Baby Vaccine Schedule: Every Shot, Every Age, and What to Expect

Why Vaccines Matter

Before measles vaccination became widespread, the disease caused an estimated 2.6 million deaths a year worldwide (WHO). Babies get some antibodies from their mother, but that protection lasts only the first few months, and most babies get none against whooping cough, polio, Hib or hepatitis B (CDC). Whooping cough is most dangerous at the very start of life — about 7 in 10 whooping-cough deaths are in babies younger than 2 months, who are too young for their own DTaP shots — which is why the CDC recommends the Tdap vaccine in every pregnancy, at 27–36 weeks.

• 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 (United States)

The list below follows the child schedule currently published by the CDC. The American Academy of Pediatrics' 2026 schedule recommends the same vaccines at these ages, and also recommends a COVID-19 vaccine for babies 6–23 months (the CDC leaves that to a shared decision with your doctor). US recommendations were revised several times in 2025–2026, so confirm the plan with your pediatrician.

• Birth: Hepatitis B (1st dose). Babies born during RSV season (October–March in most of the US) get an RSV antibody shot in their first week, unless the mother had the RSV vaccine at least 2 weeks before birth; babies born at other times get it shortly before their first RSV season.
• 1–2 months: Hepatitis B (2nd dose)
• 2 months: DTaP, IPV, Hib, PCV, rotavirus
• 4 months: DTaP, IPV, Hib, PCV, rotavirus
• 6 months: DTaP, PCV; rotavirus and Hib depending on the brand used; flu vaccine every year from now on (2 doses, 4 weeks apart, in the first season)
• 6–18 months: Hepatitis B (3rd dose), IPV (3rd dose)
• 12–15 months: MMR, chickenpox (varicella), Hib and PCV boosters
• 12–23 months: Hepatitis A, 2 doses given 6–18 months apart
• 15–18 months: DTaP (4th dose)

Schedules Differ by Country

Every country sets its own schedule, so the same vaccine can come at a different age, or not be routine at all. Hepatitis A is a good example: it is routine at 12–23 months in the US, at 18 and 24 months in Türkiye and Saudi Arabia, and not part of the routine infant schedule in the UK or Germany. In the UK, babies start at 8 weeks (8, 12 and 16 weeks, then 1 year and 18 months), and the hepatitis B birth dose is only for babies whose mother has hepatitis B.

Official dates by birth date, from each country's own schedule: UK (NHS) · Germany (STIKO) · France · Spain · Netherlands · Türkiye · Russia · Japan · Saudi Arabia and Egypt

Parental Tips

• Keep your baby's official vaccination record up to date — daycares and schools usually ask for it
• 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)
• Fever medicine: if your baby is under 12 weeks and has a fever, call your pediatrician first and give no fever medicine before your baby is seen. For older babies, the AAP advises not treating a low fever (100–102°F / 37.8–39°C); above 102°F (39°C), acetaminophen dosed by weight can help, and ibuprofen is only for babies 6 months and older
• 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