In Canada, most children receive about 20–25 doses of vaccines by age 18, spread across roughly 14–16 different vaccine types , depending on the province or territory and any catch‑up schedules.

What vaccines kids get (ages 0–18)

Canadian schedules are set nationally by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) , but each province and territory runs its own program, so the exact number of shots can vary slightly. By age 2, a typical child will have received several doses of vaccines against:

  • Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (DTaP‑like)
  • Polio
  • Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
  • Pneumococcal disease
  • Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)
  • Varicella (chickenpox)
  • Hepatitis B
  • Rotavirus (oral)
  • Meningococcal disease (in some provinces)

Between ages 4–17, kids usually get:

  • Booster doses of DTaP, polio, and meningococcal vaccines
  • HPV vaccine (for both girls and boys)
  • Additional meningococcal doses in some provinces
  • Annual flu shots (recommended but not always counted in “routine” totals)

Approximate dose counts by age

Here is a rough idea of how many doses most Canadian children receive by key ages (this is a national‑level approximation , not province‑specific):

Age group| Approx. total doses| Notes
---|---|---
0–2 years| 10–15 doses| Covers most infant‑series vaccines (DTaP, polio, Hib, pneumococcal, rotavirus, MMR, varicella, hepatitis B, meningococcal in some places). 35
4–6 years| +3–5 doses| Booster shots for DTaP, polio, MMR, varicella. 58
9–14 years| +3–6 doses| HPV series (2–3 doses), meningococcal boosters, Tdap (tetanus‑diphtheria‑pertussis). 38
15–18 years| +1–3 doses| Final boosters (e.g., Tdap, meningococcal) depending on province. 58

Altogether, this lands most Canadian kids in the low‑ to mid‑20s of total vaccine doses by age 18.

Why the number isn’t fixed

  • Provincial differences : Some provinces add extra vaccines (e.g., meningococcal, HPV timing) or use combination shots, which changes the exact count.
  • Catch‑up schedules : Kids who start late or miss doses may receive more injections over a longer period.

If you tell me which province you’re in (e.g., Ontario, BC, Quebec), I can give you a more precise, province‑specific count of how many vaccines a child typically gets by age 2, 7, and 17.