Childhood Immunization Schedule

Protect your child from preventable illnesses with help from Adventist HealthCare. Trust our team for safe, effective immunizations.

What Are Immunizations?

Immunizations are also called vaccinations or vaccines. Vaccines help your body learn how to fight an illness. They have saved millions of lives around the world. 

How Vaccines Work

Your child’s doctor will give your child an injection, or shot. It uses a small, harmless amount of a dead or weakened germ. Your child’s body will remember how to fight that germ so they have protection if they come into contact with it later. 

Count on your child’s doctor to listen, answer your questions and explain what will happen before, during and after an immunization. 

Benefits of Childhood Vaccinations

Getting the vaccines your child’s doctor recommends helps:

• Protect your child from diseases that can cause serious health problems
• Protect people in your community who aren’t able to get vaccines
• Prevent diseases that used to be common from coming back

Your child’s immune system is not as developed as an adult’s. That means immunizations help them stay safe and healthy while they grow.

What Vaccines Does My Child Need?

Talk to your child’s doctor about what vaccines are right for your child and when they need to get them. Your child’s vaccination schedule depends on their age. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), your child should see their doctor for immunizations from:

• Birth to 6 years old
• 7 to 18 years old

What Vaccines Are Required for School?

Your child will need certain vaccines before they attend public school in Maryland or Washington, D.C. Get vaccines for:

• Chickenpox, or varicella
• Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTaP)
• Hepatitis B
• Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR)
• Pertussis
• Polio (IPV)
• Tetanus

If your child lives in Washington, D.C., he or she will also need the hepatitis A vaccine.

Other Types of Vaccines

Depending on their age, your child may also benefit from vaccines for:

• Bacterial meningitis
• Human papillomavirus (HPV)
• Influenza (flu)
• Meningococcal and pneumococcal infections
• Rotavirus

Ask your child’s doctor about immunizations that may protect your child.