Recommended children's vaccine schedule (AAP guidelines)
We follow the vaccine schedule recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The AAP is an organization that, like us, wants to give the best care to kids.
See also
- COVID-19: Get information about COVID-19 and vaccinations.
- Flu: Get information about flu-like symptoms and the flu vaccine.
- Measles (rubeola): Learn about measles symptoms and vaccines, and watch a video that answers common questions about measles.
- RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus): Learn about RSV symptoms and vaccines, and watch videos that answer common questions about RSV.
We work with the AAP in the following ways:
- Partner with the national and New Hampshire state AAP chapters
- Held leadership roles at the AAP
- Build strong evidence-based recommendations endorsed by the AAP
- Build preventative care schedules under AAP guidelines and similarly recommend vaccines
View the AAP children's vaccine schedule (PDF)
To learn more, please refer to the following sections on this page:
- Newborn and infant vaccine schedule
- Vaccine schedule and timing of immunizations
- Why are children's vaccines important?
- How vaccines work to protect your child
- Are vaccines safe?
Newborn and infant vaccine schedule
The AAP recommends shots that help protect young children from serious diseases. These vaccines are important because babies' immune systems are still growing and need extra help to stay healthy. These include:
- Diphtheria
- Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), an invasive infection that can cause meningitis
- Hepatitis B
- Pneumococcal disease
- Polio
- Rotavirus
- RSV
- Tetanus
- Whooping cough
Once babies reach 6 months of age, we recommend flu and COVID vaccinations. Measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, and hepatitis A can follow these.
Vaccine schedule and timing of immunizations
We have studied the timing and dosage of vaccines to ensure their safety and effectiveness. We recommend vaccinating your children as early as recommended. This helps build immunity and protects them from severe diseases.
This does not overwhelm the child’s immune system. Children come in contact with germs that challenge and strengthen their immune systems every day.
Why are children's vaccines important?
Our skin and mucous membranes (the linings of the mouth, nose, and gut) are the body's first defense. If the skin is broken by a cut, rash, or splinter, germs, such as bacteria, viruses, or fungi, can enter. If mucous membranes fail to block respiratory viruses, those germs can get in, and the immune system must respond.
When viruses enter the body, they attach to healthy cells and release their genetic material into these cells. They hijack the cell's machinery to replicate and produce new viruses. Infected cells may be destroyed or continue producing more viruses. They can then infect other cells and cause us to become sick. This is a "natural" viral infection.
Infections can cause severe illness or disability, depending on which cells are damaged and how the body reacts. Examples include:
- Birth defects from rubella (German measles)
- Cervical cancer from HPV
- Intellectual disability from Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
- Liver cancer from hepatitis B
- Pneumonia from chickenpox
- Pneumonia from pneumococcus
- Pneumonia or death from measles (rubeola)
- Sterility from mumps
Vaccines are made to stop these serious problems. That is why vaccine targets are chosen carefully.
How vaccines work to protect your child
Vaccines act like training exercises for the immune system. They help the body prepare to fight germs before they cause serious illness. Vaccines teach the immune system to recognize germs and respond quickly.
Some vaccines are so effective that they prevent symptoms entirely. Other vaccines cause only a mild infection, rather than a severe one. The most common side effects are a sore arm or a mild fever, not a serious disease.
Immunity from a natural infection often develops after one illness. But, vaccines typically need many doses and boosters to establish strong, lasting protection. Unlike natural infections, vaccines provide immunity without the serious risks.
Respiratory viruses, such as the flu and COVID-19, change each year. So we recommend annual boosters to maintain protection. Staying on schedule with doses keeps your children protected when they are at risk.
Are vaccines safe?
Childhood vaccines are tested on many people to make sure they are safe and work well before they are approved. Even after they are approved, they are still watched closely for any rare side effects. If a problem comes up, experts look into it right away and make changes if needed to keep everyone safe.
Vaccines won't give you the diseases they're meant to protect you from. Some only use a tiny piece of a germ, which isn't enough to make you sick. Others use a very weak form of a virus that doesn't grow well in your body. To be extra safe, these types of vaccines usually aren't given to people with weaker immune systems.
Before vaccines, kids often got sick with diseases that we can now prevent. They sometimes had to stay home from school for weeks, and their parents had to miss work to take care of them.
Vaccines have helped make these illnesses much less common. This has been a huge success for public health. So it's important to remember to get your children vaccinated. Otherwise, these diseases could start to come back, like we've seen with some measles cases.