CDC vaccine schedule, explained for 2025–2026

TL;DR:

CDC posted big childhood schedule changes on January 5, 2026.
2025 child and adult PDFs remain the working tables for timing and catch-up.
Universal shots stay for 11 diseases like MMR, polio, and Hib. Others shift to risk or shared decision.
Many clinicians and groups warn of higher disease risk if uptake drops.
Outside the U.S., check WHO and your country’s schedule, not the CDC.

This guide shows how the CDC schedule works today, what changed on January 5, 2026, and how to keep on time. It is written for a global audience. If you live outside the United States, use your national schedule or WHO guidance first.

What “CDC vaccine schedule” means

The CDC schedule is the U.S. framework for routine vaccination. It covers two main charts:

Child and adolescent schedule (ages 0–18) with catch-up rules.
Adult schedule (19+) with risk-based notes.

Clinicians use these charts plus detailed “notes” pages to decide timing, spacing, and special cases. Always read the notes with the tables.

What changed on January 5, 2026

CDC announced an update after a presidential directive to compare U.S. practice with peer nations. The release says the schedule will be organized into three buckets: vaccines for all children, for certain high-risk groups, and those based on shared clinical decision-making. Insurance coverage remains for all listed vaccines.

Key points reported by major outlets the same day:

Broad, routine recommendations for some childhood vaccines, including flu and rotavirus, shift to shared decision or risk-based use.
The government cites alignment with other developed nations. Many physicians warn this could reduce uptake and raise disease risk.

These changes affect policy framing. Dose timing tables and catch-up intervals still live in the 2025 PDFs until CDC posts revised tables. Use those for exact ages and minimum intervals.

What stays routine for “all children”

CDC’s release says the “for all children” list includes measles, mumps, rubella, polio, pertussis, tetanus, diphtheria, Hib, pneumococcal disease, HPV, and varicella.

Quick reference: timing at a glance

Important: This table is a helper, not a substitute for the official charts and notes.

Life stage	Typical routine vaccines to check	Where to confirm
Birth to 6 months	HepB, DTaP series starts, Hib, PCV, Polio, Rotavirus	CDC child PDF + notes, catch-up if late
6–18 months	Continue DTaP, Hib, PCV, Polio; add MMR, Varicella, HepA window	CDC child PDF + notes
4–6 years	Boosters for DTaP, Polio, MMR, Varicella	CDC child PDF + notes
11–12 years	Tdap, HPV series, consider MenACWY	CDC child PDF + notes
16 years	MenACWY booster; consider MenB via shared decision	CDC child PDF + notes
Adults 19–26	Tdap once, Td/Tdap every 10 years, HPV catch-up to 26, others per risk	CDC adult PDF + notes
Adults 27–64	Td/Tdap every 10 years, shingles at 50+, others per risk and travel	CDC adult PDF + notes
Adults 65+	Pneumococcal per latest guidance, shingles if not done, Td/Tdap	CDC adult PDF + notes

How to use the schedule correctly

Start with age. Pick the child or adult chart for the person’s current age.
Read the vaccine “notes.” Notes explain dose counts, brands, spacing, pregnancy, travel, and chronic conditions.
Check catch-up rules if late. Do not restart a series. Use Table 2 to find the minimum intervals and resume.
Apply risk or shared decision items. For meningococcal B, RSV products, or others, decide with a clinician using the notes.
Document doses. Keep dates, products, and lot numbers. Many states and countries have registries.

Common mistakes to avoid

Restarting a series after a gap. Not needed. Resume with catch-up timing.
Ignoring brand-specific rules. Some products have different age windows. See notes.
Missing minimum intervals. Too-early doses may not count and need repeating. The adult PDF explains validity rules.

For readers outside the U.S.

CDC schedules are U.S. guidance. Many countries follow different timing, products, and dose counts. For national schedules and global policy:

WHO routine immunization summary tables give global recommendations.
WHO immunization data portal links to country schedules and dashboards.
Regional resources like PAHO provide country pages for the Americas.

Catch-up basics for children

If a child is behind, use Table 2 in the child PDF. It lists the minimum age for dose 1 and the minimum intervals between doses.

Example highlights:

HepB final dose at 24 weeks of age or later, and at least 16 weeks after dose 1.
Rotavirus has both a latest age to start and a latest age to finish. Do not begin after 14 weeks, 6 days. Final dose by 8 months, 0 days.
Hib, PCV, and DTaP have different paths if the first dose was late. Follow the table row and footnotes.

Adult schedule, in short

All adults need Tdap once, then Td or Tdap every 10 years. Adults should also get shingles starting at age 50 and pneumococcal at 65 or earlier with risk. Many other vaccines are based on jobs, travel, medical conditions, or shared decision. Use the adult PDF and the notes for exact rules.

What happens next

CDC will publish full tables that reflect the January 5, 2026 policy structure. Until then, clinicians still lean on the 2025 charts and notes for timing and intervals. Watch for updates on CDC’s immunization schedules page. Public health groups are debating impact and next steps.

Why it matters

Schedules prevent severe disease by setting clear timing. Policy shifts can change uptake, which changes community risk. Stay informed, confirm your national guidance, and keep records up to date.