Vaccines for Babies: Understanding the Vaccine Schedule
Your baby’s getting a lot of shots during their first year. Here’s why.

Seeing your sweet newborn receive their first shot can be unsettling—nobody likes needles, after all. Add in the quantity of vaccinations, and it can become overwhelming.
As much as you don’t want to see your child cry from the poke of a needle (or if you’re worried about things you’ve heard about potential vaccine side effects), rest assured that the immunization schedule has been carefully researched, studied, tested, and studied again to ensure maximum safety and effectiveness.
“We give children several immunizations at once in order to stimulate their immune system,” says Dyan Hes, MD, a pediatrician in New York City. “We’ve actually found in studies that children actually respond better to multiple immunizations at once than getting one at a time.”
Here’s a look at the vaccines your baby gets during those first-year checkups:
-
Hepatitis B. Hep B is an infection that attacks the liver and can leave permanent damage and scarring. Immunization against hepatitis B is usually given in the hospital after delivery. This is crucial because mothers can transmit the infection to their child during delivery, but immediate vaccination can prevent the infection. Subsequent vaccines for hepatitis B are given in three doses: at birth, at two months, and at six months.
-
Polio. This serious infection caused thousands of illnesses each year in the United States until vaccination began in 1955, according to the CDC. Polio can lead to permanent paralysis, as in the case of President Franklin Roosevelt, or even death. Vaccines for polio are given at the two-, four-, and six-month mark.
-
Rotavirus. This easy-to-spread virus causes severe diarrhea, vomiting, and fever, particularly among infants and toddlers. Vaccines for rotavirus (which are oral, not shots) are also given at two, four, and six months.
-
Haemophilus influenzae type B (HIB). Prior to vaccination became routine, Hib disease was a major cause of bacterial meningitis—swelling of the brain and spinal cord—in young children. (Learn more about how meningitis affects the body here.) Children receive this vaccine at months two, four, and six months old, as well as a booster between 12 and 18 months.
-
Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV). Infection by pneumococci can lead to pneumonia, meningitis, and febrile bacteraemia. An estimated 1.6 million people die from these diseases each year, according to the World Health Organization. This vaccine is also given to babies at two, four, and six months, as well as a booster between 12 and 18 months.
-
Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP). Diphtheria once caused tens of thousands of deaths a year in America, but infection is very rare since routine vaccination began. Tetanus, a bacterial infection, causes lockjaw and other painful tightening of muscles. Pertussis is more commonly known as whooping cough; it can be life-threatening for infants. DTaP vaccines are given at two, four, and six months, and again between 12 and 18 months.
-
Influenza. Many people experience the flu several times throughout their life. Though many people treat the flu like it’s a really bad cold, flu virus actually causes thousands of deaths each year in the United States, according to the CDC. Those with weakened immune systems, like infants and people over age 65, are at the greatest risk of serious flu complications. When baby gets vaccinated for the first time, after age six months, they get two doses of the flu vaccine. Then they get one dose annually after that. (Learn more about how the flu affects the body here.)
-
Mumps, measles, and rubella (MMR). These three viruses are all life-threatening on their own, according to pediatrician Alok Patel, MD, of New York Presbyterian-Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital. This vaccine is given between 12 and 18 months.
-
Varicella (chickenpox). This vaccination is relatively new, so many Gen X or older millenial parents have memories of having chickenpox themselves and may not see what the big deal is. However, chickenpox causes 10,600 hospitalizations and 100 to 150 deaths each year, according to the CDC, and used to be another leading cause of meningitis. Children receive this vaccine between 12 and 18 months.
-
Hepatitis A. Like hep B, this virus affects the liver. Children receive this vaccine between 12 and 18 months.
“Many of these vaccines are going to need booster doses as your child gets older,” says Preeti Parikh, MD, a pediatrician at The Mount Sinai Hospital and chief medical editor at HealthiNation. “Research has shown that sometimes the immunity wanes.”
While needles and injections can make you a little anxious, keep in mind that these vaccinations are one of the most comprehensively studied subjects in medicine and their success rate has saved millions of lives.
Preeti Parikh, MD serves as the Chief Medical Officer of HealthiNation. She is a board-certified pediatrician practicing at Westside Pediatrics, is an Assistant Clinical Professor at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and is an American Academy of Pediatrics spokesperson. She holds degrees from Columbia University and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and has completed post-graduate training at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine.
