVID-19 Vaccine Product Information page for additional information about COVID-19 vaccines authorized for use in the United States.
These shaded boxes indicate when the vaccine is recommended for all children unless your doctor tells you that your child cannot safely receive the vaccine.
These shaded boxes indicate the vaccine should be given if a child is catching up on missed vaccines.
These shaded boxes indicate the vaccine is recommended for children with certain health or lifestyle conditions that put them at an increased risk for serious diseases. See vaccine-specific recommendations at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/acip-recs/index.html.
This shaded box indicates children not at increased risk may get the vaccine if they wish after speaking to a provider.
Talk to your child’s doctor or nurse about the vaccines recommended for their age. COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for some adolescents.
| Flu Influenza |
Tdap Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis |
HPV Human papillomavirus |
Meningococcal | Pneumococcal | Hepatitis B | Hepatitis A | Polio | MMR Measles, mumps, rubella |
Chickenpox Varicella |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MenACWY | MenB | ||||||||||||
| 7-8 Years | |||||||||||||
| 9-10 Years | |||||||||||||
| 11-12 Years | |||||||||||||
| 13-15 Years | |||||||||||||
| 16-18 Years | |||||||||||||
| More Information: | Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine every year. | All 11- through 12-year-olds should get one shot of Tdap. | All 11- through 12- year olds should get a 2-shot series of HPV vaccine. A 3-shot series is needed for those with weakened immune systems and those who start the series at 15 years or older. | All 11- through 12- year olds should get one shot of meningococcal conjugate (MenACWY). A booster shot is recommended at age 16. | Teens 16–18 years old may be vaccinated with a serogroup B meningococcal (MenB) vaccine. | ||||||||
Vaccine-Preventable Diseases and the Vaccines that Prevent Them
| Disease | Vaccine | Disease spread by | Disease symptoms | Disease complications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |
| Diphtheria | Tdap* and Td ** vaccines protect against diptheria. | Air, direct contact | Sore throat, mild fever, weakness, swollen glands in neck | Swelling of the heart muscle, heart failure, coma, paralysis, 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 |
| 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 |
| Human Papillomavirus | HPV vaccine protects against human papillomavirus. | Direct skin contact | May be no symptoms, genital warts | Cervical, vaginal, vulvar, penile, anal, oropharyngeal cancers |
| Influenza (Flu) | Flu vaccine protects against influenza. | Air, direct contact | Fever, muscle pain, sore throat, cough, extreme fatigue | Pneumonia (infection in the lungs) |
| 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 |
| Meningococcal Disease | MenACWY and 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 |
| 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 |
| Pertussis | Tdap* vaccine protects against pertussis. | Air, direct contact | Severe cough, runny nose, apnea (a pause in breathing in infants) | Pneumonia (infection in the lungs), death |
| Polio | Polio vaccine protects against polio. | Air, direct contact, through the mouth | May be no symptoms, sore throat, fever, nausea, headache | Paralysis, death |
| Pneumococcal Disease | Pneumococcal vaccine protects against pneumococcal disease. | Air, direct contact | May be no symptoms, pneumonia (infection in the lungs) | Bacteremia (blood infection), meningitis (infection of the covering around the brain and spinal cord), 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 |
| Tetanus | Tdap* and Td ** vaccines protect against tetanus. | Exposure through cuts on skin | Stiffness in neck and abdominal muscles, difficulty swallowing, muscle spasms, fever | Broken bones, breathing difficulty, death |
*Tdap combines protection against diptheria, tetanus, and pertussis.
**Td combines protection against diptheria and tetanus.
***MMR combines protection against measles, mumps, and rubella.
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 (AAPexternal icon), and American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFPexternal icon).
Page last reviewed: February 12, 2021
Content
source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases