Rochester Regional Health Logo
COVID-19 UpdatesFind a DoctorPay My Bill Donate icon Give
Health Hive logo
  1. Topics
    • COVID-19
    • Primary Care
    • Parents & Kids
    • Women's Health
    • Cancer Care
    • Brain & Spine
    • Surgery
    • Bone & Joint
    • View All Topics
  2. Patient Stories
  3. News
  4. About
Rochester Regional Health Logo
COVID-19 UpdatesFind a DoctorPay My Bill Donate icon Give
Parents and Kids
  1. Immunizations from Birth to Adolescence

Immunizations from Birth to Adolescence

Protecting your child’s health is important from the day they are born. Rochester Regional Health pediatricians can help with vaccines.

Sep. 29, 2021 • 5   min read

Parents and caregivers do many important things to make sure their child is safe. One of the best steps to take is to ensure your child has all of their immunizations up to date.

Katie Sussman, MD, a pediatrician with Rochester Regional Health, treats children each day and knows of the most up-to-date immunization schedule for children.

Immunization schedule

When it comes to child vaccinations, all Rochester Regional Health Pediatrics offices follow the CDC recommendations on immunizations. This begins on the first day of a newborn’s life and continues into their adolescence.

The CDC created its schedule for infant and child immunization after decades of testing and clinical research. Some vaccines are a single dose, while others require multiple doses. All vaccines ultimately serve the same purpose: To protect your child from contracting diseases that cause serious illness or death.

Most pediatric offices follow the general schedule below for administering vaccines. Each office may time vaccinations differently.

Infants

At birth

  • Hepatitis B (Dose 1)

2 months

  • Hepatitis B (Dose 2)
  • DTaP – Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (Dose 1)
  • Polio (Dose 1)
  • Haemophilus [Hib] (Dose 1)
  • Rotavirus (Dose 1)
  • Pneumococcal [PCV13] (Dose 1)

4 months

  • DTaP – Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (Dose 2)
  • Polio (Dose 2)
  • Haemophilus [Hib] (Dose 2)
  • Rotavirus (Dose 2)
  • Pneumococcal [PCV13] (Dose 2)

6 months

  • Hepatitis B (Dose 3)
  • DTaP – Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (Dose 3)
  • Polio (Dose 3)
  • Haemophilus [Hib] (Dose 3)
  • Rotavirus (Dose 2)
  • Pneumococcal [PCV13] (Dose 3)

12 months

  • MMR – Measles, Mumps, Rubella (Dose 1)
  • Varicella (Dose 1)
  • Hepatitis A (Dose 1)
  • Pneumococcal [PCV13] (Dose 4)

Toddlers

15 months

  • DTaP (Dose 4)
  • Haemophilus [Hib] (Dose 4)

18 months

  • Hepatitis A (Dose 2)

“By the time your child turns two, they should have all of their routine vaccinations of infancy and young childhood completed,” Dr. Sussman said.

School-aged Children

4 years

This is the age where booster shots are administered for reinforced immunity against certain diseases. These vaccine doses are required for children to attend UPK or kindergarten in public school districts.

  • MMR (Dose 2)
  • Varicella (Dose 2)
  • Polio (Dose 4)
  • DTaP (Dose 5)

11 years

  • Tdap – Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis
  • HPV (Dose 1 – second dose to be administered 6 months later)
  • Meningococcal ACWY [Menactra] (Dose 1)

Adolescents

12 years

  • Starting at this age, children can receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. This is administered in two doses, three weeks apart. It is not required but is strongly encouraged by medical providers.

16 years

  • Meningococcal ACWY [Menactra] (Dose 2)

Vaccine safety

All of the vaccines listed above are approved by the FDA and recommended by the CDC. Each one has been vigorously studied and reviewed and been determined to be safe and effective. Doctors and medical providers have administered these vaccines to hundreds of millions of people.

“Based on research and data and studying these vaccines, they have found them to be safe without having significant side effects,” Dr. Sussman said. “They prevent a lot of serious diseases that can cause death, significant impairment or long-term disability.”

If you have questions about a vaccine, ask your child’s doctor or primary care provider.

Influenza and COVID-19 vaccines

Flu vaccine

Starting at the age of 6 months, a child can receive this vaccine each year.

Some people have not received their flu vaccine in years past and wonder why they should get it now. Each strain of the flu is different each year. The flu vaccine is created by analyzing dominant strains of the flu and putting together a vaccine that protects against them.

A common misconception about the flu vaccine is that it gives the flu because you are given a small dose of the live virus when you are vaccinated. This is not true; the flu vaccine does not contain the active flu virus.

Vaccines teach our immune systems what certain pathogens looks like so our immune systems can create antibodies to fight those pathogens if they ever arrive in our bodies.

COVID-19 vaccine

Starting at the age of 12, a child can be vaccinated against COVID-19 with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Currently the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines are approved for ages 18 and older.

Clinical trials conducted with nearly 2,300 children between the ages of 12-15 show the Pfizer vaccine is safe for this age group and effective at preventing COVID-19 infections.

You can always bring any questions about the vaccine to your pediatrician.

Rochester Regional Health offers the COVID-19 vaccine at nearly 100 of its employed doctor’s offices, including Rochester Regional pediatrics, primary care, OBGYN and Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology locations.

NEXT STEPS Rochester Regional Health Pediatrics

From birth to age 21, our trusted and experienced pediatric staff are here to care for your children. Whether preventative health, assessments, well checks, or emergency services, we offer a broad range of services.

Find A Pediatrician
parents and kids icon
ProviderPromo
Katie G. Sussman, MD
Pediatrics
View Profile
Recent Articles
Health Hive
Men’s Health Screenings at Every Age

Taking care of our bodies and minds is important at every age. During Men’s Health Month, we break down the recommended health screenings for men across all age groups.

Patient Stories
Rob Pinson's Story

Over the course of a few months, Rob Pinson went from relatively healthy to undergoing cancer treatment. The staff at the Lipson Cancer Institute were there for him every step of the way.

Neurology
Risk Factors for Stroke in Women

Strokes are among the top 3 causes of death for women in the United States. If you know the risks, you have a better chance at reducing or preventing your risk of stroke.

Parents & Kids
Hepatitis in Children: What Parents Should Know

An unusual surge in severe hepatitis cases in children is leading pediatricians to be on the lookout for symptoms in their patients. Steven Schulz, MD, explains the disease and what to look for.

Get Email Updates

Sign up for our Health Hive newsletter to receive our top stories and tips to help you live a longer, healthier life.

Thanks! We've added you to our Health Hive newsletter
Enhancing Lives. Preserving Health.
Contact Us

Your Care

  • Closings & Cancellationss
  • Find a Doctor
  • Find a Location
  • Billing & Insurance
  • Classes & Events
  • Health Hive - News Hub
  • Our Services
  • Closings & Cancellations

Company

  • Careers
  • About Us
  • ACM Global Laboratories
  • Contact Us
  • Diversity and Inclusion
  • ElderONE
  • Volunteer
  • GRIPA
  • Media and Public Relations
  • Quality and Safety
  • Sustainability

Resources

  • Workday
  • Employees
  • Healthcare Professionals
  • Make a Gift
  • Medical Education & Research
  • MyCare
  • Sponsorships
Rochester Regional Health Logo
© 2022 Rochester Regional Health. All Rights Reserved.
  • Non Discrimination
  • Disclaimer
  • Language Assistance
  • Privacy Policy