Newborn Vaccination Schedule: What's Due and When
Educational information, not medical advice — confirm the schedule with your pediatrician.
Quick answer
The CDC's "Vaccines by Age" page — checked October 16, 2026 — starts the routine infant series at 1–2 months with DTaP, Hib, polio (IPV), pneumococcal (PCV), rotavirus, and hepatitis B, continuing at 4 and 6 months, then MMR, chickenpox, and hepatitis A between 12 and 23 months. Note: the page does not currently list a birth dose, and the reported December 2025 hepatitis B birth-dose policy change could not be confirmed on the CDC page itself — confirm timing with your pediatrician.
Key takeaways
- Official sources only for this page: the schedule below mirrors the CDC's "Vaccines by Age" page as it reads on October 16, 2026.
- The routine series begins at 1–2 months; there is no birth-dose section on the CDC page as currently rendered.
- 2, 4, and 6-month visits each cover the same core set: DTaP, Hib, polio, pneumococcal, rotavirus (+ HepB at 2 and 6 months).
- 12–23 months adds MMR, chickenpox, and hepatitis A, plus final doses.
- Missed a dose? Series do not need restarting — your pediatrician uses the catch-up schedule.
Vaccines at birth: what the current guidance says
This is the one part of the schedule that recently changed, so here is exactly what is verifiable today:
- The CDC's "Vaccines by Age" page, as rendered on October 16, 2026, begins with "Starting at 1 to 2 months of age" and lists no birth-dose section.
- A December 2025 change to the hepatitis B birth dose — moving it from a universal recommendation to shared decision-making for babies whose mothers test HepB-negative — has been reported via WebMD, but not confirmed on the CDC page itself.
- The AAP reportedly still recommends the universal hepatitis B birth dose within 24 hours — also reported via WebMD, not confirmed on an AAP source we could open.
- The AAP also publishes its own independent childhood immunization schedule, which does not align with the federal schedule on every recommendation.
What to do: ask your pediatrician and your birth hospital directly what they recommend and administer at birth. Hospital practice can differ from the federal page, and your pediatrician's guidance is the one that governs your baby's care.
Vaccines at 1–2 months
Per the CDC page (checked October 16, 2026), starting at 1 to 2 months your baby receives:
| Vaccine | Dose | Protects against |
|---|---|---|
| DTaP | 1st of 5 | Diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough (pertussis) |
| Hib | 1st of 3 or 4 | *Haemophilus influenzae* type b disease |
| Hepatitis B | 2nd of 3 | Hepatitis B (liver disease, liver cancer) |
| IPV | 1st of 4 | Polio |
| PCV | 1st of 4 | Pneumococcal disease |
| Rotavirus | 1st of 2 or 3 | Rotavirus (severe infant diarrhea) |
(The "3 or 4" and "2 or 3" ranges depend on the vaccine brand your clinic uses — your pediatrician tracks which one.)
Vaccines at 4 months and 6 months
At 4 months — second doses across the core set:
| Vaccine | Dose |
|---|---|
| DTaP | 2nd of 5 |
| Hib | 2nd of 3 or 4 |
| IPV (polio) | 2nd of 4 |
| PCV (pneumococcal) | 2nd of 4 |
| Rotavirus | 2nd of 2 or 3 |
At 6 months — third doses, plus hepatitis B and a COVID-19 conversation:
| Vaccine | Dose |
|---|---|
| DTaP | 3rd of 5 |
| Hib | 3rd of 4 |
| Hepatitis B | 3rd of 3 |
| IPV (polio) | 3rd of 4 |
| PCV (pneumococcal) | 3rd of 4 |
| Rotavirus | 3rd of 3 |
| COVID-19 | Parents should discuss the benefits of vaccination with a health care provider |
Note the pattern: the 2, 4, and 6-month visits are intentionally similar. The schedule is designed so multiple vaccines can be given safely at the same visit — spreading them out without a medical reason only leaves your baby unprotected for longer.
