Ask the VEC
- Minimum Time Between Doses of Vaccines - Feb. 2012
- Adolescence and the HPV vaccine - Jan. 2012
Minimum Time Between Doses of Vaccines
Q. My infant received vaccines at his 4-month check-up. He is scheduled to receive more vaccines at his 6-month check-up, but it is scheduled for only seven weeks from his last visit. Is this safe?
A. Vaccines on the schedule are recommended to be given two months apart; however, all vaccines also have what are known as “minimum intervals.” These are the required amounts of time that must pass between doses of vaccine. They are determined when the vaccine is developed by studying the immune response to each dose to make sure that the response from a previous dose won’t interfere with the response to the next dose. For the vaccines typically given at 4 and 6 months of age, the minimum amount of time required is four weeks, so your son’s appointment will meet this standard.
Learn more about the vaccine schedule»
Adolescence and the HPV vaccine
Q. My daughter is not sexually active. Why should I even consider getting her vaccinated against the human papillomavirus (HPV) now?
A. The HPV vaccine is recommended before the start of sexual activity for two reasons:
- Young people tend to get infected more frequently; in fact, about half of all new infections are diagnosed in girls and young women between 15 and 24 years of age.
- It takes six months to complete the series of three vaccines, so even though your daughter may not be active now, or even in six months, it is better to have the series completed sooner rather than later.
Contact Us
We would like to hear from you, please use our online form to contact us with questions or comments.
- Vaccine Education Center