Dyan HesDr. Hes is a pediatrician and medical director of Gramercy Pediatrics in New York City. She is double board certified in pediatrics and obesity medicine.
Alok PatelDr. Patel is a pediatrician at New York Presbyterian-Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital.
1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,752
[MUSIC]
2
00:00:02,752 --> 00:00:03,615
As a new parent,
3
00:00:03,615 --> 00:00:07,151
it can be overwhelming to see your
baby getting all these vaccines.
4
00:00:07,151 --> 00:00:11,078
But I just wanna reassure you that
pediatricians are using an immunization
5
00:00:11,078 --> 00:00:14,140
schedule that is based on research and
science behind it.
6
00:00:14,140 --> 00:00:17,857
[MUSIC]
7
00:00:17,857 --> 00:00:22,109
We give children several immunizations
at once in order to stimulate their immune
8
00:00:22,109 --> 00:00:23,000
system.
9
00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:26,676
We've actually found in studies that
children respond better to multiple
10
00:00:26,676 --> 00:00:29,138
immunizations at once than
getting one at a time.
11
00:00:29,138 --> 00:00:32,339
So I think that it's a point for
parents to kind of break them down and
12
00:00:32,339 --> 00:00:35,000
really realize what their
children are getting.
13
00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:38,452
The very first shot that children
get is hepatitis B which is gonna
14
00:00:38,452 --> 00:00:42,847
prevent hepatitis which is inflammation
of liver which can lead to liver failure,
15
00:00:42,847 --> 00:00:45,504
cirrhosis and
long-term disease in adulthood.
16
00:00:45,504 --> 00:00:50,296
Typically, hep B is given at birth at
one to two months of age and then again
17
00:00:50,296 --> 00:00:54,770
the third dose at six months of age
At the two, four and six month visit,
18
00:00:54,770 --> 00:00:58,697
your child should also be getting
an inactivated polio vaccine and
19
00:00:58,697 --> 00:00:59,970
rotavirus vaccine.
20
00:00:59,970 --> 00:01:03,880
Now, polio is one of the great
marvels in the vaccine world.
21
00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:07,978
Polio is a virus that can cause,
well, it can cause paralysis.
22
00:01:07,978 --> 00:01:11,480
We all remember President Roosevelt
in the wheelchair from polio.
23
00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:15,245
Now rotovirus, rotovirus causes diarrhea.
24
00:01:15,245 --> 00:01:17,647
Simply put,
we see a lot of it in day cares.
25
00:01:17,647 --> 00:01:20,263
We see a lot of it in areas when
children are close together and
26
00:01:20,263 --> 00:01:21,609
they don't wash their hands.
27
00:01:21,609 --> 00:01:24,608
Another two shots that parents
will see in their two, four and
28
00:01:24,608 --> 00:01:26,232
six-month would be HIB and PCV.
29
00:01:26,232 --> 00:01:29,993
That stands for
haemophilus influenzae and pneumococcus.
30
00:01:29,993 --> 00:01:34,656
Now haemophilus, my pediatric mentors
tell me stories about haemophilus in
31
00:01:34,656 --> 00:01:39,404
the early 90s and 80s causing meningitis
and death in numerous children.
32
00:01:39,404 --> 00:01:41,559
I have never seen a case now.
33
00:01:41,559 --> 00:01:42,983
Thanks to that vaccine.
34
00:01:42,983 --> 00:01:45,510
Pneumococcus is also a cause of bacterium.
35
00:01:45,510 --> 00:01:48,684
Meaning, bacteria in your blood
can also cause pneumonia,
36
00:01:48,684 --> 00:01:50,186
can also cause meningitis.
37
00:01:50,186 --> 00:01:52,795
DTaP, we threw that acronym
out around all the time.
38
00:01:52,795 --> 00:01:56,430
It stands for diphtheria,
tetanus and pertussis.
39
00:01:56,430 --> 00:01:59,771
So diphtheria is a bacteria that
can be life-threatening and
40
00:01:59,771 --> 00:02:02,606
we used to see a lot of it
back before the vaccine era.
41
00:02:02,606 --> 00:02:04,104
Tetanus, a lot of people think of.
42
00:02:04,104 --> 00:02:06,999
They think of lock jaw and
muscle paralysis, and
43
00:02:06,999 --> 00:02:09,407
then pertussis may not sound familiar.