Vaccines at 12–23 months
Between 12 and 23 months, the schedule adds new vaccines and finishes several series:
| Vaccine | Dose | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| MMR | 1st of 2 | Measles, mumps, rubella |
| Chickenpox (varicella) | 1st of 2 | — |
| Hepatitis A | 1st of 2 | — |
| DTaP | 4th of 5 | — |
| Hib | 3rd of 3 or 4th of 4 | Final dose |
| PCV (pneumococcal) | 4th of 4 | Final dose |
| Hepatitis B | 3rd of 3 | Due between 6 and 18 months |
| IPV (polio) | 3rd of 4 | Due between 6 and 18 months |
| Flu | Every flu season | Annual |
By age 2, following the full schedule, a child is protected against 16 vaccine-preventable diseases, per the CDC page.
What does each vaccine protect against?
| Vaccine | The disease(s), in plain language |
|---|---|
| Hepatitis B (HepB) | A liver infection that can become chronic and cause liver damage or cancer; babies infected at birth face the highest risk of lifelong infection. |
| DTaP | Diphtheria, tetanus (lockjaw), and pertussis — whooping cough, especially dangerous for babies. |
| Hib | *Haemophilus influenzae* type b — can cause meningitis and other serious illness in children under 5. |
| IPV | Polio — can infect the spinal cord and cause paralysis; eliminated in the US through vaccination. |
| PCV | Pneumococcal bacteria — cause pneumonia, meningitis, and bloodstream infections. |
| Rotavirus | Causes severe diarrhea and dehydration in babies and young children. |
| MMR | Measles, mumps, and rubella — all contagious and capable of serious complications. |
| Varicella | Chickenpox — usually mild but can be serious in babies. |
| Hepatitis A | A liver disease children often carry without symptoms but pass to others. |
| Flu | Seasonal influenza — recommended every flu season from 6 months old. |
What to ask your pediatrician about vaccines
Vaccine visits are quick. These are the questions pediatricians expect — write the answers down:
- What is your practice's position on the hepatitis B birth dose, given the current federal guidance?
- Which brand series are you using (this affects whether Hib/rotavirus need 3 or 4 doses)?
- What should I expect after the shots — normal fussiness vs. a call-worthy reaction?
- We missed a visit — how does the catch-up schedule work for us?
- Are there medical reasons my baby should follow a different timing?
Where to find the official schedule
The canonical source is the CDC's "Vaccines by Age" page (cdc.gov/vaccines/by-age), which this article mirrors as of October 16, 2026. The CDC also publishes the full annual child immunization schedule with detailed tables. Because recommendations can change between schedules — as the hepatitis B birth-dose episode shows — re-check the official page before each visit rather than relying on any single article, including this one.
For the everyday logistics of those early visits, our newborn care checklist covers what to bring and what to expect.
Sources
- routine series begins at 1 to 2 months; no birth-dose section as rendered. Doses: 1–2 months (DTaP 1st, Hib 1st, HepB 2nd, IPV 1st, PCV 1st, rotavirus 1st); 4 months (second doses); 6 months (third doses + HepB 3rd); 12–23 months (MMR, varicella, HepA 1st; DTaP 4th; Hib/PCV final; HepB/IPV 3rd between 6–18 months; annual flu). Confirmed on cdc.govCDC, "Vaccines by Age" (cdc.gov/vaccines/by-age)Link checked 2026-10-16
- reported the December 2025 hepatitis B birth-dose change (shift to shared decision-making for HepB-negative mothers) and the AAP's reported position of still recommending the universal birth dose within 24 hours. Reported via secondary source; not confirmed on CDC or AAP directlyWebMD baby vaccine schedule pageLink checked 2026-10-16
- Little Launch guide covering early pediatrician visits and what to bringNewborn care checklisthttps://little-launch.vercel.app/blog/newborn-care-checklist