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Vaccines for children: Childhood vaccination schedule

About vaccines

Childhood vaccination schedule

COVID-19 vaccination

What to expect at the vaccination appointment

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Childhood vaccination schedule

Travel vaccinations

What to do for a missing vaccination

What to do if you move to another province or territory

What to do if your child is immunocompromised

Diseases that vaccination protects against

Childhood vaccination schedule

Your child will need to be vaccinated at different times in their life to get the best protection against vaccine-preventable diseases. Vaccination schedules are designed to provide protection before children are likely to be exposed to the disease.

Vaccination schedules may be different depending on the province or territory you live in. No matter where you live in Canada, childhood vaccines are provided for free and offered according to your province or territory's routine or catch-up schedules.

Your child will usually be vaccinated:

between birth to 2 months

at 4 months

at 6 months

at 12 months

at 18 months

between 4 to 6 years of age

Get your child's vaccination schedule

Vaccine records

You can find out which vaccines your child has had by looking at their vaccine record. If your child doesn't have one, contact their health care provider or your local public health unit to get one.

Everyone should maintain a vaccination history throughout their life. Keep it in a safe place and present it at every vaccination appointment so it can be updated. In some regions, your child’s vaccine record may be electronic. Whether you have a paper or electronic vaccine record, you should ensure it's updated whenever your child receives a vaccine.

Vaccine records: Access your or your child’s vaccination history

Who to talk to for vaccine advice

Talk to your child's health care provider, local public health unit or pharmacist. They can provide you with more information about vaccines or direct you to sources of information about vaccines.

It’s important to get information about vaccines from reputable sources, like:

A Teen's Guide to Vaccination

A Parent's Guide to Vaccination

Canadian Pediatric Society

Vaccines and immunization (World Health Organization)

Some sources may contain information that's untrue, unclear or misleading (misinformation). There are resources to help you identify sources that may not be reliable or information that may not be true.

How to identify misinformation online

Where to get vaccinated

To find out where you can get your child vaccinated, you can:

contact a health care provider

search the internet or your local phone book for your nearest public health office (CLSC in Quebec) and contact them

Receiving a COVID-19 vaccine at the same time as routine childhood vaccines

Children can receive multiple vaccines at the same time. Children 6 months of age and older can receive routine vaccines at the same time as the COVID-19 and flu vaccines.

This makes it easier to stay up to date on recommended childhood vaccines by reducing the number of appointments needed.

Learn more about:

Vaccines for children: COVID-19 vaccination

Vaccines for COVID-19: Book a vaccination appointment

Travel vaccinations

When you travel, you may come in contact with diseases that aren't common in Canada. Talk to a qualified travel health provider or visit a travel health clinic at least 6 weeks before you and your child are scheduled to travel. They might recommend you and your child receive specific vaccinations based on your destination.

Travel vaccination advice and information

What to do for a missing vaccination

If your child hasn't received all recommended vaccines for their age, they can still catch up.

Talk to your child's health care provider or your local public health unit to discuss:

which vaccines your child has already had

which ones they still need

when and where to get them

What to do if you move to another province or territory

Vaccine schedules may differ depending on your province or territory. If you move to another province or territory, contact your child's new health care provider or your new local public health unit. They will let you know which vaccines your child may need.

Bring your child's vaccine record to your appointment so that the health care provider knows which vaccines your child has already had.

What to do if your child is immunocompromised

Immunocompromised means that the immune system may be weakened due to:

a health condition

certain medications

Children who are immunocompromised may not be able to receive certain vaccines or the vaccines may not work as well for them. It's very important for people who live with or have close contact with a child who's immunocompromised to stay up to date with their own vaccines to help protect the child. Talk to your child's health care provider or local public health unit about how to help keep your child protected.

Diseases that vaccination protects against

Chickenpox (varicella)

Diphtheria

Flu (influenza)

Hepatitis B

Hib (

Haemophilus influenzae

type b)

HPV (human papillomavirus)

Measles

Meningococcal disease

Mumps

Pneumococcal disease

Polio (poliomyelitis)

Rotavirus

Rubella

Tetanus

Whooping cough (pertussis)

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