44
00:02:09,407 --> 00:02:12,172
But when I say whooping cough,
everyone knows what that is.
45
00:02:12,172 --> 00:02:15,932
And whooping cough can be life-threatening
in young children or the elder, or
46
00:02:15,932 --> 00:02:17,118
the immune compromise.
47
00:02:17,118 --> 00:02:20,000
You get the DTaP vaccine at 2 months,
48
00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:24,160
4 months, 6 months and
between 15 to 18 months.
49
00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:26,540
Flu vaccine protects against influenza,
50
00:02:26,540 --> 00:02:30,184
which is a type of virus that can
cause body aches, muscle aches.
51
00:02:30,184 --> 00:02:33,508
It really can knock you out and
all babies, 6 months and
52
00:02:33,508 --> 00:02:35,143
older get the flu vaccine.
53
00:02:35,143 --> 00:02:38,518
The first time they get the flu vaccine,
they'll two doses.
54
00:02:38,518 --> 00:02:42,360
And then after that, annually,
it'll only be one dose a year.
55
00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:44,550
At 12 to 15 months of age,
56
00:02:44,550 --> 00:02:48,000
there's another very important set
of vaccine that your child needs.
57
00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:51,083
MMR which is a combined of mumps,
measles and rubella and
58
00:02:51,083 --> 00:02:54,115
varicella which is a fancy name for
saying chicken pox.
59
00:02:54,115 --> 00:02:58,699
Now mumps, measles and rubella,
all individually can be life-threatening.
60
00:02:58,699 --> 00:03:02,077
I know when we were kids, we all had
chicken pox and it wasn't a big deal.
61
00:03:02,077 --> 00:03:05,633
But what people don't realize is
that before the varicella shot,
62
00:03:05,633 --> 00:03:10,098
chickenpox is actually a large cause of
meningitis, inflammation of your brain.
63
00:03:10,098 --> 00:03:11,484
Why take the risk?
64
00:03:11,484 --> 00:03:14,470
There's another hepatitis shot your
child needs, that's hepatitis A.
65
00:03:14,470 --> 00:03:18,190
Now with hepatitis A, your child is
eligible to get the vaccine at age 12
66
00:03:18,190 --> 00:03:20,778
months and
a little bit older to finish the series.
67
00:03:20,778 --> 00:03:24,092
Many of these vaccines are going
to need booster doses as your child
68
00:03:24,092 --> 00:03:24,750
gets older.
69
00:03:24,750 --> 00:03:29,064
And the reason that booster doses are so
important is because research has shown,
70
00:03:29,064 --> 00:03:30,762
sometimes the immunity wanes.
71
00:03:30,762 --> 00:03:34,546
The amount of foreign antigens,
a child sees at the park or
72
00:03:34,546 --> 00:03:39,660
a day care is far greater than the amount
they see in their childhood vaccines.
73
00:03:39,660 --> 00:03:41,528
And vaccines have been studied so
74
00:03:41,528 --> 00:03:46,008
thoroughly that there is absolutely no
risk of overwhelming an immune system.
75
00:03:46,008 --> 00:03:51,849
[MUSIC]
Chickenpox/varicella vaccination. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016. (Accessed on March 20, 2021 at https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/varicella/index.html.)
Diphtheria. Washington, DC: U.S. National Library of Medicine. (Accessed on March 20, 2021 at https://medlineplus.gov/diphtheria.html.) Immunity: natural and acquired. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2017. (Accessed on December 7, 2017 athttps://www.vaccines.gov/basics/prevention/immunity/index.html.) Immunization coverage. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization. (Accessed on March 20, 2021 at http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs378/en/.) Inactivated influenza VIS. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Accessed on March 20, 2021 at https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/vis/vis-statements/flu.html.) Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization. (Accessed on March 20, 2021 at http://www.who.int/biologicals/areas/vaccines/pneumo/en/.) Polio vaccination. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Accessed on March 20, 2021 at https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/polio/index.html.) Prevention. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (Accessed on December 7, 2017 at https://www.vaccines.gov/basics/prevention/index.html.) Rotavirus vaccination. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Accessed on March 20, 2021 at https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/rotavirus/index.html.) Safety. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2012. (Accessed on December 7, 2017 at https://www.vaccines.gov/basics/safety/index.html.) Tetanus. Washington, DC: U.S. National Library of Medicine. (Accessed on March 20, 2021 at https://medlineplus.gov/tetanus.html.)