Purpose
Guide for parents and caregivers to ensure their child is up-to-date on recommended childhood vaccines.
Recommended Immunizations for Birth Through 6 Years Old, United States, 2025
Talk to your child’s health care provider for more guidance if:
- Your child has any medical condition that puts them at higher risk for infection.
- Your child is traveling outside the United States. Visit CDC Travelers’ Health for more information.
- Your child misses a vaccine recommended for their age.
Key
| ALL children should be immunized at this age. | SOME children should get this dose of vaccine or preventive antibody at this age |
| Vaccine or Preventive Antibody | Birth | 1 Month | 2 Months | 4 Months | 6 Months | 7 Months | 8 Months | 12 Months | 15 Months | 18 Months | 19 Months | 20–23 Months | 2-3 Years | 4-6 Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSV antibody | Depends on mother’s RSV vaccine status | Depends on child’s health status | ||||||||||||
| Hepatitis B | Dose 1 | Dose 2 | Dose 3 | |||||||||||
| Rotavirus | Dose 1 | Dose 2 | Dose 3 | |||||||||||
| DTaP | Dose 1 | Dose 2 | Dose 3 | Dose 4 | Dose 5 | |||||||||
| Hib | Dose 1 | Dose 2 | Dose 3 | Dose 4 | ||||||||||
| Pneumococcal | Dose 1 | Dose 2 | Dose 3 | Dose 4 | ||||||||||
| Polio | Dose 1 | Dose 2 | Dose 3 | Dose 4 | ||||||||||
| COVID-19 | At least 1 dose of the current COVID-19 vaccine | |||||||||||||
| Influenza/Flu | Every year. Two doses for some children | |||||||||||||
| MMR | Dose 1 | Dose 2 | ||||||||||||
| Chickenpox | Dose 1 | Dose 2 | ||||||||||||
| Hepatitis A | 2 doses separated by 6 months | |||||||||||||
What diseases do these vaccines protect against?
| Vaccine-Preventable Disease | Disease Complications |
|---|---|
| RSV (Respiratory syncytial virus) Contagious viral infection of the nose, throat, and sometimes lungs; spread through air and direct contact | Infection of the lungs (pneumonia) and small airways of the lungs; especially dangerous for infants and young children |
| Hepatitis B Contagious viral infection of the liver; spread through contact with infected body fluids such as blood or semen | Chronic liver infection, liver failure, liver cancer, death |
| Rotavirus Contagious viral infection of the gut; spread through the mouth from hands and food contaminated with stool | Severe diarrhea, dehydration, death |
| Diphtheria* Contagious bacterial infection of the nose, throat, and sometimes lungs; spread through air and direct contact | Swelling of the heart muscle, heart failure, coma, paralysis, death |
| Pertussis (Whooping Cough)* Contagious bacterial infection of the lungs and airway; spread through air and direct contact | Infection of the lungs (pneumonia), death; especially dangerous for babies |
| Tetanus (Lockjaw)* Bacterial infection of brain and nerves caused by spores found in soil and dust everywhere; spores enter the body through wounds or broken skin | Seizures, broken bones, difficulty breathing, death |
| Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b) Contagious bacterial infection of the lungs, brain and spinal cord, or bloodstream; spread through air and direct contact | Depends on the part of the body infected, but can include brain damage, hearing loss, loss of arm or leg, death |
| Pneumococcal Bacterial infections of ears, sinuses, lungs, or bloodstream; spread through direct contact with respiratory droplets like saliva or mucus | Depends on the part of the body infected, but can include infection of the lungs (pneumonia), blood poisoning, infection of the lining of the brain and spinal cord, death |
| Polio Contagious viral infection of nerves and brain; spread through the mouth from stool on contaminated hands, food or liquid, and by air and direct contact | Paralysis, death |
| COVID-19 Contagious viral infection of the nose, throat, or lungs; may feel like a cold or flu. Spread through air and direct contact | Infection of the lungs (pneumonia); blood clots; liver, heart or kidney damage; long COVID; death |
| Influenza (Flu) Contagious viral infection of the nose, throat, and sometimes lungs; spread through air and direct contact | Infection of the lungs (pneumonia), sinus and ear infections, worsening of underlying heart or lung conditions, death |
| Measles (Rubeola)† Contagious viral infection that causes high fever, cough, red eyes, runny nose, and rash; spread through air and direct contact | Brain swelling, infection of the lungs (pneumonia), death |
| Mumps† Contagious viral infection that causes fever, tiredness, swollen cheeks, and tender swollen jaw; spread through air and direct contact | Brain swelling, painful and swollen testicles or ovaries, deafness, death |
| Rubella (German Measles)† Contagious viral infection that causes low-grade fever, sore throat, and rash; spread through air and direct contact | Very dangerous in pregnant people; can cause miscarriage or stillbirth, premature delivery, severe birth defects |
| Chickenpox (Varicella) Contagious viral infection that causes fever, headache, and an itchy, blistering rash; spread through air and direct contact | Infected sores, brain swelling, infection of the lungs (pneumonia), death |
| Hepatitis A Contagious viral infection of the liver; spread by contaminated food or drink or close contact with an infected person | Liver failure, death |
*DTaP protects against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis
†MMR protects against measles, mumps, and rubella