2026 CDC Childhood Immunization Schedule

1 All children whose mother did not have the vaccine should get one dose.

2 High-risk children, such as those with chronic lung disease, should receive a second dose at ages 8 to 19 months.

3 Vaccination recommended for infants born to women who tested positive for the hepatitis B virus or whose status is unknown.

4 Recommended ONLY if living in areas with endemic dengue AND with a laboratory confirmation of previous dengue infection.

5 For high-risk groups (e.g., those with anatomic or functional asplenia or HIV infection), those traveling to countries with hyperendemic or epidemic meningococcal disease, and first-year college students living in residential housing, vaccination is recommended.

6 Recommended for high-risk groups, e.g., with anatomic or functional asplenia, and during outbreaks.

7 Vaccination recommended for international travel to areas with high or intermediate hepatitis A endemicity.

• Diphtheria
  • Illness caused by a toxin produced by bacteria that infects the nose, throat, and sometimes skin.
  • Complications: Swelling of the heart muscle, heart failure, coma, paralysis, death
• Tetanus (Lockjaw)
  • Bacterial infection of brain and nerves caused by spores found in soil and dust everywhere; spores enter the body through wounds or broken skin
  • Complications: Seizures, broken bones, difficulty breathing, death
• Pertussis (Whooping Cough)
  • Contagious bacterial infection of the lungs and airway; spread through air and direct contact
  • Complications: Infection of the lungs (pneumonia), death; especially dangerous for babies
• Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b)
  • Contagious bacterial infection of the lungs, brain and spinal cord, or bloodstream; spread through air and direct contact
  • Complications: Depends on the part of the body infected, but can include brain damage, hearing loss, loss of arm or leg, death
• Pneumococcal
  • Bacterial infections of ears, sinuses, lungs, or bloodstream; spread through direct contact with respiratory droplets like saliva or mucus
  • Complications: Depends on the part of the body infected, but can include infection of the lungs (pneumonia), blood poisoning, infection of the lining of the brain and spinal cord, death
• Polio
  • Contagious viral infection of nerves and brain; spread through the mouth from stool on contaminated hands, food or liquid, and by air and direct contact
  • Complications: Paralysis, death
• Measles (Rubeola)
  • Contagious viral infection that causes high fever, cough, red eyes, runny nose, and rash; spread through air and direct contact
  • Complications: Brain swelling, infection of the lungs (pneumonia), death
• Mumps
  • Contagious viral infection that causes fever, tiredness, swollen cheeks, and tender swollen jaw; spread through air and direct contact
  • Complications: Brain swelling, painful and swollen testicles or ovaries, deafness, death
• Rubella (German Measles)
  • Contagious viral infection that causes low-grade fever, sore throat, and rash; spread through air and direct contact
  • Complications: Very dangerous in pregnant women; can cause miscarriage or stillbirth, premature delivery, severe birth defects
• Chickenpox (Varicella)
  • Contagious viral infection that causes fever, headache, and an itchy, blistering rash; spread through air and direct contact
  • Complications: Infected sores, brain swelling, infection of the lungs (pneumonia), death
• HPV (Human papillomavirus)
  • Contagious viral infection spread by close skin-to-skin touching, including during sex
  • Complications: Genital warts and many types of cancers later in life, including cancers of the cervix, vagina, penis, anus, and throat
• RSV (Respiratory syncytial virus)
  • Contagious viral infection of the nose, throat, and sometimes lungs; spread through air and direct contact
  • Complications: Infection of the lungs (pneumonia) and small airways of the lungs; especially dangerous for infants and young children
• Hepatitis B
  • Contagious viral infection of the liver; spread through contact with infected body fluids such as blood or semen
  • Complications: Chronic liver infection, liver failure, liver cancer, death
• Dengue
  • Viral infection spread by bite from infected mosquito; causes, fever, headache, pain behind the eyes, rash, joint pain, body ache, nausea, loss of appetite, feeling tired, abdominal pain
  • Complications: Severe bleeding, seizures, shock, damage to the liver, heart, and lungs, death
• Mpox
  • Contagious viral infection spread through close, often skin-to-skin contact, including sex; causes a painful rash, fever, headache, tiredness, cough, runny nose, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes
  • Complications: Infected sores, brain swelling, infection of the lungs (pneumonia), eye infection, blindness, death
• Meningococcal
  • Contagious bacterial infection of the lining of the brain and spinal cord or the bloodstream; spread through air and direct contact
  • Complications: Loss of arm or leg, deafness, seizures, death
• Rotavirus
  • Contagious viral infection of the gut; spread through the mouth from hands and food contaminated with stool
  • Complications: Severe diarrhea, dehydration, death
• COVID-19
  • Contagious viral infection of the nose, throat, or lungs; may feel like a cold or flu. Spread through air and direct contact
  • Complications: Infection of the lungs (pneumonia); blood clots; liver, heart or kidney damage; long COVID; death
• Influenza (Flu)
  • Contagious viral infection of the nose, throat, and sometimes lungs; spread through air and direct contact
  • Complications: Infection of the lungs (pneumonia), sinus and ear infections, worsening of underlying heart or lung conditions, death
• Hepatitis A
  • Contagious viral infection of the liver; spread by contaminated food or drink or close contact with an infected person
  • Complications: Liver failure, death

• AAFP - 2025 Birth Through Age 18 Immunization Schedule (September 2025)


• AAP - 2025 Recommended Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule


• CDC - 2025 Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule (November 2025)


• CDC - 2024 Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule (January 2024)