Vaccines for school-age kids

Here are the vaccines your children ages 4 to 6 should receive and may need before starting kindergarten:

• Flu — needed every year
• COVID-19
• Measles, mumps and rubella — or MMR, for short
• Diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough) — known as DTaP
• Varicella (chickenpox)
• Polio (IPV)

Additional vaccinations that your elementary school–age children ages 7 to 10 should receive include:

• Flu — needed every year
• COVID-19
• Human papilloma virus (HPV) — recommended starting at age 9

Heading into middle school (ages 11 and 12), your preteen may need the following vaccines:

• Flu — needed every year
• COVID-19
• Tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough) — known as Tdap (this vaccine is different from DTaP)
• Meningitis (Meningococcal conjugate, called MenACWY)
• Human papilloma virus (HPV)

  In junior high and high school (ages 13 to 18), your children should receive the following immunizations:

  • Flu — needed every year
  • COVID-19
  • Meningitis
    • Meningococcal conjugate, called MenACWY — 2nd dose at age 16
    • Serogroup B meningococcal, called MenB — preferably between ages 16 and 18
  • Human papilloma virus (HPV) — if they have not previously received it