The Vaccination Planner
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Based on Nigeria's national routine immunisation schedule (NPHCDA). The schedule changes as new vaccines are introduced, and some vaccines are given only in some states. Always follow your child's health card and your clinic's advice.
If You Remember Nothing Else
- Vaccines protect when they are given on time, in the first months of life when infections are most dangerous.
- Keep the child health card safe and take it to every visit, including sick visits.
- A mild fever or a sore leg for a day or two is normal. A baby under 3 months with a temperature of 38 °C or more still needs to be seen now.
- Missed a visit? Go anyway. The schedule does not restart; the nurse plans the catch-up.
- A cold is not a reason to delay. Only a high fever or serious illness is.
Nigeria's Routine Schedule at a Glance
| Age | Vaccines | Protects against |
|---|---|---|
| At birth | BCG, OPV 0, Hepatitis B birth dose | Tuberculosis, polio, hepatitis B |
| 6 weeks | Pentavalent 1, PCV 1, OPV 1, Rotavirus 1 | Diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, Hib, pneumococcal pneumonia and meningitis, polio, rotavirus diarrhoea |
| 10 weeks | Pentavalent 2, PCV 2, OPV 2, Rotavirus 2 | As above |
| 14 weeks | Pentavalent 3, PCV 3, OPV 3, IPV, Rotavirus 3 | As above, with injected polio vaccine |
| 6 months | Vitamin A (every 6 months to age 5) | Supports immunity and eyesight |
| 9 months | Measles (or measles-rubella) 1, yellow fever, meningitis (in some states) | Measles, rubella, yellow fever, meningococcal meningitis |
| 15 months | Measles (or measles-rubella) 2 | Measles, rubella |
| Girls 9 to 14 | HPV, one dose | Human papillomavirus, the main cause of cervical cancer |
Why Vaccines on Time Matter
The diseases on this schedule are most dangerous in the first months and years of life, when a child's immune system is still learning. Whooping cough can stop a baby breathing. Measles still kills children in Nigeria and can leave survivors blind or deaf. Pneumococcal infection causes pneumonia and meningitis. The schedule is timed to protect children before they are most likely to meet each infection — so a vaccine given months late leaves a gap exactly when it matters.
Each vaccine teaches the body to recognise a germ without the child having to catch the disease. Several doses are needed for some vaccines because the protection builds with each one.
After a Vaccine
Common and Harmless
Usually settles in 1 to 2 days
- Soreness, redness or a small lump where the injection went in
- A mild fever, more likely after pentavalent and PCV
- Being fussy, sleepy or off feeds for a day
- BCG: a small blister weeks later that heals to a scar — leave it uncovered and do not squeeze it
See a Doctor Today
Same day
- Fever of 39 °C or more, or lasting more than 48 hours
- Redness spreading far beyond the injection site
- Crying that will not settle for 3 hours or more
Come In Now
Emergency department, straight away
- Swelling of the face, lips or tongue, or difficulty breathing within minutes to hours
- A fit, or floppy and unresponsive
- A baby under 3 months with a temperature of 38 °C or more
Wait at the clinic for about 15 minutes after vaccines so staff can see your child if a rare allergic reaction happens. Breastfeeding during or right after the injection comforts babies and reduces pain. Do not put hot compresses, herbs or oil on the injection site.
Missed a Visit
Illness, travel, a move or a clinic out of stock can all cause a missed dose. The schedule does not restart. Take the child health card to any immunisation clinic, or book a visit with us, and the nurse gives the missed doses at the right intervals. Older children who missed vaccines as babies can still be protected: the catch-up plan depends on age, so bring every record you have.
Lost the card? Ask the clinic where your child was vaccinated to check their register. If records cannot be found, the nurse may advise giving the vaccines again; an extra dose is generally safe.
Other Vaccines to Ask About
Some vaccines are not yet on the free national schedule in every state, are recommended only for some children, or are given privately. Ask a Limi paediatrician which ones your child needs:
- Malaria vaccine — Nigeria began introducing it in some states from 2024, from around 5 months of age. Availability depends on where you live.
- Typhoid conjugate vaccine — protects against typhoid fever from 6 months.
- Chickenpox (varicella) and MMR (measles, mumps, rubella).
- Hepatitis A.
- Influenza — especially for children with asthma, sickle cell disease or heart conditions.
- Pneumococcal and meningococcal vaccines beyond the routine schedule for children with sickle cell disease or no working spleen. See sickle cell care.
Worries Parents Share
Vaccines cause autism.
Very large studies of millions of children have found no link. The one paper that claimed it was withdrawn because it was fraudulent.
Too many vaccines at once overload a baby's immune system.
Babies meet thousands of germs every day. Giving several vaccines at one visit is safe and means fewer trips and earlier protection.
Vaccines are meant to make children infertile.
This rumour has been checked and disproved many times. The vaccines on this schedule are used in almost every country in the world.
A child with a cold should not be vaccinated.
A mild illness such as a cold or mild diarrhoea is not a reason to delay. A high fever or serious illness is, and the nurse tells you on the day.
Breastfed babies do not need vaccines.
Breast milk gives some protection, but not enough against these diseases. Breastfed babies need every vaccine too.
Questions Parents Ask
My baby was born early. Do we follow the same dates?
Yes. Premature babies are vaccinated by their actual age from birth, not their corrected age, because they need protection just as early. Some very small babies have their birth doses timed by the neonatal team.
Should I give paracetamol before the injection?
Not routinely. Give it afterwards only if your baby has a fever and is uncomfortable, at the dose on the pack for their age — and never to a baby under 3 months without a doctor's advice.
Are vaccines at private hospitals different from government clinics?
The routine vaccines protect in the same way wherever they are given, as long as the clinic is registered and keeps vaccines cold. Private clinics may also offer the extra vaccines listed above.
Should my child take campaign doses (for example polio or measles campaigns) if they are up to date?
Yes. Campaign doses are safe on top of routine doses and help stop outbreaks. Make sure the campaign dose is written on the card.
Can we get our child's vaccines at Limi Children's Hospital?
Yes. The Limi team vaccinates babies, children and teenagers as part of everyday care, and plans catch-up doses for children who have fallen behind. Bring the child health card. For any of the extra vaccines, ask the care team which are in stock before you come.
Sources
- National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Nigeria. National routine immunisation schedule.
- World Health Organization. Recommendations for routine immunization: summary tables. Updated regularly.
- World Health Organization. Malaria vaccines: WHO position paper, May 2024. Weekly Epidemiological Record, 2024.
- World Health Organization. Human papillomavirus vaccines: WHO position paper. 2022.
- Taylor LE, Swerdfeger AL, Eslick GD. Vaccines are not associated with autism: an evidence-based meta-analysis. Vaccine, 2014.
Written for parents and carers in NigeriaClinically reviewed by Limi Children’s Hospital cliniciansLast updated September 2026Next review due September 2027