Immunizations
Staying current on vaccinations is important for all people, especially babies and children. When babies, children and teens follow the recommended immunization schedule outlined by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), they are better protected against potentially life-threatening diseases.
Vaccine FAQs
Are vaccines safe?
Vaccines are one of the most important things we can do to help protect our children’s health. Vaccines and proper handwashing, more so than all other interventions, have proven to be the safest and most effective ways to prevent disease.
Is it better to do multiple vaccines at one time or space them out?
The best way to keep your child safe from vaccine-preventable diseases is to get all their vaccines on time. There is no advantage to spacing them out. Instead, a longer wait increases the risk of children catching a preventable disease before they receive protection.
The amount of antigen (protein) in each vaccine is so tiny that your child’s immune system can process multiple vaccines at one time and build an antibody “army” to protect against those potentially fatal diseases. In fact, the amount of antigen in each vaccine is 100,000 times less than what a child has with a common cold. So, there’s no concern about overwhelming their immune system when they get their vaccines.
Can I delay my child’s vaccines during COVID19?
Getting vaccinated on time is important because even though we have the threat of COVID-19 to contend with, all the other diseases that we can prevent easily with vaccines are still a threat. These diseases — such as whooping cough and measles — are ready to emerge at any time that we don’t have the majority of our kids vaccinated.
If we don’t keep our kids protected against measles and other fatal diseases, the risk for further emergence is going to be very high. It is up to us to keep our kids safe and prevent any future epidemics by using the tools we already have to prevent disease.
Schedule a vaccination appointment for your child
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Immunization schedule and tips
The current immunization schedule below by the AAP and U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) has been researched and proven to be the most effective and safest way for children to be vaccinated against potentially fatal diseases. It’s important to know that no alternative schedule has been shown to be as safe and effective.
Studies have shown that preparing your child for vaccinations should ideally include three components: explaining what will happen, how it will feel, and strategies for coping with any related stress or discomfort.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, your CHOC pediatrician’s office is a safe, physically distant environment to keep your child and family safe while still delivering high-quality preventive care.
More vaccine tips
Why eligible children and teens should get the COVID-19 vaccine
Getting a COVID-19 vaccination can help protect your child from getting COVID-19 and spreading it to others. It can also keep your child from becoming seriously ill or needing hospitalization if they do contract COVID-19.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reported that since the beginning of the pandemic, about 1.9 million children ages 5-11 years have been infected with COVID-19 — which is about 9% of all U.S. cases. Of children infected, more than 8,300 children have been hospitalized and 94 have died, according to federal data. The death toll within this past year puts COVID-19 in the top 10 causes of death for children ages 5-11 years.
Most children who are infected with the COVID-19 virus only experience mild symptoms such as low-grade fever, fatigue, and cough. However, some children have experienced severe illness and required hospitalization, or have experienced “long-haul” or recurring symptoms of COVID-19 in the weeks or even months after becoming infected—even if their initial illness was mild.
Children with underlying health conditions may be at an increased risk for developing complications and severe illness.
The restrictions on children’s activities, in-person learning and other socialization opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic caused a mental health crisis in this age group. The COVID-19 vaccine may give families the peace of mind to safely return to activities more fully, which will benefit their kids’ mental health tremendously.
Schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment for your child
To find CHOC’s community clinic on MyTurn, enter zip code 92868
Human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine
The HPV vaccine is a preventative vaccine. The human papillomavirus affects nearly all sexually active men and women at some point in their lives according to the CDC. A percentage of people with the virus do not clear their infections and may develop genital warts, cervical cancer, head and neck cancers, and penile cancers.
Studies have shown that in patients who never had HPV, the effectiveness of preventing pre-cancerous changes to the cervix was 97 to 100 percent. This is why the vaccine is recommended in all girls before they begin to be sexually active. The vaccine is also known to be more effective when given at a younger age. It is recommended in girls 9 to 26 years of age.
The vaccine is recommended in all boys ages 9 to 21 years due to the fact that many head and neck, penile and anal cancers are directly linked to HPV serotypes 16 and 18. Vaccinating males can also help prevent cervical cancer in their female partners by reducing the rate of transmission.
Learn more about HPV Vaccines
Flu shot (influenza vaccine)
Why the flu vaccine matters
Influenza is more than just a bad cold. It can lead to serious illness in children. Each year, thousands are hospitalized, and some die, especially during severe flu seasons. Most were not vaccinated.
The flu vaccine is the best way to protect kids and teens from serious illness and helps protect those around them, including babies and people with weakened immune systems.
Who should get the flu vaccine?
- All children 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine every year.
- For children ages 6 months through 8 years, two doses (spaced at least 4 weeks apart) may be needed the first time they are vaccinated.
Talk to your child’s healthcare provider to confirm whether one or two doses are needed.
When should children get vaccinated?
The best time to get the flu vaccine is in early fall (September or October), before flu starts spreading in the community. However, vaccination can still be beneficial even later in the season, as flu viruses often circulate into early spring.
Some children may benefit from getting vaccinated earlier (as early as July or August), especially if:
- They need two doses
- There’s a concern they might not be vaccinated later
Is the flu vaccine safe?
Yes. The flu vaccine has been safely given to millions of children for decades. Most side effects are mild and short-lived, such as:
- Soreness or swelling at the injection site
- Low-grade fever
- Muscle aches
- Runny nose (with the nasal spray version)
Serious side effects are extremely rare.
Can you get the flu from the flu vaccine?
No. The flu shot uses an inactivated (killed) virus that cannot cause flu. The nasal spray contains weakened live virus that can reproduce in the nose, but not the lungs, and may cause mild symptoms like a runny nose, not the flu.
Relative risks and benefits
Risks of flu illness:
- High fever and chills
- Severe body aches and fatigue
- Headaches
- Pneumonia
- Hospitalization
- Increased risk for secondary infections caused by other pathogens
- Death
Risks of the vaccine:
- Mild redness or swelling at the injection site
- Fever or muscle aches
Overall, the benefits of flu vaccination far outweigh the risks, especially in children, who are more vulnerable to complications.
Flu and other health conditions
Children with chronic health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease are at higher risk for serious flu complications. For these children, getting the flu vaccine is especially important.
Featured article
Learn more about Flu
Measles vaccine
Measles is one of the most contagious infections. It is so contagious that someone with measles could infect up to 90% of close contacts who are not immunized.
Measles is a highly contagious virus that lives in the nose and throat mucus of an infected person. It’s easily spread through coughing and sneezing. The virus can live up to two hours on a surface or in an airspace where an infected person coughed or sneezed. In other words, even after an infected person leaves a room, an unvaccinated individual could get measles as a result of breathing the contaminated air or touching the infected surface.
Measles does carry complications, from mild to severe. The most common complications are diarrhea and ear infections, which can result in permanent hearing loss. Severe complications include pneumonia, the most common cause of death from measles in young children, and encephalitis (swelling of the brain) that can lead to convulsions and leave a child with hearing loss and cognitive delays.
There is no treatment for measles. Vaccination is the best protection against the disease.
LEARN More about measles
Schedule a vaccination appointment for your child
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Immunization Articles
Guide to COVID-19 vaccines for children & teens
Medical experts agree that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective for children ages 5 and older and is the best way to protect children from COVID-19. We understand you may have questions about the vaccine and have created this guide to help address them.
The guide includes the following content:
COVID-19 vaccine authorization status by age group
COVID-19 vaccine FAQs
COVID-19 vaccine and fertility
COVID-19 vaccine and myocarditis
COVID-19 vaccine and pediatric asthma
The guidance on this page has been clinically reviewed by CHOC pediatric experts.
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The contents of this webpage, including text, graphics, audio files, and videos (“Materials”), are for your general information only. The Materials are not intended to substitute qualified professional or medical advice, diagnoses, or treatments. CHOC does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, or other information that may be mentioned on or linked to this webpage. Always call your physician or another qualified health provider if you have any questions or problems. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the nearest emergency department, or call 911.
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