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Child Catch-up (age 4 mos-18)

Did your child miss a dose or fall behind schedule on recommended vaccines? If so, don’t worry - children between the ages of 4 months and 18 years can get safely caught up.  Review the following schedule and work with your child’s doctor to get safely back on track.
VACCINE DOSAGEMinimum AgeMinimum Length of Time Between
 Dose 1Dose 1 to 2Dose 2 to 3Dose 3 to 4Dose 4 to 5
HepB1
Hepatitis B
Birth4 weeks8 weeks

(and at least 16 weeks after first dose)

 
RV2
Rotavirus
6 weeks4 weeks4 weeks 
DTaP3
Tetanus, Diphtheria, acellular Pertussis
6 weeks4 weeks4 weeks6 months6 months
Hib conjugate4
Haemophilus influenzae type b
6 weeks4 weeks

if first dose administered at younger than age 12 months

8 weeks
(as final dose)

if first dose administered at age 12-14 months

No further doses needed

if first dose administered at age 15 months or older

4 weeks

if current age is younger than 12 months

8 weeks
(as final dose)

if current age is 12 months or older and first dose administered at younger than age 12 months and second dose administered at younger than 15 months

No further doses needed

if first dose administered at age 15 months or older

8 weeks
(as final dose)

This dose only necessary for children aged 12 months through 59 months who received 3 doses before age 12 months

PCV or PPSV5
Pneumococcal
6 weeks4 weeks

if first dose administered at younger than age 12 months

8 weeks
(as final dose for healthy children)

if first dose administered at age 12 months or older or current age 24 through 59 months

No further doses needed

for healthy children if first dose administered at age 24 months or older

4 weeks

if current age is younger than 12 months

8 weeks
(as final dose for healthy children)

if current age is 12 months or older

No further doses needed

for healthy children if previous dose administered at age 24 months or older

8 weeks
(as final dose)

This dose only necessary for children aged 12 months through 59 months who received 3 doses before age 12 months or for children at high risk who received 3 doses at any age

Polio (IPV)5
Inactivated Poliovirus
6 weeks4 weeks4 weeks6 months
MMR7
Measles, Mumps, Rubella
12 months4 weeks  
Varicella8
Chickenpox
12 months3 months  
HepA9
Hepatitis A
12 months6 months  
VACCINE DOSAGEMinimum AgeMinimum Length of Time Between
 Dose 1Dose 1 to 2Dose 2 to 3Dose 3 to 4
Td or Tdap10
Tetanus, Diphtheria/
Tetanus, Diphtheria,
acellular Pertussis
7 years4 weeks4 weeks

if first administered at younger than age 12 months

6 months

if first administered at 12 months or older

6 months

If first dose administered at younger than 12 months

HPV
(Gardasil or Cervarix)
11
Human Papillomavirus
Routine dosing intervals are recommended (females)11
HepA5
Hepatitis A
12 months6 months  
HepB1
Hepatitis B
Birth4 weeks8 weeks

(and at least 16 weeks after first dose)

 
Polio (IPV)6
Inactivated Poliovirus
6 weeks4 weeks4 weeks6 months
MMR7
Measles, Mumps, Rubella
12 months4 weeks  
Varicella8
Chickenpox
12 months

3 months
if person is younger than age 13 years

4 weeks
if person is age 13 years or older

  
  1. Hepatitis B vaccine (HepB)
  2. Rotavirus vaccine (RV)
  3. Diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP)
  4. Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccine (Hib)
  5. Pneumococcal vaccine
  6. Inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV)
  7. Measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (MMR)
  8. Varicella vaccine
  9. Hepatitis A vaccine (HepA)
  10. Tetanus and diphtheria toxoids (Td) and tetanus and diphtheria toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap)
  11. Human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV)


1. Hepatitis B vaccine (HepB).

  • Administer the 3-dose series to those not previously vaccinated.
  • The minimum age for the third dose of HepB is 24 weeks.
  • A 2-dose series (separated by at least 4 months) of adult formulation Recombivax HB is licensed for children aged 11 through 15 years.

