Vaccine Schedules

Vaccine Schedules

Which vaccines are recommended?

The answer depends on age, health, pregnancy, previous vaccination, and other circumstances. Start with the group that applies to you.

Use a current source. Vaccine recommendations can be updated as new evidence becomes available, disease patterns change, new vaccines are approved, or organizations review their guidance.

What are you looking for?

Choose the question closest to yours. You can then see current recommendations and who issued them.

Have questions about a recommendation?

That’s a good reason to look more closely. You may want to know why a vaccine is recommended, what evidence supports it, what the benefits and risks are, how safety is monitored, or whether the recommendation applies to you or your child.

ACIC’s goal is to connect you with evidence-based information that helps answer those questions clearly.

Explore Vaccine Questions & Safety →

Go to the current source

ACIC does not reproduce vaccine schedules here. We link to the organizations responsible for maintaining the guidance so you can check the current recommendation directly.

Children & teens

Vaccines are recommended throughout childhood and adolescence to protect against serious vaccine-preventable diseases. Current guidance is available from the sources below.

Pediatric guidance
Child & adolescent immunization schedule
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
Child & adolescent immunization schedule
American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)
Federal vaccine schedule information
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Noticing differences? Medical and public health organizations can issue different recommendations or update guidance at different times. Learn how to understand different vaccine guidance →

Adults

Vaccination does not end in childhood. Adult recommendations may depend on age, health conditions, previous vaccination, occupation, travel, and other risk factors.

Family medicine guidance
Current adult immunization schedule
American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)
Federal adult vaccine schedule information
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Some vaccines are recommended routinely, while others may depend on individual risk or involve shared clinical decision-making. A healthcare professional can help determine what applies to you.

Pregnancy

Vaccine recommendations during pregnancy consider protection for the pregnant patient and, for some vaccines, protection passed to the infant.

Obstetric guidance
Maternal immunization schedule
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)

Pennsylvania school requirements

A medical recommendation and a school requirement are not the same thing. Pennsylvania law and regulations determine immunization requirements for school attendance in the Commonwealth.

Pennsylvania requirements
What vaccines does my child need for school?
Pennsylvania Department of Health

A few questions you may have

Vaccine recommendations can be more complicated than a simple yes-or-no list.

Why would vaccine recommendations change?

Recommendations can be updated when new evidence becomes available, disease patterns change, vaccines or formulations change, or an organization reviews how the benefits and risks apply to a particular population.

A change in a recommendation does not automatically mean the underlying science was wrong. It can reflect new evidence, new circumstances, or a different application of existing evidence.

Why might two credible organizations have different recommendations?

Organizations may have different responsibilities, review evidence on different timelines, or reach different conclusions about how evidence should be translated into clinical or public health guidance.

Look at who issued the recommendation, when it was updated, who it applies to, and the evidence and process behind it.

How do I know whether a recommendation applies to me?

Age is only one factor. Health conditions, pregnancy, previous vaccination, medications, occupation, travel, and other circumstances can affect vaccine recommendations.

If you are unsure, ask a qualified healthcare professional to help interpret the current guidance for your situation.

What if my question is really about vaccine safety?

Questions about side effects, ingredients, safety monitoring, testing, or specific safety concerns deserve direct answers.

Go to Vaccine Questions & Safety →

Ready for the next step?

If you need a vaccine, immunization records, or help finding local services, use ACIC’s Allegheny County and Pennsylvania resource page.

Find vaccine access, records & local resources
Allegheny County Immunization Coalition

How ACIC chooses vaccine information

ACIC prioritizes credible medical, scientific, professional, public health, and Pennsylvania sources. We look for information grounded in scientific evidence, clinical expertise, transparent evidence review, and credible public health practice.

When credible guidance differs, our goal is to identify the source clearly and help users understand what kind of guidance they are reading rather than blur meaningful differences.

Read ACIC’s Clinical Source Standard →

This page provides general educational information and does not replace individualized medical advice or clinical judgment.