Recommended Vaccinations for Infants and Children, Parent-Friendly Version
Birth through 6 Years, United States, 2023
Additional Information
- 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.
- 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.
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
|
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RV*
Rotavirus
|
RV
|
RV
|
RV*
|
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DTaP
Diphtheria, Pertussis, & Tetanus
|
DTaP
|
DTaP
|
DTaP
|
DTaP
|
DTaP
|
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Hib*
Haemophilus influenzae type b
|
Hib
|
Hib
|
Hib*
|
Hib
|
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PCV13, PCV15
Pneumococcal disease
|
PCV
|
PCV
|
PCV
|
PCV
|
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IPV
Polio
|
IPV
|
IPV
|
IPV
|
IPV
|
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COVID-19**
Coronavirus disease 2019
|
COVID-19**
|
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Flu†
Influenza
|
Flu (One or Two Doses Yearly)†
|
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MMR
Measles, Mumps, & Rubella
|
MMR
|
MMR
|
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Varicella
Chickenpox
|
Varicella
|
Varicella
|
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HepA‡
Hepatitis A
|
HepA‡
|
HepA‡
|
Footnotes
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
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 |
DTaP*
|
DTaP combines protection against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis.
|
MMR**
|
MMR combines protection against measles, mumps, and rubella.
|