Immunizations: What you need to know
Why are so many immunizations recommended for children?
No parent likes to watch her child getting shots or medicine. But immunizations are designed to provide protection against serious diseases and many people consider them the most important part of well-child checkups. Some of those diseases (such as polio and diphtheria) were much more common a hundred years ago, but are rarely seen now in the United States, thanks to immunizations.
How do immunizations work?
Immunizations are vaccines made of either weakened or "killed" versions of the bacteria or virus that causes a particular disease. When these altered viruses and bacteria are injected or taken orally, the immune system mounts an attack that stimulates the body to produce antibodies.
Once produced, these antibodies remain active in the body, ready to fight off the real disease. For example, if whooping cough broke out in your area, an immunized child would be much less likely to contract the disease than one who wasn't immunized.
What are the immunizations and when can I expect them?
These immunizations are recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
DTaP, to protect against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough):
• At 2 months
• At 4 months
• At 6 months
• Between 15 and 18 months (can be given as early as 12 months as long as it's at least six months after the previous shot
• Between 4 and 6 years old
• A booster shot at 11 or 12 years of age
Hepatitis A, to protect against hepatitis A, which can cause the liver disease hepatitis.
• Between 12 and 23 months, two shots at least six months apart
Hepatitis B (HBV), to protect against hepatitis B, which can cause the liver disease hepatitis:
• At birth
• Between 1 and 2 months
• Between 6 and 18 months.
Hib, to protect against Haemophilus influenza type B, which can lead to meningitis, pneumonia, and epiglottitis:
• At 2 months
• At 4 months
• At 6 months (If your child receives either the PedvaxHIB or ComVax vaccine at 2 and 4 months, he won't need the 6-month shot.)
• Between 12 and 15 months
HPV, to protect against human papillomavirus, the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States and a cause of cervical cancer:
• Three doses between 11 and 12 years (girls only)
Influenza (the flu shot), to protect against influenza (the "flu"):
• Age 6 months and up, every year in the fall or early winter
Meningococcal, to protect against meningococcal disease. Before the vaccine came along, meningococcal disease was the leading cause of bacterial meningitis in children in the United States:
• Between 11 and 12 years
MMR, to protect against measles, mumps, and rubella (German measles):
• Between 12 and 15 months
• Between 4 and 6 years old — although the second dose can be given at any time as long as it's at least 28 days after the first.
Pneumococcal (PCV), to protect against pneumococcal disease, which can lead to meningitis, pneumonia, and ear infections:
• At 2 months
• At 4 months
• At 6 months
• Between 12 and 15 months
Polio (IPV), to protect against polio:
• At 2 months
• At 4 months
• Between 6 and 18 months
• Between 4 and 6 years old
Rotavirus, to protect against rotavirus, which can cause severe diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and dehydration. This vaccine is given orally, not as an injection:
• At 2 months
• At 4 months
• At 6 months (not needed if the Rotarix brand of vaccine was given at 2 and 4 months)
Varicella, to protect against chicken pox:
• Between 12 and 15 months
• Between 4 and 6 years.
For an easy way to track your child's vaccines, try our handy Immunization Scheduler.
Our experts answer your most pressing questions about vaccine safety and effectiveness
Are these shots really my child's best protection against these diseases?
If no one gets these diseases anymore, why does my baby need to be immunized?
Weren't the diseases we vaccinate for already disappearing, thanks to better hygiene and sanitation?
Can't my child still get a disease even after being immunized against it?
Can a vaccine ever cause the disease it was meant to protect against?
Do vaccines really work?
Isn't my child better off getting chicken pox than getting the vaccine?
Why does my child need the hepatitis B vaccine if only teens and adults get this disease?
What kinds of bad reactions can these vaccines cause and how can I protect my child from them?
How can I tell if my baby is having a bad reaction to a vaccine?
Will getting more than one vaccination at once overload my child's immune system?
Do vaccine sensitivities run in families?
Can I do anything to avoid the "hot lots" of vaccines that I've heard are more likely to cause reactions?
How can I minimize my baby's risk of having a bad reaction to a vaccine?
If my baby is sick, should her immunizations be postponed?
What should I do if I think my baby is having a bad reaction to a vaccine?
My child has never had a bad reaction to a vaccine. Does that mean he won't react to future shots?
Can these vaccines cause other illnesses?
Does the MMR vaccine put my child at greater risk for autism?
Does the hepatitis B vaccine increase the risk of SIDS?
Does the hepatitis B vaccine increase my child's risk for multiple sclerosis?
Does following the current vaccination schedule put my child at higher risk for diabetes?
Do vaccinations put my child at higher risk for ADD or ADHD?
Do vaccinations put my child at higher risk for asthma?
My baby developed a rash about a week after receiving the MMR vaccine. Could she have measles?
What else should I know about vaccines?
Can a daycare center require me to have my baby vaccinated?
What are the risks and benefits of delaying vaccinations until my baby is a little older?
Where can I get more information about the risks and benefits of vaccines?
Where can I get vaccines at low cost?
What new vaccines are on the way?
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