Recommendations and Guidelines:

2008 Child & Adolescent Immunization Schedules
for persons aged 0-6 years, 7-18 years, and "catch-up schedule"

The Schedules lists the ages (birth through 6 years old and 7 through 18 years old) for when each vaccine or series of shots is to be given. If your child or adolescent has missed any shots, consult the catch-up schedule AND check with your doctor about getting back on track.

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2008 Schedules

*Note: The schedules were updated on March 5, 2008 with the following changes:

There was a correction to the HPV vaccine regimen in the Catch-up Immunization Schedule. The entry to HPV vaccine was changed to:

Dose 1 to 2: 4 weeks
Dose 2 to 3: 12 weeks (and 24 weeks after the first dose)

This means that the third dose needs to be administered not earlier than 6 months from the first dose. The minimum intervals between dose one and dose two as well as between dose two and dose three remain unchanged. An MMWR erratum to reflect this change is in the process.

MMWR of Recommended Schedules (published January 11, 2008)

Recommended Immunization Schedules for Persons Aged 0-18 Years -- United States, 2008
The childhood and adolescent immunization schedule and the catch-up immunization schedule for 2007 have been approved by Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
This version serves as a text-only for screen-reader devices.

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Changes in the Schedule since last release

Changes listed here are outlined in MMWR with figures, etc.

• The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) footnote reflects updated recommendations for incompletely vaccinated children aged 24–59 months, including those with underlying medical conditions.
• Recommendations for use of the live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) now include healthy children as young as 2 years. LAIV should not be administered to children younger than 5 years with recurrent wheezing. Children aged under 9 years who are receiving influenza vaccine for the first time or who were vaccinated for the first time last season, but only received 1 dose, should have 2 doses of vaccine, at least 4 weeks apart. Other updates are included.
• For meningococcal vaccines, changes affect certain children aged 2–10 years. Vaccinating with meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4) is preferred to meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine (MPSV4) for children at increased risk for meningococcal disease, including children who are traveling to or residents of countries in which the disease is hyperendemic or epidemic, children who have terminal complement component deficiencies, and children who have anatomic or functional asplenia. The catch-up schedule for youths aged 13–18 years has been
  updated. MPSV4 is an acceptable alternative for short-term (i.e., 3–5 years) protection against meningococcal disease for persons aged 2–18 years.
• The tetanus and diphtheria toxoids/tetanus and diphtheria toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine (Td/Tdap) catch-up schedule for persons aged 7–18 years who received their first dose before age 12 months now indicates that these youths should receive 4 doses, with at least 4 weeks (not 8 weeks) between doses 2 and 3.
• The catch-up bars for hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccine have been deleted on the routine schedule for persons aged 0–6 years. The figure title refers users to the catch-up schedule (Table) for patients who fall behind or start late with vaccinations.

Presentation Graphics

These images are only the chart portions of the immunization schedule and are provided for use in PowerPoint Presentations:

• jpg image 1 (.jpg - 1.52MB) (chart only-birth to 6 years) March 12
• jpg image 2 (.jpg - 1.81MB) (chart only-7 to 18 years) March 12
• jpg image 3 (.jpg - 2.81 MB) (catch-up chart-4 mos. to 18 yrs.) March 12

Reproduction Instructions

The color versions are the preferred files for office printer and commercial/professional printer use. Black-and-white versions are intended only for those who must print in black and white.

Tip: If you wish to save printer toner, use a color copier to make additional copies.

Related Topics

• Interactive child's immunization scheduler (birth-6 years old)
• Child immunization and "scheduler" brochures
• ACIP Recommendations
• Summary of Recommendations for Childhood & Adolescent Immunization (exit)
• Blank vaccine record forms
• Vaccines in delay or shortage
• Article: "Economic Evaluation of the 7-Vaccine Routine Childhood Immunization Schedule in the U.S., 2001" (exit) from Dec. 2005 - Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
• Vaccines for teens and college students
• Vaccines for adults (adult immunization schedule)
• Additional info about adolescent and adult vaccines
• History of the Vaccine Schedule (exit)
• Childhood Schedules from Past Years

*MMWR--Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report

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