Immunizations and booster shots for you and your chers

This August during National Immunization Awareness Month, get you and your loved ones up to date with immunizations and booster shots for adults and children.

It’s a good day to get your shots

National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) is observed every August to bring attention to vaccination importance for child and adult health care. The national observance, which debuted in 2013, was the brainchild of the National Public Health Information Coalition to help families understand how vaccines protect people.

Coordinated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), NIAM is timed perfectly for meeting back-to-school vaccine requirements and getting ahead of flu season to better protect public health. The safety and efficacy of every vaccine are reviewed by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.

Immunization schedules by age

From the day you’re born, vaccines play an important part in keeping you healthy, starting with a shot to protect against hepatitis B given in the first 24 hours of life. Whether you’re a child or an adult, there’s an immunization schedule—a list of vaccines and additional doses and when you should get each one—for you. Follow the vaccine schedules the CDC recommends for you and your family.

Children, birth to age 6

Birth: Hepatitis B vaccine (first dose)

1–2 Months: Hepatitis B vaccine (second dose)

2 Months: Rotavirus (RV), diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP), Haemophilus influenzae type b (HIB), pneumococcus (PCV13), polio (IPV) vaccines (all first doses)

4 Months: Rotavirus (RV), diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP), Haemophilus influenzae type b (HIB), pneumococcus (PCV13), polio (IPV) vaccines (all second doses)

6 Months: Rotavirus (RV), diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP), haemophilus influenzae type b (HIB), pneumococcus (PCV13) vaccines (all third doses)

6–18 Months: Polio (IPV), Hepatitis B vaccines (third doses)

6 Months–6 Years: Flu shot annually, COVID-19 vaccines as recommended by the CDC

12 Months: Haemophilus influenzae type b (HIB) vaccine (fourth dose), pneumococcus (PCV13) vaccine (fourth dose), measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine (first dose), chickenpox (varicella) vaccine (first dose)

12–23 Months: Hepatitis A vaccine (first dose)

4–6 Years: Diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine (fifth dose), polio (IPV) vaccine (fourth dose), measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine (second dose), chickenpox (varicella) vaccine (second dose)

Children, ages 7–18

7–18 Years: Flu shot annually, COVID-19 vaccines as recommended by the CDC

11–12 Years: Meningococcal disease (MenACWY) vaccine, human papillomavirus (HPV—two doses), tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis (Tdap)

13–18 Years: Meningococcal conjugate (MenACWY) at age 16 (second dose), serogroup B meningococcal at ages 16–18 (2 doses)

Adults

19 and older: Annual flu shot; COVID-19 vaccines as recommended by the CDC, which has approved mixing and matching coronavirus vaccines from different manufacturers for adults

Pregnant women of any age: Tdap with every pregnancy between 27–36 weeks gestation

16 and older: Meningitis B (booster)

19 and older: Tdap or Td booster/repeat every 10 years

18–26: HPV (if not already vaccinated)—three doses

27–45: HPV in certain situations if not already vaccinated—consult your physician about your specific circumstances

50 and older: Shingles vaccine

65 and older: Pneumococcal vaccine

A global commitment to disease prevention

Many countries around the globe advocate for public health through vaccination. For instance, March 16 is the date of the annual National Vaccination Day observed in India to promote childhood vaccines. There’s also an annual World Immunization Week, observed the last week of April, a coordinated effort of the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund. World Immunization Week attaches a new theme to its messaging each year to help illustrate the importance of shots and booster shots as a way to protect people of all ages from vaccine-preventable medical conditions.

In this world filled with so many things we can’t control, vaccine-preventable disease is one area where our collective efforts make a lifesaving impact. Immunization provides prevention against a wide array of diseases that can make you, your family or your friends gravely ill or worse. The vast majority of people are vaccine eligible.

Schedule an appointment with your primary care provider or pediatrician to get the recommended immunizations and boosters for you and your cherished ones.