What Is the List of Normal Childhood Vaccinations?

The list of childhood vaccinations is a grouping of shots that is recommended to every child in the United States. These immunizations prepare the child's body to fight diseases that could make him extremely ill if contracted. Although many of these diseases are now uncommon in the United States because of these vaccinations, parents are still encouraged to have their children immunized because outbreaks still occasionally occur. These vaccinations are responsible for keeping children healthy and ensuring that these outbreaks become increasingly rare in the future.

  1. Under 1 Year

    • Vaccination starts at birth, when it is recommended that babies receive their first dose of the hepatitis B immunization. At 2 months, the child then receives her second hepatitis B vaccine, although she may instead receive this at 1 month of age. She also receives her diphtheria, tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis, haemophilus influenzae type b, pneumococcal conjugate and inactivated poliovirus vaccine at this time. The child then receives her second and third dose of these vaccines at 4 and 6 months respectively, according to MayoClinic.com.

    Over 1 Year

    • Between the ages of 12 and 15 months, the child receives his final doses of haemophilus influenzae type b and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines. Then, when he is between 15 and 18 months of age, he receives the fourth dose of the diphtheria toxoid, tetanus toxoid and acellular pertussis vaccine. This is also the age where he receives his first doses of the measles-mumps-rubella, varicella and hepatitis A vaccines, reports MayoClinic.com. It is recommended that he gets his second dose of the hepatitis A vaccine six months after his first.

    Older Children and Boosters

    • At 4 years of age, the child gets her final dose of the diphtheria toxoid, tetanus toxoid and acellular pertussis, inactivated poliovirus, measles-mumps-rubella and varicella vaccines. In most cases, the child should receive these immunizations before starting kindergarten. Between the ages of 11 and 12, an additional tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid and acellular pertussis vaccine is recommended, as are the meningococcal conjugate and human papillomavirus vaccines. The HPV immunization requires three doses over the course of six months. When the child is 16, a meningococcal conjugate vaccine is recommended, according to MayoClinic.com.

    Alternative Vaccination Schedules

    • If you are not comfortable with this schedule, it is possible to ask for an alternative one. Some parents are now opting out of the hepatitis B vaccine for their newborns and waiting until the child is older. This is because the shot sometimes causes a fever and may disrupt feeding in a newborn. In addition, some parents now choose to give their children only two vaccines at one time, rather than six, as this can decrease the chances of a chemical overload occurring, suggests AskDrSears.com.

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