The AAP strongly recommends on-time routine immunization of all children and adolescents according to the Recommended Immunization Schedules for Children and Adolescents.
Immunizations Overview
Immunizations are one of the greatest public health achievements, preventing tens of thousands of deaths, millions of cases of disease, and saving billions of dollars per decade. Immunizations are a safe, effective way to protect children from disease, including some cancers, as well as hospitalization, disability, and death. It is especially important during a pandemic or other public health emergency to maintain routine immunizations to prevent further outbreaks.
Pediatricians play a crucial role in immunizing children and are a trusted source for vaccine information. Vaccine conversations with parents should begin as early as possible – at prenatal visits/interviews ideally – as families often make immunization decisions during pregnancy through the first 2 months of baby’s life.
AAP Recommendations
Learn more about policy recommendations and the regulations and laws that the AAP supports surrounding vaccination.
Interactive Vaccination Map
This interactive map allows immunizers and families to see immunization rates and exemptions by state, and to compare these rates to national rates, goals, and immunity thresholds needed to keep communities safe from vaccine-preventable diseases. This map also presents immunization rates broken down by demographics, such as insurance coverage, race, urbanicity, and poverty level. Data come from the CDC National Immunization Survey and are updated annually.
More About the Science
Vaccines are both safe and effective. Learn more about how they work and how we know they’re safe.
Professional Tools & Resources
The AAP offers a robust set of tools and resources to help your practice efficiently immunize patients, communicate effectively with families, prepare for influenza vaccination season, learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine for children, and vaccinate adolescents against HPV and other illnesses.
Resources for Families
Many parents are happy to protect their children with vaccines. Some have questions. This page offers helpful links to Healthychildren.org, the parenting website of the AAP.
CDC Childhood Immunization Coverage
The National Immunization Surveys (NIS) are a group of phone surveys used to monitor vaccination coverage among children 19-35 months and teens 13-17 years. You can learn about data collected in the most recent NIS.
Feedback
In August 2021, the immunization information on www.aap.org was revised. We seek your feedback on the new organization and ease of use for the immunization content please consider filling out this brief survey. We estimate it will take 2 minutes to complete.
Podcasts and Voices Blogs
Learn what others are saying. Listen to our podcasts and read our blog posts.
Vaccine hesitancy - Episode 2
In the first full episode, hosts Joanna Parga-Belinkie, MD, FAAP and David Hill, MD, FAAP share why they became pediatricians and introduce listeners to the new podcast from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Guest interviews address two of the biggest issues facing children’s health today: drowning and vaccine hesitancy.
Pediatrics on Call
|June 25, 2020
Web-based Vaccine Messaging - Episode 26
Hosts David Hill, MD, FAAP, and Joanna Parga-Belinkie, MD, FAAP discuss with Jason Glanz, PhD, new research in Pediatrics about the efficacy of Web-based vaccine messaging.
Pediatrics on Call
|October 20, 2020
Childhood Immunization: Preventing a Lifetime of What if
Through recollections and family experiences, this pediatrician shares why we need to speak boldly about the protection vaccines offer.
Voices Blog
|August 21, 2019
Ensuring Access to Important Vaccines During a Pandemic
Infectious disease specialist worries about the drop in life-saving vaccinations.
Voices Blog
|August 27, 2020
Last Updated
07/27/2021
Source
American Academy of Pediatrics