Vaccine / Immunization

Immunization is one of the most important things you can do to protect your children’s health. If you fail to vaccinate, your child could become seriously ill.

Here are the vaccines recommended for children born in Thailand.

Vaccination Schedule
Every year, the Royal College of Pediatricians of Thailand and the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society of Thailand releases the vaccination schedule for Thai children.  

It will be updated annually around March to April. You can find the latest version on the website of the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society of Thailand.

Standard Vaccination
Here is an overview of vaccinations that are part of the standard mix recommended by most hospitals in Thailand. 

Newborn

• BCG vaccine against Tuberculosis
• Hepatitis B vaccine, the first dose

1 month

• Hepatitis B vaccine, the second dose

2 months

• Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, and HIB, the first dose
• Inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) (first dose)
• Rotavirus vaccine (first dose)

4 months

• Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, and HIB, the second dose
• Polio, the second dose
• Rotavirus vaccine, the second dose

6 months

• Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, and HIB, the third dose
• Oral polio vaccine (OPV)
• Rotavirus vaccine, the third dose 
• Influenza, the first dose (follow up with the second dose 1 month after)

9 – 12 months

• Measles Mumps Rubella vaccine (MMR), the first dose
• Encephalitis vaccine (Live vaccine), first dose at 1 year of age.

12 months up

• Hepatitis A vaccine, the first dose (second dose within 6-12 months)

18 months

• Oral polio vaccine (OPV) booster, first dose
• Polio vaccine, the first booster
• Measles Mumps Rubella vaccine (MMR), the second dose

2 years 

• Encephalitis vaccine (Live vaccine), second dose at 2 years and 6 months of age.

4-6 years

• Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, second dose at 4 years of age.
• Oral polio vaccine (OPV) booster, second dose at 4 years of age.

11-12 years

• Diphtheria and tetanus booster (Tdap), 1 dose at 12 years of age.
• A Grade 5 schoolgirl receiving the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine for cervical cancer prevention under the Ministry of Public Health’s vaccination program.

Other Vaccination
For other vaccines, consult your pediatrician or an immunization expert:

• Influenza vaccine: once a year. For children under 9 years old receiving the vaccine for the first time, two doses are required, given 1 month apart. The inactivated influenza vaccine can be administered from 6 months of age, while the live attenuated influenza vaccine (nasal spray) can be given from 2 years of age.
• Pneumococcal vaccine, 2 – 8 months of age 
• Chickenpox, 1 year of age
• Rabies vaccine, 2 months of age.
• Dengue vaccine, 4 years of age. 2 doses 4 months apart.
• Japanese encephalitis vaccine, 6 months of age, second dose after 4 weeks, booster after 1 year.