Becoming a parent brings plenty of challenges. Understanding recommended vaccines for your children and when they need them can be intimidating.
Vaccines protect your child against diseases that have been eliminated or are nearly eradicated, including polio, measles, whooping cough, and rotavirus. Before routine vaccinations, these diseases killed or paralyzed thousands of children annually. They caused hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations for life-threatening illness. While these diseases are now rare, incidence rates are rising because of vaccine hesitancy. Completing routine vaccinations protects your child and members of your family and community.
It’s normal to have questions. It can be overwhelming to try to get all your child’s vaccines scheduled at the right time. Here’s a timeline and dosing schedule for each vaccine from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including the recommended ages when each dose should be given. This schedule is endorsed by virtually every authoritative physician group, including the American Academy of Pediatricians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American Medical Association.
It’s important to speak to your pediatrician about these vaccinations—not only to make informed choices, but because this information continues to evolve. Children (six months of age and older) are now routinely and safely vaccinated against COVID-19. Mothers and infants can now be immunized to protect from RSV (a leading cause of severe illness and death in infants). Speak to your child’s pediatrician to learn more.
Source: CDC’s “Recommended Vaccinations for Infants and Children, Parent-Friendly Version” Reference to these materials does not indicate endorsement or recommendation by the U.S. Government, Department of Health and Human Services, or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Please note this content is for informational purposes and is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare provider about your child’s specific vaccine schedule.