Baby Vaccination Schedule: 0-24 Months Guide

Vaccines are the most effective way to protect your baby from deadly diseases. National immunisation programs — the CDC schedule in the US, the provincial and territorial schedules coordinated by the Public Health Agency of Canada, the National Immunisation Program in Australia and the NHS schedule in the UK — cover a dozen or more diseases, usually at no cost. This guide gives a general 0-24 month overview plus additional (optional) vaccines. Exact vaccines and timing vary by country, so always follow your own pediatrician's schedule.

Vaccines at birth:

• Hepatitis B (1st dose) — routine in the US within the first 24 hours; in the UK Hepatitis B is given later within the combined shot unless the baby is higher-risk

Note: Schedules differ by country. BCG (Tuberculosis) is not part of the routine schedule in the US, Canada or Australia, and the UK (NHS) offers it only to babies at higher risk — but in many other countries, including Türkiye and the Gulf states, BCG is routine and may be given at or soon after birth. Follow your own country's schedule.

Around the 2nd month (well-baby visit):

• 5-in-1/6-in-1 combo: DTaP-IPV-Hib (Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Polio, Hib meningitis) — the injectable combo also covers Hepatitis B in some countries
• PCV (Conjugate Pneumococcal)
• Rotavirus (oral)

Note: Where BCG is used it is given around this time — left shoulder, intradermal; scar formation is normal, no need to squeeze or clean.

4th Month: combo (2nd dose), PCV (2nd dose). 6th Month: combo (3rd dose), Hepatitis B (3rd dose where not already covered). Polio protection is included in the injectable combo; some countries add an oral polio (OPV) dose.

12th Month: PCV (booster), MMR (Measles-Mumps-Rubella) — 1st dose, Varicella (chickenpox) — 1st dose. 18th Month: combo (booster), Hepatitis A (1st dose). 24th Month: Hepatitis A (2nd dose).

Additional (paid private) vaccines:

• Rotavirus (Rotateq 3 doses or Rotarix 2 doses) — not in the national schedule; given privately if your pediatrician recommends, with the first dose started between weeks 6-15
• Meningococcal ACWY and B — if pediatrician recommends
• Influenza (flu) — yearly from 6 months onward in September-October
• HPV — age 9 and beyond (girls and boys)

After vaccination: 30-40% of babies experience mild fever, redness, or fussiness. Ask your pediatrician or pharmacist whether a fever reducer is needed and what dose to use. If your baby is under 3 months, call your pediatrician right away for any fever of 38°C (100.4°F) or higher, even after a vaccine. Prophylactic (preventive) fever reducer is no longer recommended — may reduce antibody response. Emergencies are rare: high fever (>39°C / >102.2°F, lasting 24 hours), anaphylaxis (face swelling, breathing difficulty, rash), seizures → emergency room immediately.

Missed vaccinations: If a vaccine is missed, it doesn't restart from scratch — continues from where it left off. Can be updated at your pediatrician or primary care/GP office. Keep your vaccination record; it's often required for school enrollment.

Myths: "Vaccines cause autism" — repeatedly debunked, no scientific evidence. "Vaccines strain the immune system" — babies encounter thousands of antigens daily, vaccines' few antigens are microscopic. "Catching the natural disease is better" — risks of permanent damage like death, deafness, infertility. Make evidence-based decisions for your healthy children, trust your pediatrician.