Recommended Vaccinations for Infants and Children, Parent-Friendly Version

Birth through 6 Years, United States, 2023

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 (e.g., sickle cell, HIV infection, cochlear implants) 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.

2023 Recommended Immunizations for Children from Birth Through 6 Years Old
Vaccine
Birth
Birth
1
Month
2
Months
4
Months
6
Months
12
Months
15
Months
18
Months
19-23
Months
2-3
Years
4-6
Years
HepB
Hepatitis B
HepB
HepB
HepB
RV*
Rotavirus
RV
RV
RV*
DTaP
Diphtheria, Pertussis, & Tetanus
DTaP
DTaP
DTaP
DTaP
DTaP
Hib*
Haemophilus influenzae type b
Hib
Hib
Hib*
Hib
PCV13, PCV15
Pneumococcal disease
PCV
PCV
PCV
PCV
IPV
Polio
IPV
IPV
IPV
IPV
COVID-19**
Coronavirus disease 2019
COVID-19**
Flu
Influenza
Flu (One or Two Doses Yearly)
MMR
Measles, Mumps, & Rubella
MMR
MMR
Varicella
Chickenpox
Varicella
Varicella
HepA
Hepatitis A
HepA
HepA

Footnotes

Key and Footnotes – This table is for layout.
RV*
Hib*

Administering a third dose at age 6 months depends on the brand of Hib or rotavirus vaccine used for previous dose

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.

HepA

Two doses of Hep A vaccine are needed for lasting protection. The 2 doses should be given between age 12 and 23 months. Both doses should be separated by at least 6 months. Children 2 years and older who have not received 2 doses of Hep A should complete the series.

 

Vaccine-Preventable Diseases and the Vaccines that Prevent Them

child vaccine preventable disease easy read
Disease Vaccine Disease spread by Disease symptoms Disease complications
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
Rotavirus
RV
vaccine protects against rotavirus.
Through the mouth Diarrhea, fever, vomiting Severe diarrhea, dehydration, death
Diphtheria
DTaP*
vaccine 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)
DTaP*
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
Tetanus
DTaP*
vaccine protects against tetanus.
Exposure through cuts in skin Stiffness in neck and abdominal muscles, difficulty swallowing, muscle spasms, fever Broken bones, breathing difficulty, death
Haemophilus influenzae type b
(Hib)
Hib
vaccine protects against
Haemophilus influenzae type b.
Air, direct contact May be no symptoms unless bacteria enter the blood Meningitis (infection of the covering around the brain and spinal cord), intellectual disability, epiglottitis (life-threatening infection that can block the windpipe and lead to serious breathing problems), pneumonia (infection in the lungs), death
Pneumococcal
disease
(PCV13, PCV15)
PCV
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
Polio
IPV
vaccine protects against polio.
Air, direct contact, through the mouth May be no symptoms, sore throat, fever, nausea, headache Paralysis, death
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
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, through the mouth 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
Footnotes – This table is for layout.
DTaP*
DTaP combines protection against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis.
MMR**
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 (AAP), and American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).