Baby Vaccine Schedule: Every Shot, Every Age, and What to Expect
Recommended immunizations for babies in the first year, protection goals, and parental guidance.
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This article is for general information and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult your pediatrician or doctor about your child.
Aligned with AAP, WHO, NHS and CDC guidance.
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Why Vaccines Matter
Before routine immunization, measles killed an estimated 2.6 million children a year worldwide. The CDC's childhood immunization schedule exists precisely because newborns carry limited antibody protection from birth — maternal immunity fades within weeks, leaving a window where vaccine-preventable diseases hit hardest. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the CDC jointly recommend starting vaccinations at birth, not at six months, because whooping cough (pertussis) is most deadly in infants under two months old — too young to have completed any doses.
- Protect against serious diseases like measles, polio, and hepatitis B
- Boost immune system during critical development stages — see also our guide on strengthening baby immunity
- Prevent outbreaks in communities
First-Year Vaccine Schedule
The schedule below follows the 2024 CDC/AAP recommended immunization schedule for children aged 0–18 months. Your pediatrician may adjust timing based on your baby's health history — always confirm with them before appointments.
- Birth: Hepatitis B (1st dose)
- 2 months: DTaP, IPV, Hib, PCV, Rotavirus
- 4 months: DTaP, IPV, Hib, PCV, Rotavirus
- 6 months: DTaP, IPV, Hib, PCV, Rotavirus, Hepatitis B (2nd or 3rd dose)
- 6–12 months: Influenza (seasonal), Hepatitis A (1st dose)
Parental Tips
- Keep a printed or digital vaccine record — the WHO's yellow card or your country's official immunization booklet is accepted at most daycares and schools worldwide
- Ask your pediatrician about combination vaccines (e.g., Pediarix combines DTaP, IPV, and Hep B into one injection, reducing the number of needle pokes at the 2-month visit)
- For post-vaccine fever, the AAP recommends infant acetaminophen dosed by weight — avoid ibuprofen under 6 months
- A cool, damp cloth on the injection site and extra feeds usually settle soreness within a few hours
- Never delay vaccines without discussing it with your pediatrician first — the timing windows exist for biological reasons, not administrative convenience
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do babies need so many vaccines?
Newborns face the highest risk from several diseases precisely when their immune systems are least equipped to fight them. Multiple doses are necessary because a single shot rarely produces lasting immunity — the second and third doses train the immune system to produce a stronger, longer-lasting antibody response. The AAP's schedule spaces doses to hit each disease's peak danger window: for example, hepatitis B starts at birth because the virus can transmit during delivery. By 18 months, a fully vaccinated child is protected against 14 serious diseases.
Are vaccines safe for newborns?
Yes — vaccines approved in the US, UK, and EU have passed multiple phases of clinical trials before reaching infants, and the CDC's Vaccine Safety Datalink continues active monitoring across millions of doses administered each year. The most common reactions are mild and local: a sore leg, low-grade fever under 101°F (38.3°C), or fussiness for 24–48 hours. Serious allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) occur in roughly 1–2 cases per million doses, and clinics keep epinephrine on hand for exactly this reason. The diseases vaccines prevent — pertussis, Hib meningitis, rotavirus dehydration — carry far greater risks of hospitalisation and death in infants than the vaccines themselves.
Can I spread side effects to unvaccinated siblings?
No — soreness, fever, and fussiness are immune responses happening inside your baby's body, not infections that can spread. The only nuance involves oral rotavirus vaccine, a live attenuated virus: the CDC notes that vaccinated infants can shed small amounts of the weakened virus in stool for up to 15 days. In practice, this poses a risk only to siblings with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). For healthy siblings, even brief exposure to shed rotavirus would be harmless. Wash hands after nappy changes during this window as a precaution.
What if my baby misses a vaccine appointment?
Call your pediatrician's office as soon as you realise — most clinics can fit catch-up doses within days, not weeks. The CDC catch-up schedule means you never restart a multi-dose series from scratch; your baby picks up from the last completed dose, with minimum interval rules between doses. A brief gap does temporarily raise infection risk, particularly for pertussis and Hib, so sooner is better. Missing one appointment does not compromise long-term immunity as long as the full series is completed.
Can vaccines cause autism?
No. The 1998 Lancet paper that first suggested an MMR–autism link was retracted in 2010 after an investigation found the data had been manipulated; the lead author lost his medical licence as a result. Since then, studies tracking over 1.2 million children — including a 2019 Danish cohort study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine — have found no elevated autism risk among vaccinated children. The CDC, WHO, AAP, and every major national health authority concur: there is no causal link between any vaccine and autism.
What are normal vaccine side effects?
The most common reactions are a red or swollen patch at the injection site, a low-grade fever (typically under 101°F / 38.3°C), increased fussiness, and slightly reduced appetite — all of which are signs the immune system is responding correctly. These effects generally peak within 12–24 hours and clear on their own by 48 hours. Infant acetaminophen (dosed by weight per AAP guidance) can ease discomfort. Contact your pediatrician if fever exceeds 104°F (40°C), your baby cries inconsolably for more than three hours, or you notice any rash beyond the injection site.
Why can't I choose which vaccines to delay?
The schedule is designed around the specific age windows when each disease is most dangerous and when vaccines produce the strongest immune response. Delaying the 2-month DTaP, for example, leaves your baby unprotected against pertussis during the weeks when infants are most likely to be hospitalised — and sometimes die — from it. Alternative schedules popularised by some parenting books have been studied and found to offer no safety advantage while extending the period of vulnerability. The AAP reviewed the evidence in 2016 and reaffirmed that no alternative schedule is supported by data.
What happens if I don't vaccinate?
Unvaccinated infants are exposed to measles, pertussis, Hib meningitis, and polio with no trained immune defence. Measles carries a roughly 1-in-1,000 risk of encephalitis in young children; pertussis kills approximately 295,000 children globally each year according to WHO estimates, most of them under 12 months. These aren't historical statistics — pertussis outbreaks occur regularly in communities where vaccination rates drop below 95%. Beyond individual risk, unvaccinated children also weaken herd immunity for infants too young or medically unable to receive vaccines themselves.
Track Every Vaccine Appointment in One Place
Whispie lets you log doses, set reminders for upcoming shots, and keep a complete immunization record your pediatrician can reference at every visit.
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