Recommended Vaccines for Babies and Children

Key points

  • CDC recommends meningococcal vaccination for babies and children at increased risk for meningococcal disease.
  • Talk to a healthcare or vaccine provider about what is best for your child's specific situation.
A smiling mother holds her infant child after vaccination.

Vaccines your child may need

There are 3 types of meningococcal vaccines used in the United States:

  • Meningococcal conjugate or MenACWY vaccines
    • Ages: 2 months or older
  • Serogroup B meningococcal or MenB vaccines
    • Ages: 10 years or older
  • Pentavalent or MenABCWY vaccine
    • Ages: 10 years or older
Keep Reading: Types of Meningococcal Vaccines

Recommendations by vaccine type

CDC may recommend one or more types of meningococcal vaccines for children depending on why they're at increased risk.

MenACWY and MenB vaccines

CDC recommends both MenACWY and MenB vaccines for children with the following risk factors:

MenABCWY vaccine as an option‎‎

‎People 10 years and older who are getting MenACWY and MenB vaccines at the same visit can receive MenABCWY vaccine instead.

MenACWY vaccines only

CDC recommends MenACWY vaccines for babies and children with the following risk factors:

  • HIV
  • Part of a population at increased risk during an outbreakA
  • Living or traveling to certain places or settings
    • Countries where disease (serogroup A, C, W, or Y) is common

MenB vaccines only

CDC recommends MenB vaccines for children identified as part of a population at increased risk during serogroup B outbreaks.

Booster shots

Generally, CDC recommends booster shots for people as long as they remain at increased risk.

Talk to a healthcare provider to find out if, and when, your child will need booster shots.

Resources

Meningococcal disease and people receiving complement inhibitors

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Content Source:
National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases; Division of Bacterial Diseases
  1. Specifically, an outbreak involving serogroup A, C, W, or Y