The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended childhood immunization schedule can look very intimidating at first glance. Parents are often overwhelmed by the list, but there are ways to minimize the number of shots your child will receive each visit.
Some clinics and providers have combination vaccines such as Pediarix and Kinrix which combine multiple shots into one. This reduces the number of shots your child will receive in one visit. For example, at the 2 month visit it might look like your child is scheduled to get 6 needle pokes, but if your provider has the combination vaccines your infant would actually only get 3 shots. The rotavirus vaccine is taken by mouth.
Following the recommended immunization schedule and keeping your child up to date will reduce the number of times he or she is stuck with a needle. Even if you choose to use an alternate schedule, you can still use combination vaccines.
For more information on FAQs about the immunization schedule, check out this page: The Childhood Immunization Schedule – Questions and Answers (PDF)
Free apps for parents and medical providers about vaccines: