Guide
Catching up on vaccines at 12 months
A 12-month-old with no prior vaccines needs about 18 doses over as few as 8 visits (18 visits at one dose per visit), against 26 doses on the on-time schedule. If Hib and PCV start right away instead of waiting for their single-dose bands, add 2 doses (20 in all). No plan finishes before 4 years, because the last DTaP and polio doses wait for the 4th birthday, 36 months after the first visit.
Key takeaways
- Of the 26 on-time doses in these 8 vaccines, 18 are still needed at 12 months: DTaP 4 instead of 5, IPV 3 instead of 4, Hib 1 instead of 4 and PCV 1 instead of 4.
- From 12 months, 3 doses per visit takes 8 visits over 3 years, ending at 4 years; one dose per visit takes 18 visits over 3 years 1 month.
- Rotavirus is no longer possible: the final dose is due before 8 months and this child is 4 months past it.
- By 12 months, an on-time child would already have had 13 of these routine doses; this plan counts none of them as given.
Doses needed at 12 months, vaccine by vaccine
| Vaccine | On time | If started now | Planner minimum | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HepB (Hepatitis B) | 3 | 3 | 3 | No reduction. Gaps of 4 weeks and 8 weeks between doses. |
| DTaP (Diphtheria, Tetanus & Pertussis) | 5 | 4–5 | 4 | 4-dose delayed path (4th dose at age ≥4 replaces doses 4 & 5). |
| IPV (Polio (Inactivated)) | 4 | 3–4 | 3 | 3-dose delayed path (3rd dose at age ≥4 is the final dose). |
| Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b) | 4 | 2 | 1 | Start 15–59 mo: a single dose completes Hib. |
| PCV (Pneumococcal Conjugate) | 4 | 2 | 1 | Start 24–59 mo (healthy): a single dose completes PCV. |
| MMR (Measles, Mumps & Rubella) | 2 | 2 | 2 | No reduction. Second dose at least 4 weeks after the first. |
| VAR (Varicella (Chickenpox)) | 2 | 2 | 2 | No reduction. Second dose at least 3 months after the first. |
| HepA (Hepatitis A) | 2 | 2 | 2 | No reduction. The two doses are at least 6 months apart. |
"If started now" is the CDC catch-up count when the first dose is given at 12 months, as in the doses-by-start-age table. "Planner minimum" is what the planner's minimum-dose plan uses, which waits for the single-dose Hib and PCV bands.
Visits and finish age
Starting at 12 months, three doses per visit needs 10 visits fewer than one at a time and ends 1 month sooner. The required gaps set the floor: the earliest plan ends 3 years after the first visit, at 4 years.
| Pace | Visits | Doses placed | Last visit at |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 dose per visit, 1 month apart | 18 | 18 | 4 years 1 month |
| 3 doses per visit, 1 month apart | 8 | 18 | 4 years |
| Planner preset: one vaccine per visit, 2 months apart | 18 | 18 | 4 years 2 months |
Pace figures come from the same engine as the planner, with a healthy child, the planner's default vaccines and no prior doses.
Rules that apply at 12 months
- Rotavirus (RV) is not possible: its final dose must come before 8 months, which this child passed 4 months ago.
- At 12 months the planner uses 1 dose of Hib; the CDC bands are 3 doses if the first is at 7 to 11 months; 2 doses if the first is at 12 to 14 months; 1 dose if the first is at 15 to 59 months, and none from age 5.
- At 12 months the planner uses 1 dose of PCV; the CDC bands are 3 doses if the first is at 7 to 11 months; 2 doses if the first is at 12 to 23 months; 1 dose if the first is at 24 to 59 months, and none from age 5.
- At 12 months DTaP is 4 doses and polio 3: the last dose goes at age 4 or later and at least 6 months after the one before, which is 36 months after the first visit.
- At 12 months, hepatitis A needs 6 months between its two doses, the longest fixed wait in the plan.
- 12 months is 36 months short of age 4, so the planner's note applies: Give MMR and Varicella as separate shots before age 4 (lower febrile-seizure risk).
Questions parents ask at this age
How many vaccines does a 12-month-old need to catch up?
At 12 months the plan is 18 doses (HepB 3, DTaP 4, IPV 3, Hib 1, PCV 1, MMR 2, VAR 2, HepA 2) out of 26 on the on-time series, of which an on-time child has had 13 by now.
How many visits will a 12-month-old need?
From 12 months: as few as 8 with up to 3 doses per visit (finishing at 4 years), 18 with one dose per visit and 1 month between (4 years 1 month), or 18 on the planner's one-vaccine-per-visit preset with 2 months between (4 years 2 months).
Can a 12-month-old still get the rotavirus vaccine?
No. A 12-month-old is 4 months past the rotavirus final-dose limit (no dose from 8 months), and the first dose also had to be before 15 weeks, so it is left out of this plan.
Why does the plan show 1 dose of Hib and PCV when starting at 12 months?
If the first dose is given right away at 12 months the CDC table calls for 2 doses of Hib and 2 of PCV. The planner's minimum-dose plan waits until the single-dose bands begin (Hib from 15 months, PCV from 24 months), which brings each to 1 dose. That saves 2 shots but leaves months without that protection, so ask your clinician which they prefer.
Build the plan for 12 months
Enter the birth date and any doses already given; the planner counts them and spaces the rest.
Open the planner in catch-up mode One vaccine per visit Up to 4 per visitSources
Primary sources only. Links open the publisher's own page.