The recommended schedule for immunisation lists the age at which specific immunisations should be given. Some immunisations need only be given once while others have to be repeated a number of times.
The schedule for the immunisation of children in South Africa (Table 2.1) is as follows:
- Polio 0 is the dose of polio vaccine at birth
- DPT 1 is the first dose of DPT
- Hepatitis B 2 is second dose of hepatitis B vaccine
- Hib 3 is the third dose of Hib vaccine, etc.
The primary immunisations are given between birth and 9 months. The immunisations given at 18 months and 5 years (polio, measles, diphtheria and tetanus) are often called ‘boosters’ as they help to improve the immune response produced by the initial course of immunisation.
| When | Vaccines |
| At birth | BCG Oral polio 0 (OPV 0) |
| At 6 weeks | Oral polio 1 (OPV 1) DPT 1 (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus) Hepatitis B 1 Hib 1 |
| At 10 weeks | Oral polio 2 (OPV 2) DPT 2 Hepatitis B 2 Hib 2 |
| At 14 weeks | Oral polio 3 (OPV 3) DPT 3 Hepatitis B 3 Hib 3 |
| At 9 months | Measles 1 |
| At 18 months | Oral polio 4 (OPV4) DPT 4 Measles 2 or MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) |
| At 5 years | Oral polio 5 (OPV 5) DT 5 (diphtheria, tetanus) |