A Parents’ Guide to Vaccines for Children

Vaccines protect babies and children from potentially life-threatening diseases at a time when they're most vulnerable. In fact, widespread childhood vaccination has reduced or eliminated deadly diseases like polio and smallpox.

By following the recommended immunization schedule for your child, you can protect them and those around them from avoidable health risks.

In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that kids receive vaccines against 17 preventable diseases.

Here’s an overview of the current recommended immunization schedule for children, from birth to 18 years old.

How Vaccines Work

Vaccines work with the body’s natural immune system to produce a protective response to harmful antigens (viruses or bacteria). Vaccines trigger your body to produce antibodies against the disease before you’re ever exposed to it. They can also prevent reinfection.

There are several ways that your baby or child might receive a vaccine. The main ways vaccines for children are administered are:

• Oral vaccines: These are delivered in liquid through a dropper, often to babies and younger patients.
• Intramuscular (IM) injections: These are injected directly into the muscle.
• Subcutaneous (SC) injections: SC injections are injected below the skin.
• Nasal sprays: These are available for the influenza vaccine.
  

School Requirements

The CDC doesn’t regulate vaccine requirements for schools or childcare centers in America. Instead, each state sets its own rules regarding school immunization requirements. Check your state laws to find out which vaccines your child is required to get before attending school.

Outside of medical exemptions, there are two other types of possible vaccine exemptions: religious exemptions and philosophical exemptions based on personal beliefs.

Different Types of Vaccines for Children

The following are the most common immunizations for children in the U.S. and the diseases they prevent:

• Hepatitis B (HepB) vaccine: Hepatitis B is a viral infection that can affect the liver, sometimes resulting in liver failure or cancer of the liver. The HepB vaccine is given in three doses, with the first just after birth.
• Rotavirus (RV) vaccine: Babies can get two-dose series at 2 and 4 months, or a three-dose series at 2, 4, and 6 months to protect against rotavirus infection, which can cause severe diarrhea, dehydration, and fever.
• DTap and Tdap vaccines: The DTap vaccine protects against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough). The Tdap vaccine is a recommended booster shot against the same infections.
• Haemophilus influenza (Hib) conjugate vaccine: The Hib vaccine prevents Hib infection. Hib infection can cause several serious complications, including meningitis and pneumonia.
• Pneumococcal vaccine (Prevnar 13 and Vaxneuvance): Pneumococcal disease is caused by the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae and can lead to meningitis, pneumonia, or sepsis.
• Poliovirus (IPV) vaccine: The polio vaccine protects children against the highly contagious poliovirus. Polio used to affect thousands of children per year, causing paralysis or even death.
  
• Hepatitis A (HepA) vaccine: Hepatitis A is a viral liver infection that can cause fever, jaundice (a yellowing of the whites of the eyes and the skin), and severe dehydration.
• MMR vaccine: The MMR vaccine protects children against three formerly common childhood diseases: measles, mumps, and rubella.
• Varicella (VAR) vaccine: The VAR vaccine prevents chickenpox and is given in two doses, starting at 12 months of age.
• Meningococcal vaccine (MenACWY and MenB): The meningococcal vaccine protects against bacterial meningitis, which can be especially risky for teens and young adults living in close quarters (such as at camp or college).
• Influenza vaccine: The annual flu vaccine protects against the influenza virus. There are six different types of flu vaccines for school-aged kids.
• HPV vaccine: The HPV vaccine protects against the human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes some strains of cervical cancer and anal cancer.

Child Vaccine Schedule at a Glance

The annual vaccine schedule is set by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which is part of the CDC. The list of vaccines for children by age is updated every year with input from medical experts at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and several other organizations.

Here’s a list of the currently recommended vaccines for children from birth to 18 years old.

Vaccine Hesitancy for Parents

The anti-vaccination movement has led some parents to worry about vaccinating their children. Efforts by people who don’t believe in vaccinations have already resulted in unexpected outbreaks of previously eliminated diseases, such as measles.

Some parents are worried that vaccines for children haven't gone through enough testing. Others are concerned about potential side effects or vaccine reactions.

However, vaccines are generally safe and effective. Your child’s best protection against many common but preventable diseases is to follow the recommended immunization schedule.

As always, speak with your child’s pediatrician about any concerns you might have, especially if your child is immunocompromised, has had an organ transplant, or has any severe allergies or preexisting conditions.

COVID-19 Vaccines for Kids

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna vaccines for children ages 6 months and older and the Novavax vaccine for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) in children ages 12 years and older.

In its update to the 2023 vaccination schedule, the ACIP added COVID-19 vaccination to the schedules for children and adults.

Updated bivalent boosters from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna that provide protection against the Omicron variant also received EUA from the FDA. A bivalent booster shot is recommended two months after receiving a primary COVID-19 vaccination series or after the last booster dose.

The CDC recommends a bivalent booster shot for everyone over the age of 5. For younger children, the type of booster your child is eligible for depends on which primary series was given.  

Children ages 6 months to 5 years can receive the bivalent booster from Moderna after completing the primary series of the original Moderna vaccine. The Pfizer bivalent shot is available for children ages 6 months to 4 years old only as the third dose of the primary Pfizer series. Everyone ages 6 years and older can choose to get the Pfizer or Moderna bivalent booster. 

Summary

Vaccines are one of the most important ways that parents can protect their children from life-threatening diseases. Babies get the hepatitis B vaccine just after birth. If you follow the recommended immunization schedule, your children will be protected from 17 vaccine-preventable diseases by the time they turn 18.

If your child misses a shot, don’t worry. Just ask their healthcare provider to continue the series at your next visit.

A Word From Verywell

Vaccines currently prevent around 3.5 million to 5 million deaths per year.

They protect children and vulnerable loved ones, like their grandparents, immunocompromised classmates and relatives, and siblings who are too young to get vaccinated, from preventable, life-threatening diseases.

By following the recommended immunization schedule, you can protect both your child’s health and the health of those around them.