The short answer
Nigeria's routine schedule gives a baby BCG, polio and hepatitis B at birth; polio, pentavalent, pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccines at 6, 10 and 14 weeks, with the injectable polio vaccine at 6 and 14 weeks; measles, yellow fever and a meningitis vaccine at 9 months; and the second measles dose at 15 months. Girls are offered the HPV vaccine from 9 years. Routine vaccines are free at government health facilities, and a missed dose can usually still be given: take the child's card to your health centre.
See a paediatrician by videoMedically reviewed by Dr Debo Odulana, Founder and Chief Executive, Mezo. Last reviewed . This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Care is decided with you after an examination.
The routine schedule, visit by visit
This is the schedule the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) sets out for the national programme, and the Paediatric Association of Nigeria lists the same core vaccines. Your child's health card is the record that counts, and the health centre's own instructions come first.
- At birth: BCG (tuberculosis), oral polio vaccine (OPV 0) and hepatitis B (birth dose)
- 6 weeks: pentavalent 1 (diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B and Hib), pneumococcal (PCV 1), oral polio 1, rotavirus 1 and injectable polio (IPV 1)
- 10 weeks: pentavalent 2, PCV 2, oral polio 2 and rotavirus 2
- 14 weeks: pentavalent 3, PCV 3, oral polio 3, rotavirus 3 and IPV 2
- 6 months and 12 months: vitamin A, which is a supplement, not a vaccine
- 9 months: measles (first dose), yellow fever and a meningitis vaccine
- 15 months: measles (second dose)
- From 9 years: HPV vaccine for girls, which protects against cervical cancer later in life
The malaria vaccine
The malaria vaccine is given in four doses, at 5, 6 and 7 months with a fourth at 15 months in the NPHCDA schedule. It is being introduced state by state: as of April 2026, NPHCDA reported it in Bayelsa, Kebbi, Bauchi and Ondo. Ask your health centre whether it is given where you live. The vaccine does not replace a net, and a child with fever still needs a malaria test.
If your child missed a vaccine
Do not start again from the beginning. Take the card to your health centre as soon as you can and the nurse will give what is missing. During the Big Catch-up, NPHCDA gave missed pentavalent, pneumococcal and polio vaccines to children up to five years old, which shows how late a missed dose can still be useful. If you have lost the card, tell the health centre what you remember: they can often find the record.
Fever and soreness after a vaccine
A mild fever, a sore or swollen spot where the injection went, and a fussy day or two are common and usually settle on their own within a few days. A child with a cold or a low fever can usually still be vaccinated; a child who is moderately or severely ill should be seen first. Keep offering feeds and fluids, and do not give any medicine without checking the dose for your child's weight with a doctor or pharmacist.
Go to a hospital now
Serious reactions are very rare, but go straight to an emergency department if, after a vaccine, your child:
- Has swelling of the face, lips or tongue, or difficulty breathing, usually within minutes of the injection
- Has a fit, or is floppy, very drowsy or hard to wake
- Is a baby under three months with a temperature of 38°C or more
- Has a high-pitched or continuous cry that will not settle, fast or difficult breathing, or a rash that does not fade when you press a glass against it
What it costs on Mezo
One fixed price, paid online.
Common questions
Is immunisation free in Nigeria?
Yes. UNICEF Nigeria confirms that routine immunisation is free at government health facilities. Private hospitals may charge for the visit, or for vaccines that are not in the national programme.
Are there vaccines outside the national schedule?
Yes. The Paediatric Association of Nigeria recommends a wider schedule that adds, for example, hepatitis A, typhoid, booster doses and chickenpox. A paediatrician can tell you which suit your child and where they are given.
Can a paediatrician check my child's vaccines by video?
Yes. Show the card on camera and the paediatrician can tell you what is due, what was missed and what to ask for at the health centre. The vaccine itself is given in person.
My child had a fever after the vaccine. Is that malaria?
A fever in the day or two after a vaccine is often the vaccine. A fever that lasts longer, starts later or comes with other symptoms needs a doctor, and a malaria test before any antimalarial.
The procedures
Related health guides
Read next
More patient guides
Not sure what your child is due?
Talk it through with a paediatrician by private video call, with your child beside you. The fee is shown before you pay, and if your child needs to be examined or tested, the paediatrician tells you where and how soon.
See a paediatrician by videoSources and further reading
The guidelines and patient information this page is checked against. Care in Nigeria follows the same evidence; what differs is the price and where it is done.
- Health interventions and recommendations: NPHCDA Immunization Implementation Guide (draft, based on Nigeria's National Immunization Schedule). National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), 2026. Official publication.
- Immunization page: PAN recommended immunisation schedule. Paediatric Association of Nigeria. Clinical guideline.
- The Big Catch-up implementation in Nigeria. National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA). Official publication.
- Frequently asked questions on immunization. UNICEF Nigeria. Fact sheet.
- Nigeria spends $150m annually on vaccines, says NPHCDA. ThisDay, via allAfrica, 22 April 2026, 2026. News report.
Links last checked 29 October 2026.
Medical disclaimer: This guide is general information and does not replace advice from your own doctor. Where your centre's instructions differ from this guide, follow theirs.