Recommended Vaccines for Children & Teens
As little ones grow, certain immunizations are needed to help protect them from preventable diseases. The health experts at Kirby Medical Center are here to break down which immunizations your little one should get during the different stages of childhood and adolescence.
Why Vaccination is Important
Along with leading an active lifestyle, practicing good hygiene, and eating a healthy diet—getting age-appropriate vaccines is an essential part of supporting your overall health. Getting the recommended immunizations can help protect your little ones from becoming seriously ill with preventable diseases like whooping cough.
Vaccines are made up of the same germs that cause disease. However, they've been killed or weakened to the point that they don’t make you sick. Exposure to these germs helps stimulate your immune system, helping it produce antibodies the same way it would if you were actually sick.
Recommended Vaccines By Age
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is recommended that children and teens get the following immunizations:
- Birth: Hepatitis B.
- 1-4 months: Hepatitis B, DTap, Hib, polio, pneumococcal disease, and rotavirus.
- 5-6 months: DTaP, Hib, polio, pneumococcal disease, rotavirus, and the seasonal flu vaccine.
- 7-11 months: The seasonal flu vaccine.
- 12-23 months: Chickenpox, DTaP, Hib, polio, MRR, pneumococcal disease, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and the seasonal flu vaccine.
- 2-3 years: The seasonal flu vaccine.
- 4-6 years: DTaP, polio, MMR, chickenpox boosters, and the seasonal flu vaccine
- 7-10 years: The seasonal flu vaccine.
- 11-12 years: meningococcal disease, HPV, Tdap vaccines, and the seasonal flu vaccine
- 13-18 years: Meningococcal conjugate and serogroup B meningococcal vaccines and the seasonal flu vaccine.
If you have any questions about which vaccines are right for your child, be sure to reach out to your primary care doctor to ensure that they’re on schedule for their age.
Contact Kirby Medical Center
At Kirby Medical Center, we are dedicated to helping our community learn how to stay healthy and safe. If you are concerned about your health risks and the types of vaccines that are right for you, contact Kirby Medical Center at 217-762-2115 to learn more about how we can assist with all your healthcare needs.