2. Rotavirus vaccine (RV).

  • The maximum age for the first dose is 14 weeks 6 days. Vaccination should not be initiated for infants aged 15 weeks 0 days or older.
  • The maximum age for the final dose in the series is 8 months 0 days.
  • If Rotarix was administered for the first and second doses, a third dose is not indicated.

3. Diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP).

  • The fifth dose is not necessary if the fourth dose was administered at age 4 years or older.

4. Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccine (Hib).

  • 1 dose of Hib vaccine should be considered for unvaccinated persons aged 5 years or older who have sickle cell disease, leukemia, or HIV infection, or who have had a splenectomy.
  • If the first 2 doses were PRP-OMP (PedvaxHIB or Comvax), and administered at age 11 months or younger, the third (and final) dose should be administered at age 12 through 15 months and at least 8 weeks after the second dose.
  • If the first dose was administered at age 7 through 11 months, administer the second dose at least 4 weeks later and a final dose at age 12 through 15 months.

5. Pneumococcal vaccine.

  • Administer 1 dose of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) to all healthy children aged 24 through 59 months with any incomplete PCV schedule (PCV7 or PCV13).
  • For children aged 24 through 71 months with underlying medical conditions, administer 1 dose of PCV13 if 3 doses of PCV were received previously or administer 2 doses of PCV13 at least 8 weeks apart if fewer than 3 doses of PCV were received previously.
  • A single dose of PCV13 is recommended for certain children with underlying medical conditions through 18 years of age. See age-specific schedules for details.
  • Administer pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV) to children aged 2 years or older with certain underlying medical conditions, including a cochlear implant, at least 8 weeks after the last dose of PCV. A single revaccination should be administered after 5 years to children with functional or anatomic asplenia or an immunocompromising condition. See MMWR 2010;59(No. RR-11).

6. Inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV).

  • The final dose in the series should be administered on or after the fourth birthday and at least 6 months following the previous dose.
  • A fourth dose is not necessary if the third dose was administered at age 4 years or older and at least 6 months following the previous dose.
  • In the first 6 months of life, minimum age and minimum intervals are only recommended if the person is at risk for imminent exposure to circulating poliovirus (i.e., travel to a polio-endemic region or during an outbreak).

7. Measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (MMR).

  • Administer the second dose routinely at age 4 through 6 years. The minimum interval between the 2 doses of MMR is 4 weeks.

8. Varicella vaccine.

  • Administer the second dose routinely at age 4 through 6 years.
  • If the second dose was administered at least 4 weeks after the first dose, it can be accepted as valid.

9. Hepatitis A vaccine (HepA).

  • HepA is recommended for children aged older than age 23 months who live in areas where vaccination programs target older children, or who are at increased risk for infection, or for whom immunity against hepatitis A is desired.

11. Tetanus and diphtheria toxoids (Td) and tetanus and diphtheria toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap).

  • Doses of DTaP are counted as part of the Td/Tdap series.
  • Tdap should be substituted for a single dose of Td in the catch-up series for children aged 7 through 10 years or as a booster for children aged 11 through 18 years; use Td for other doses.

11. Human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV).

  • Administer the series to females at age 13 through 18 years if not previously vaccinated or have not completed the vaccine series.
  • Quadrivalent HPV vaccine (HPV4) may be administered in a 3-dose series to males aged 9 through 18 years to reduce their likelihood of genital warts.
  • Use recommended routine dosing intervals for series catch-up (i.e., the second and third doses should be administered at 1 to 2 and 6 months after the first dose). The minimum interval between the first and second doses is 4 weeks. The minimum interval between the second and third doses is 12 weeks, and the third dose should be administered at least 24 weeks after the first dose.

The Catch-Up Immunization Schedule organizes by age the vaccines and minimum time periods between doses for children whose vaccinations have been delayed. Note that a vaccine series does not need to be restarted, regardless of the time that has elapsed between doses.

If your child is 6 years of age or younger, you can use the Catch-Up Immunization Scheduler to create a printout of the recommended vaccines and dates for getting your child back on schedule.