Vaccine recommendations change as new vaccines become available. Ask your child’s doctor about the current recommendations for childhood vaccinations. You can also consult the CDC’s website for the most up-to-date vaccination schedules (see the link at the end of this article).

It can be hard to keep track of all the recommended vaccinations that a child needs, especially since many of them require multiple doses over time. When your child gets a vaccination at your doctor’s office, the information is entered into their medical records so you should be able to call the doctor’s office to get such information. However, people often move and change doctors so it is not always easy to track down records.

Another way to keep track of your child’s vaccinations is by an immunization record card. Whenever a child gets a vaccination, the health professional that administers it should give you a card with the date and information about the immunizations given. Keeping track of several cards can be difficult but another option is to use a lifetime immunization record card which has space to enter information on all of your child’s immunizations. Keep this card in a safe place and bring this with you if you to each of your child’s doctor visits.