7 Newborn Vaccines Your Baby Needs

Is your baby protected from vaccine-preventable diseases? Here's the newborn vaccine schedule recommended by the CDC and AAP for your baby's first months of life.

Your baby will be given a handful of vaccines in the first months of life. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) both recommend the same carefully planned childhood vaccine schedule. Following the schedule starting in the newborn period will put your child on track to have lifelong immunity to dangerous diseases.

The vaccines recommended for your young baby are closely monitored by the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for safety and effectiveness. Here are the vaccines that are given to newborns from birth through 2 months.

Newborn baby getting vaccine in thigh at doctor's office

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Newborn Vaccines Given Just After Birth

To ensure that your child is protected as early as possible, and to help parents and caregivers stay on track with recommended vaccines, some vaccines are given soon after your baby is born.

Hepatitis B vaccine (first dose)

The first dose of the hepatitis B (HepB) vaccine is recommended just after birth, before your baby is taken home from the hospital. A hepatitis B infection can cause slow, persistent liver damage in a child. The virus, found in blood and body fluids, can live on a surface for up to a month. Doctors recommend this vaccine for all babies to protect against infection and complications like liver disease and cancer.

In clinical trials, giving the first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine less than 12 hours after birth prevents up to 95% of newborn hepatitis B infections among babies born to people carrying the virus. Effectiveness starts to slowly wane after that.

Newborn Vaccines Given at 2 Months

At 2 months, your baby should start receiving a few different series of vaccines. For most vaccines, your baby will need multiple doses spaced out over a few months to get full protection.

Hepatitis B vaccine (second dose)

Your baby will receive a second dose of the hepatitis B vaccine during their 2-month check-up. In total, your baby will eventually receive three doses of the hepatitis B vaccine to complete their vaccination series.

DTaP vaccine

The four-dose diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP) vaccine series protects your baby from three life-threatening, toxin-releasing bacterial diseases: diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis.

Often found in unsanitary conditions or from improper wound care, tetanus is a severe disease of the nerves that can cause the jaw to lock. Diphtheria affects breathing and the throat in small children and may cause nerve, heart, and kidney damage. Pertussis (also known as whooping cough) is a highly contagious disease that mostly affects babies under 6 months and causes coughing spells that can become severe and potentially deadly.

Getting a single-dose Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) vaccine late in pregnancy is also a great way to protect your infant from contracting pertussis. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that people get the Tdap vaccine between 27 and 36 weeks of each pregnancy, even if they have received this immunization before.

Hib vaccine

The Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) vaccine protects your baby from Hib infection, and your baby will receive their first of four Hib vaccines at their 2-month well-baby check-up. This bacteria can cause several life-threatening illnesses such as pneumonia, skin and throat infections, and meningitis that may lead to permanent brain damage. Kisses, sneezes, and direct contact can pass this debilitating and deadly bacteria to your newborn.

Rotavirus vaccine

The rotavirus (RV) vaccine protects your baby from rotavirus, which causes fever, vomiting, cramps, and watery diarrhea. The RV vaccine is an oral vaccine that is either offered as a two-dose or three-dose series, depending on the brand your pediatrician offers.

Rotavirus is highly contagious and can also pass easily through settings such as child care centers. About 90% of children who are vaccinated are protected from severe diarrhea and other rotavirus symptoms, and 70% are immune to the disease altogether.

Polio vaccine

The inactivated poliovirus (IPV) vaccine, protects your baby from polio, a contagious, debilitating, and potentially deadly disease. This viral respiratory disease can cause anything from flu-like symptoms to neurological disease, severe debilitating paralysis, and death.

Babies with polio may never recover from nerve damage that can leave limbs completely paralyzed for life. Once the IPV vaccination series is complete (three full doses), it is nearly 99% effective in preventing serious polio disease, according to the CDC.

Pneumococcal vaccine 

The four-dose pneumococcal conjugate (PCV13) vaccine protects your baby from pneumococcal disease, which may cause pneumonia, infections of the blood, and bacterial meningitis. Children younger than 2 years old are among those most at risk for the disease.

Medicines to treat pneumococcal infections have become less effective in recent years, making preventive measures, like vaccination, extra important. PCV13 spreads through contact with others, so by getting your baby the vaccine you protect other children, as well.

Key Takeaways

Immunization is one of the safest and most effective ways to protect babies and young children from serious diseases. You can—and should—talk to your pediatrician if you have any questions about childhood vaccines or the recommended timelines. In fact, it's not a bad idea to start the conversation before your baby arrives so you are prepared with a plan to protect your baby from day one.

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Sources
Parents uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Hepatitis B Vaccines. The Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2021.

  2. Update on Immunization and Pregnancy: Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis Vaccination. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. 2022.

  3. Rotavirus Vaccination: What Everyone Should Know. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2021.

  4. Polio Vaccination: What Everyone Should Know. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2022.

  5. Vaccine (Shot) for Pneumococcal Disease. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2022.

  6. Immunizations. American Academy of Pediatrics. n.d.

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