Immunization Information

Vaccines have nearly eradicated several diseases, such as polio and smallpox. Yet, according to the national Centers for Disease Control, some preventable childhood diseases, such as measles and whooping cough, are on the rise.

Most of those affected by whooping cough and measles are babies and toddlers. And no wonder--according to the CDC, an estimated 37 to 56 percent of American children are not fully immunized by age two.

Starting young
Keeping up with a child's immunization schedule may seem like a daunting extra for busy parents. According to the national Food and Drug Administration, cost and inconvenience might partially explain low immunization rates. State regulations help to ensure that school-age children are up on their immunizations. But a properly immunized child has received fourteen vaccinations by the time she is two, long before "school rules" guarantee that parents have immunized their children.

So how do you know which vaccines come when? Here is a schedule of immunizations that your child needs to be protected from childhood illnesses.

Vaccination Schedule for Children
0-1 months: HepB
    Note: High risk infants (those whose mothers have tested positive for hepatitis B) should also receive immune globulin (HBIG) within 12 hrs. of birth.

1-2 months: HepB
    Note: 2nd HepB administered more than 1 mo. after 1st HepB vaccine. For high risk infants, 2nd HepB is recommended at 1-2 mos.

2 months: DTaP, Polio, Hib
    Note: Check with your doctor to decide which polio vaccine your child should receive (IPV, OPV, or a combination).

4 months: DTaP, Polio, Hib

6 months HepB, DTaP, (Hib)
    Note: Hib may not be required, depending on type of vaccine used. Check with your doctor.

12-15 months: Hib, MMR

15-18 months: DTaP

12-18 months: Chicken pox, Polio
    Note: Older children who have not had chicken pox and have not been vaccinated previously should get the vaccine by their 13th birthday.

4-6 years: DTaP, Polio, MMR
    Note: MMR: where required by public health authorities for school entry. Otherwise, at 11-12 years. Check with your doctor.

11-16 years: Td
    Note: Recommended at 11-12 yrs. if at least 5 years have elapsed since last dose of DTP, DTaP, or DT. Subsequent routine Td boosters are recommended every 10 years.

Key to Vaccination Short Hand:
DTaP -- diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis. DTaP is now preferred over DTP because it has reduced side-effects.
HepB -- hepatitis B
Hib -- Haemophilus influenza type B
IPV -- Inactive Polio Vaccine
MMR -- measles, mumps, rubella
OPV -- Oral Polio Vaccine
Td -- tetanus, diphtheria

Based on the Recommended Immunization Schedule (United States, January-December 1997) approved by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).

Interested in learning more?
Parents sometimes have questions about the vaccines their children are supposed to receive. If you have questions about the safety of the various oral and injected vaccines, or want to make sure you have the most current information on recommended vaccinations, call the National Immunization Information Hotline. You can call anytime between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday, the call is toll-free, and information is available in English and Spanish.