Immunization is an important and effective health intervention for children. Over the course of history, it has helped keep millions of children protected against infectious and life-threatening diseases.

Vaccines have been so effective that some diseases that were once feared are now either eradicated or easily manageable. Yet, in the recent past many new diseases are emerging too. This makes immunization of a child even more important.

Vaccines are most effective when they are administered to children at the right age and with the recommended dosage as children are susceptible to certain diseases at certain ages. As an example, polio occurs most frequently in children below the age of 5. Because of this, polio vaccines are given to children of those ages to prevent harm caused by the disease. A child who isn't vaccinated or isn't vaccinated on time remains unprotected and has increased chances of getting seriously ill.

AT BIRTH

Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG)

• This is a single dose vaccine.
• Administered via injection on upper arm
• This vaccine offers protection against tuberculosis.
• Potential side effects of this vaccine include:
  • Soreness or discharge where the injection was given
  • High temperature
  • Headache
  • Swollen glands under the armpit on the arm that received the vaccine shot

Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) – 0 dose

• This is the first dose taken at birth. The next dose is taken when your child is 6 weeks old, the third dose at 10 weeks old, and the last dose at 14 weeks old.
• Administered orally
• This vaccine protects against the poliovirus which is a highly infectious disease that invades the nervous system and can lead to total paralysis. The virus primarily affects children 5 years and below.
• Potential side effects of this vaccine include:
  • There are no common side effects associated with this vaccine.

Hepatitis B birth dose

• This is a single dose vaccine.
• Administered via injection
• This vaccine protects against Hepatitis B which is a viral infection that attacks the liver and can cause both acute and chronic disease.
• Potential side effects of this vaccine include:
  • Other than some redness and soreness where the injection was given, side effects are rare.
  • It's an inactivated (dead) vaccine, so it cannot cause the infection itself

6 WEEKS

Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) - 1

• This is the second OPV dose taken at 6 weeks. The next dose is taken when your child is is 10 weeks old, and the last dose at 14 weeks old.
• Administered orally
• This vaccine protects against the poliovirus which is a highly infectious disease that invades the nervous system and can lead to total paralysis. The virus primarily affects children 5 years and below.
• Potential side effects of this vaccine include:
  • There are no common side effects associated with this vaccine.

Pentavalent - 1

• This is the first dose taken at 6 weeks old. The next dose is taken when your child is 10 weeks old and the last dose at 14 weeks old.
• Administered via injection
• This vaccine offers protection against Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Hepatitis B and Hib.
• Potential side effects of this vaccine include:
  • Swelling, redness and pain may occur at the site where the injection is given.
  • Children may develop fever for a short time after immunization.
  • Symptoms usually appear the day after vaccination and last between 1-3 days.

Rotavirus Vaccine (RVV) - 1

• This is the first dose of three doses. The second dose is taken when your child is 10 weeks old and the last dose at 14 weeks old.
• Administered orally
• This vaccine offers protection against rotaviruses which are the most common cause of severe diarrhoeal disease in infants and young children.
• Potential side effects of this vaccine include:
  • Side effects are rare and mild
  • May include diarrhea, vomiting and irritation

Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) - 1*

• The first of two doses of the PCV. The second dose is taken when your child is 14 weeks old.
• Administered via injection
• This vaccine offers protection against meningitis, septicemia and pneumonia to milder infections such as sinusitis and otitis media.
• Potential side effects of this vaccine include:
  • Redness
  • Swelling
  • Pain or tenderness
  • Fever
  • Loss of appetite
  • Fussiness (irritability)
  • Feeling tired
  • Headache
  • Muscle aches or joint pain
  • Chills

Inactivated Polio Vaccine (fIPV) - 1

• The first of two doses of the fIPV. The second dose is given to your child at 14 weeks.
• Administered via injection
• This vaccine offers protection from the poliovirus which is a highly infectious viral disease that largely affects children under 5 years of age.
• Potential side effects of this vaccine include:
  • Soreness
  • Fever

10 WEEKS

Pentavalent - 2

• The second dose is taken when your child is 10 weeks old and the last dose at 14 weeks old.
• Administered via injection
• This vaccine offers protection against Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Hepatitis B and Hib.
• Potential side effects of this vaccine include:
  • Swelling, redness and pain may occur at the site where the injection is given.
  • Children may develop fever for a short time after immunization.
  • Symptoms usually appear the day after vaccination and last between 1-3 days.

Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) - 2

• This is the third OPV dose taken when your child is 10 weeks old. The last dose is taken when the child is 14 weeks old.
• Administered orally
• This vaccine protects against the poliovirus which is a highly infectious disease that invades the nervous system and can lead to total paralysis. The virus primarily affects children 5 years and below.
• Potential side effects of this vaccine include:
  • There are no common side effects associated with this vaccine.

Rotavirus Vaccine (RVV) - 2

• The second dose is taken when your child is 10 weeks old and the last dose at 14 weeks old.
• Administered via injection
• Administered orally
• This vaccine offers protection against rotaviruses which are the most common cause of severe diarrhoeal disease in infants and young children.
• Potential side effects of this vaccine include:
  • Side effects are rare and mild
  • May include diarrhea, vomiting and irritation

14 WEEKS

Pentavalent - 3

• This is the last Pentavalent vaccine dose to be taken at 14 weeks old.
• Administered via injection
• This vaccine offers protection against Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Hepatitis B and Hib.
• Potential side effects of this vaccine include:
  • Swelling, redness and pain may occur at the site where the injection is given.
  • Children may develop fever for a short time after immunization.
  • Symptoms usually appear the day after vaccination and last between 1-3 days.

Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) - 3

• This is the last OPV dose is taken when your child Is 14 weeks old.
• Administered orally
• This vaccine protects against the poliovirus which is a highly infectious disease that invades the nervous system and can lead to total paralysis. The virus primarily affects children 5 years and below.
• Potential side effects of this vaccine include:
  • There are no common side effects associated with this vaccine.

Rotavirus Vaccine (RVV) - 3

• This is the last RVV dose is taken when your child Is 14 weeks old.
• Administered via injection
• Administered orally
• This vaccine offers protection against rotaviruses which are the most common cause of severe diarrhoeal disease in infants and young children.
• Potential side effects of this vaccine include:
  • Side effects are rare and mild
  • May include diarrhea, vomiting and irritation

Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) - 2

• The second of two doses of the PCV given at 14 weeks old.
• Administered via injection
• This vaccine offers protection from meningitis, septicaemia and pneumonia to milder infections such as sinusitis and otitis media.
• Potential side effects of this vaccine include:
  • Redness
  • Swelling
  • Pain or tenderness
  • Fever
  • Loss of appetite
  • Fussiness (irritability)
  • Feeling tired
  • Headache
  • Muscle aches or joint pain
  • Chills

Inactivated Polio Vaccine (fIPV) - 2

• The final fIPV dose is given to your child at 14 weeks.
• Administered via injection
• This vaccine offers protection from the poliovirus which is a highly infectious viral disease that largely affects children under 5 years of age.
• Potential side effects of this vaccine include:
  • Soreness
  • Fever

9-12 MONTHS

Measles & Rubella (MR) - 1

• The first of two doses of the MR vaccine. The second dose is administered between 16-24 months old.
• Administered via injection
• This vaccine offers protection against measles and rubella. Measles is often a severe disease, frequently complicated by middle-ear infection or bronchopneumonia. Rubella causes a mild exanthematous illness, along with few constitutional symptoms, and occurs most commonly in childhood.
• Potential side effects of this vaccine include:
  • Redness, swelling and sore feeling for 2 to 3 days
  • Around 7 to 11 days after the injection, babies or young children may feel a bit unwell or develop a high temperature for about 2 or 3 days

Japanese Encephalitis (JE-1) **

• The first of two doses of the JE-1 vaccine. The second dose is given to your child between 16-24 months.
• Administered via injection
• This vaccine offers protection against Japanese Encephalitis which is the main cause of viral encephalitis in Asia. Most infections are mild or without apparent symptoms other than fever and a headache. However, sometimes it can result in severe clinical illness.
• Potential side effects of this vaccine include:
  • Fever though rarely (more often in children).
  • Headache or muscle aches mainly in adults.
  • Pain, tenderness, redness, or swelling around the vaccine shot.

Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine - Booster*

• This is a single dose vaccine.
• Administered via injection
• The vaccine offers protection against pneumonia, ear infections, sinus infections, meningitis, bacteremia.
• Potential side effects of this vaccine include:
  • Redness/swelling
  • Loss of appetite
  • Irritability
  • Fever
  • Increased crying

16-24 MONTHS

Measles & Rubella (MR) - 2

• The second of two doses of the MR vaccine to be taken by your child between 16-24 months.
• Administered via injection
• The vaccine offers protection against measles and rubella. Measles is an almost invariable clinical experience of childhood, and is often a severe disease, frequently complicated by middle-ear infection or bronchopneumonia. Rubella (German measles) gives rise to a mild exanthematous illness, accompanied by few constitutional symptoms, and occurs most commonly in childhood.
• Potential side effects of this vaccine include:
  • The area where the needle goes in looking red, swollen and feeling sore for 2 to 3 days
  • Around 7 to 11 days after the injection, babies or young children may feel a bit unwell or develop a high temperature for about 2 or 3 days

Japanese Encephalitis (JE-2) **

• The final JE vaccine to be administered between 16-24 months.
• Administered via injection
• This vaccine offers protection against Japanese Encephalitis which is the main cause of viral encephalitis in Asia. Most infections are mild or without apparent symptoms other than fever and a headache. However, sometimes it can result in severe clinical illness.
• Potential side effects of this vaccine include:
  • Fever though rarely (more often in children).
  • Headache or muscle aches mainly in adults.
  • Pain, tenderness, redness, or swelling around the area of the vaccine shot.

Diphtheria Pertussis & Tetanus (DPT) - Booster 1

• The first of two doses of the DPT vaccine. The second dose is given to your child between 5-6 years old.
• Administered via injection
• The vaccine offers protection from diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus.
• Potential side effects of this vaccine include:
  • Soreness or swelling around the area of the vaccine shot.
  • Fever
  • Irritation
  • Exhaustion
  • Loss of appetite
  • Vomiting

Oral Polio Vaccine – Booster

• This is a single dose vaccine.
• Administered orally
• This vaccine protects against the poliovirus which is a highly infectious disease that invades the nervous system and can lead to total paralysis. The virus primarily affects children 5 years and below.
• Potential side effects of this vaccine include:
  • There are no common side effects associated with this vaccine.

5-6 YEARS

Diphtheria Pertussis & Tetanus (DPT) - Booster 2

• The second of two doses, DPT vaccine is to be given to your child when they are 5-6 years old.
• Administered via injection
• The vaccine offers protection from diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus
• Potential side effects of this vaccine include:
  • Soreness or swelling around the area of the vaccine shot.
  • Fever
  • Irritation
  • Exhaustion
  • Loss of appetite
  • Vomiting

10 YEARS

Tetanus & adult Diphtheria (Td)

• This is a single dose vaccine.
• Administered via injection
• The vaccine provides protection against tetanus which can be contracted through infected cuts or wounds with the spores of the bacterium Clostridium tetani. Diphtheria can lead to difficulty breathing, heart failure, paralysis, or death. Most cases occur within 14 days of infection.
• Potential side effects of this vaccine include:
  • Pain
  • Redness or swelling around the area of the vaccine shot
  • Mild fever
  • Headache
  • Exhaustion
  • Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or stomachache

16 YEARS

Tetanus & adult Diphtheria (Td)

• This is a single dose vaccine.
• Administered via injection
• The vaccine provides protection against tetanus which can be contracted through infected cuts or wounds with the spores of the bacterium Clostridium tetani. Diphtheria can lead to difficulty breathing, heart failure, paralysis, or death. Most cases occur within 14 days of infection.
• Potential side effects of this vaccine include:
  • Pain
  • Redness or swelling around the area of the vaccine shot
  • Mild fever
  • Headache
  • Exhaustion
  • Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or stomachache

For any immediate health concerns, please reach out to your local doctor or the health centre in your community.