The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a core set of vaccines for all children worldwide, starting at birth and continuing through adolescence. This global schedule serves as a baseline that individual countries adapt based on local disease patterns, but the core vaccines and timing windows are consistent across WHO guidance. Here’s what the schedule includes and when each vaccine is recommended.
Vaccines Given at Birth
Three vaccines are recommended within hours of delivery. The hepatitis B birth dose should be given as soon as possible after birth, ideally within 24 hours, to prevent transmission from mother to child. BCG (which protects against tuberculosis) and a birth dose of oral polio vaccine are typically given during the same visit. All three can be administered together safely.
The hepatitis B birth dose is particularly time-sensitive. The virus passes easily from an infected mother to her newborn during delivery, and vaccination within that first 24-hour window is the most effective way to block transmission. A standalone hepatitis B vaccine is used for this dose rather than a combination product.
The 6-Week to 6-Month Primary Series
The bulk of infant vaccination happens in three visits spaced about four weeks apart, starting at 6 weeks of age. During these visits, children receive doses of several vaccines, often combined into a single injection:
- DTP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis): 3 doses in the primary series
- Polio: 3 doses, following the birth dose
- Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib): 3 doses, given alongside DTP
- Hepatitis B: 3 to 4 total doses including the birth dose, with subsequent doses given alongside DTP
- Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine: 3 doses, given alongside DTP
- Rotavirus: 2 or 3 doses depending on the product, also given alongside DTP
In many countries, DTP, hepatitis B, and Hib are combined into a single pentavalent vaccine, meaning one injection covers five diseases at once. This reduces the number of shots an infant needs at each visit. The rotavirus vaccine is given orally rather than by injection, so it doesn’t add another needle.
For rotavirus specifically, the first dose needs to be given before 15 weeks of age. There is a strict upper age limit for starting this series because the risk of a rare side effect increases if the vaccine is given later.
Measles, Mumps, and Rubella
The first dose of measles vaccine is given around 9 to 12 months of age, with the exact timing depending on local measles risk. In countries where measles circulates widely, the first dose is given at 9 months. In lower-risk settings, it’s given at 12 months when the immune response tends to be stronger.
A second dose of measles vaccine follows later in childhood. WHO recommends 2 doses total for measles and mumps, with rubella vaccine included alongside measles (typically as a combined measles-rubella or measles-mumps-rubella vaccine). The second dose can be given as early as one month after the first, though many countries schedule it between 15 and 18 months or at school entry around age 4 to 6. The minimum interval between doses is 4 weeks.
HPV Vaccine for Adolescents
WHO targets HPV vaccination for girls aged 9 to 14, with the goal of reaching 90% coverage by age 15 as part of its global strategy to eliminate cervical cancer. A major shift in recent years has been the move toward single-dose HPV vaccination. A growing number of HPV vaccine products originally approved for two doses can now be used as a single dose, which makes it far easier for countries to reach more girls with fewer logistical hurdles.
As of late 2024, four WHO-prequalified HPV vaccines are confirmed for single-dose use, with a fifth product available on the global market under a two-dose schedule. Global coverage among girls aged 9 to 14 rose from 20% in 2022 to 27% in 2023, still well short of the 90% target but moving in the right direction.
Malaria Vaccine in Endemic Areas
WHO recommends malaria vaccines for children living in areas with moderate to high transmission of the most dangerous malaria parasite. The schedule calls for 4 doses starting from around 5 months of age. In areas where malaria transmission is highly seasonal or risk remains high beyond the second year of life, a 5th dose given one year after the 4th may be considered. This was reaffirmed by WHO’s expert advisory group (SAGE) as recently as September 2025.
Boosters Through Adolescence and Adulthood
Protection from some childhood vaccines fades over time. Tetanus and diphtheria require booster doses to maintain immunity. Adolescents are recommended a booster around age 11 or 12 that also includes pertussis (whooping cough) protection. After that, a tetanus-diphtheria booster is recommended every 10 years throughout adulthood. If you get a severe or contaminated wound, the interval shortens to 5 years since your last dose.
Catch-Up Vaccination for Missed Doses
WHO considers catch-up vaccination an essential part of any immunization program, not an afterthought. If your child has missed doses or fallen behind schedule, the principle is straightforward: pick up where you left off rather than restarting the series. You don’t lose credit for doses already given, even if the gaps between them were longer than recommended.
Catch-up doses can be delivered through regular clinic visits, school-based programs, outreach campaigns, or periodic intensification efforts that many countries run to reach children who have fallen through the gaps. The key priority is completing the full series for each vaccine as early as possible, since delays leave children vulnerable during the period when many of these diseases are most dangerous.
How Countries Adapt the WHO Schedule
The WHO schedule is a global framework, not a one-size-fits-all mandate. Each country builds its own national immunization program around it, adjusting based on which diseases are most common locally, which vaccine products are available, and how the health system is structured. Some countries add vaccines that WHO recommends only in certain situations, like yellow fever in endemic regions or Japanese encephalitis in parts of Asia. Others adjust the timing of doses to fit local health visit patterns.
If you’re looking for the exact schedule that applies to you or your child, your country’s ministry of health or national immunization program will have the specific version. The WHO schedule tells you what the global standard of care looks like and ensures that the core set of childhood vaccines is consistent worldwide.