Which Vaccines Do I Need?

• COVID-19 Vaccine: Everyone 6 months and older with a weakened immune system is recommended to receive at least two age-appropriate doses of the updated COVID-19 vaccine 6 months (minimum interval 2 months) apart. You may receive additional doses based on discussions with your healthcare provider or if previously unvaccinated.
• Flu Vaccine: Everyone 6 months and older should get vaccinated to reduce the risk of getting the flu. If you're 65 or older, or 18-64 and have received an organ transplant and are taking immunosuppressive medication, ask your provider about the high-dose, recombinant or adjuvanted flu vaccine.
• RSV: For people aged 75 and older, one dose protects against severe illness from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). If you're aged 50+ and have an underlying health condition, you should also get the vaccine to protect you against RSV.
  Infants under 8 months old should receive a single RSV immunization of (nirsevimab or clesrovimab) before or during the RSV season (October through March) to protect them from severe RSV disease. Infants and children 8 to 19 months of age who are at high risk for severe RSV disease and entering their second RSV season should also receive one dose of nirsevimab.
• Pneumococcal Vaccine: This vaccine protects you against bacteria that can cause serious infections in children and adults. The childhood series is recommended before age 5 and adult 50 and older should receive at least 1 dose. Children and adults aged 2–49 years with immunocompromising conditions should also get this vaccine.
• Meningococcal Vaccine: These vaccines are routinely recommended for adolescents aged 11–12 years to prevent a serious brain infection. This vaccine should also be given to anyone 2 months and above without a spleen (asplenia) or a specific immunodeficiency.
• Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) Vaccine: 1-3 doses are needed depending on your medical condition and the number of doses you previously received.
• Hepatitis B Vaccine: Previously unvaccinated adults under age 60 should get vaccinated to prevent liver disease. Those 60+ can get it especially if they are on dialysis, are living with HIV, or have other risk factors such as diabetes.
• Shingles: Immunocompromised adults 19 years and older should get 2 doses, 1–2 months apart to prevent shingles which may cause serious complications like long-term nerve pain and vision loss.
• Human papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine: Children aged 9 -14 years with immunocompromising conditions, such as HIV, should get 3 doses of this vaccine to prevent HPV-related cancers.
• Routine Vaccines: Keep up to date with other routinely recommended vaccines such as Tdap, hepatitis A, and polio. You should speak to your doctor before receiving live vaccines such as MMR and Varicella. These vaccines are not routinely recommended for severely immunocompromised people. Check with your doctor to see which vaccine(s) you may need.

How Do I Get Vaccinated?

• Visit your health care provider or pharmacy.
• Ask your health care provider if additional doses are recommended for you.
• If you don’t have a provider, go to public health vaccination sites for a list of free and low-cost vaccination clinics.
• The best part is you can get most vaccines at the same visit!

Vaccines are recommended at different stages throughout your child’s life, carefully timed to protect children when they are most vulnerable to diseases and when the vaccine will produce the strongest response from the child’s immune system.

All recommended vaccines have been carefully studied and safely prevent diseases, like measles, mumps and chickenpox. They have been thoroughly tested to make sure they provide your child with more protection than if they were unvaccinated.

For maximum protection, infants and toddlers should stay up to date on all their vaccines. This is especially important during fall and winter, when children typically spend more time together indoors, increasing the risk of spreading respiratory illnesses, such as flu, COVID-19 and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus).

What Vaccines Should My Child Get?

These vaccines are recommended for infants and toddlers, administered between birth and six years old, to protect from 15 potentially deadly infectious diseases:

• DTaP Vaccine: A 5-dose series is recommended, beginning at the age of 2 months, to protect against diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough, which are especially dangerous for infants.
• Hepatitis B Vaccine: A 3-dose series, beginning at birth, is recommended to protect against Hepatitis B, which can cause long-term liver disease including liver cancer.
• Polio Vaccine: A 4-dose series, when started at 2 months of age, can prevent polio, a disease that can result in permanent paralysis.
• MMR Vaccine: Two doses are recommended, the first at 12 to 15 months old and the second at 4 to 6 years old, for the most protection against these easily transmittable diseases: measles, mumps and rubella (German measles).
• Varicella Vaccine: Two doses are recommended, the first at 12 to 15 months old and the second at 4 to 6 years old, to protect against chickenpox, which can cause rash, fever, infected blisters, brain swelling and/or pneumonia.
• Flu Vaccine: One dose is recommended annually for most children 6 months old and older. Some children under age 9 may need two doses. Your health care provider can recommend the best dosing to protect against influenza. Flu can result in fever, muscle pain, fatigue, respiratory infection and brain damage.
• Covid-19 Vaccine: All individuals 6 months and older who choose protection are recommended to receive updated COVID-19 vaccines. Children previously unvaccinated should complete an initial COVID-19 vaccine series. Children 6 months through 18 years of age who are moderately or severely immunocompromised require 2 or more doses of age-appropriate COVID-19 vaccine. COVID-19 vaccines should be prioritized for:
  • Children 6-23 months who are at highest risk of severe illness.
  • Children 6 months-18 years who have underlying conditions that place them at high risk for severe disease.
  • Children in close contact with persons at high risk for severe disease.
• RSV Immunization: Infants under 8 months old who are born during or entering their first RSV season (October through March) should receive one dose of nirsevimab or clesrovimab to protect against the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) if their birth parent did not receive RSV vaccine during pregnancy. RSV can cause pneumonia and bronchiolitis in young infants. Infants and children 8- to 19-months-old who are at high risk for RSV and entering their second RSV season should also receive one dose of nirsevimab.
• Rotavirus (RV) Vaccine: A 2- to 3-dose series, beginning at the age of 2 months, to protect against this virus that can result in severe diarrhea, fever, vomiting and dehydration.
• Haemophilus influenzae Type b Vaccine (Hib): A 3- to 4-dose series, beginning at 2 months of age, that provides protection against bacterial infection which can result in meningitis, severe breathing problems and pneumonia.
• Pneumococcal Vaccine: A 4-dose series, beginning at age 2 months, that provides protection against bacteria that can cause lung, blood, and brain infections.
• Hepatitis A Vaccine: Two doses given starting at 12 months to protect against hepatitis A which can result in fever, loss of appetite, jaundice and long-term liver, kidney or blood disorders.

How Do I Get My Child Vaccinated?

• Talk to your child’s pediatrician/primary health care provider about vaccines.
• If you don’t have a provider, go to public health vaccination sites for a list of free and low-cost vaccination clinics and more information about vaccines.
• The best part is you can get most vaccines at the same visit! It means less discomfort for your child, and you will spend less time away from your other activities.