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Immunizations Schedule
If you have trouble keeping track of all the immunizations your child needs, you're not alone. Many parents find the immunization process confusing, especially when new vaccines are developed and added to the schedule. Complicating matters further is that many vaccines require several doses before a child develops immunity to a disease. And sometimes, due to vaccine shortages or problems with scheduling appointments, children can get off schedule.
The recommended immunization schedule for children in the United States printed here can help set the record straight. And if your child misses a dose of vaccine, don't worry. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides doctors with a catch-up schedule for children who may have missed some of their immunizations.
See below for corresponding child's age to find out what vaccines he or she should have now and what's coming up.
Recommended Vaccines Birth to 2 months- Hepatitis B — dose 1 of 3
The timing of the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine depends on whether the mother is infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) at the time of delivery. If you're HBV-positive, your baby needs the first dose of vaccine along with hepatitis B immune globulin within 12 hours of birth. Even if you're HBV-negative, your baby might receive the first dose of vaccine before going home from the hospital unless your doctor specifically recommends otherwise.
1 month to 4 months- Hepatitis B — dose 2 of 3
The second dose of hepatitis B vaccine needs to be administered at least one month after the first dose.
2 months- Diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP) — dose 1 of 5
- Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) — dose 1 of 4
- Inactivated poliovirus (IPV) — dose 1 of 4
- Pneumococcal conjugate (PCV7) — dose 1 of 4
At 2 months, your baby receives the first in a series of several shots designed to protect against many diseases. To develop immunity, your baby needs several doses of each vaccine in the months to come.
Talk with your doctor about the use of combination vaccines to reduce the number of shots received.
4 months- Diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP) — dose 2 of 5
- Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) — dose 2 of 4
- Inactivated poliovirus (IPV) — dose 2 of 4
- Pneumococcal conjugate (PCV7) — dose 2 of 4
At the 4-month checkup, your baby receives follow-up doses to those vaccines received at the 2-month checkup. Talk with your doctor about the use of combination vaccines to reduce the number of shots received.
6 months- Diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP) — dose 3 of 5
- Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) — dose 3 of 4
- Pneumococcal conjugate (PCV7) — dose 3 of 4
At the 6-month checkup, your baby receives another round of the vaccines given at 2 months and 4 months, with the exception of the polio vaccine. The third dose of polio vaccine comes a little later in your child's immunization schedule.
Talk with your doctor about the use of combination vaccines to reduce the number of shots received.
6 months to 18 months- Hepatitis B — dose 3 of 3
- Inactivated poliovirus (IPV) — dose 3 of 4
Unless your baby's hepatitis B vaccine series began in the newborn nursery, he or she receives the final dose of vaccine at this time. For full effectiveness, the final dose of hepatitis B vaccine is administered at least eight weeks after your baby receives the second dose. The last dose of hepatitis B vaccine shouldn't be given to children younger than 6 months.
Your baby's doctor may recommend giving the polio vaccine at around 9 months to avoid giving four shots at the 6-month checkup.
6 months to 23 months
An annual influenza vaccine protects your child from the flu (influenza). Getting an influenza vaccine is particularly important for children between the ages of 6 months and 23 months because they're among those most likely to be hospitalized for complications of influenza. In the first year that your child receives a flu shot, two doses are required, spaced one month apart. In the following years, only one dose of vaccine is needed. The vaccine is available each fall and provides protection during the upcoming flu season.
12 months to 15 months- Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) — dose 4 of 4
- Pneumococcal conjugate (PCV7) — dose 4 of 4
- Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) — dose 1 of 2
- Chickenpox (varicella) — dose 1 of 1
The final doses of both Hib and PCV7 vaccines need to wait until your child is 12 months or older. The first dose of MMR vaccine also is given at this time. Your child needs only one dose of varicella vaccine to protect against chickenpox. Varicella vaccine is recommended at any visit after your child is 12 months old.
Talk with your doctor about the use of combination vaccines to reduce the number of shots received. To avoid giving four shots in one visit, many doctors may recommend the MMR and varicella vaccines at age 12 months and the Hib and PCV7 vaccines at 15 months.
12 months to 23 months
Experts now recommend vaccination against hepatitis A for all children at 1 year of age, with the two doses in the series given at least six months apart.
15 months to 18 months- Diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP) — dose 4 of 5
Experts recommend that your child receive the fourth dose of DTaP between the ages of 15 months and 18 months. The fourth dose of this vaccine may be administered as early as 12 months, provided that six months have elapsed since the last dose.
4 yrs to 6 yrs- Diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP) — dose 5 of 5
- Inactivated poliovirus (IPV) — dose 4 of 4
- Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) — dose 2 of 2
Around the time your child starts kindergarten, he or she receives the final doses of DTaP, IPV and MMR vaccines. Many states require proof that your child's vaccinations are current before allowing school enrollment. The greater the number of vaccinated children, the greater the protection of all children in the school from vaccine-preventable diseases.
11 yrs to 12 yrs- Tdap booster shot. Tdap (Tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid and acellular pertussis) is recommended for adolescents who have completed the childhood DTP/DTaP vaccination series but haven't had a booster shot. By age 12, your child should have a Tdap booster shot. Follow-up doses are needed every 10 years.
- Meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4) — 1 dose
MCV4 is recommended for children age 11 and older and for unvaccinated adolescents when they enter high school (about age 15). College freshmen living in dormitories who haven't previously received the meningococcal vaccine also should be vaccinated with MCV4 or with meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine (MPSV4).
Courtesy articles provided by www.mayoclinic.com
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