Pakistan's Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) gives every child free protection against 12 diseases. The card is the schedule — here's what it means.
The rhythm
- At birth: BCG (TB), OPV-0 (polio), Hepatitis B
- 6, 10, 14 weeks: Pentavalent (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, Hib, hep B), OPV, PCV (pneumonia), Rotavirus (first two visits), IPV
- 9 months: Measles-Rubella 1 + Typhoid conjugate (TCV)
- 15 months: Measles-Rubella 2
Polio drops in campaigns are extra protection — never a replacement for the routine schedule, and never something to refuse. Pakistan is one of the last countries where polio still paralyzes children.
Missed doses?
Children can catch up at any age — you don't restart, you resume. Take the card (or whatever you remember) to any EPI center or vaccinating clinic; they'll rebuild the schedule.
Common worries, honestly
Mild fever or soreness after vaccines is normal and passes in a day — paracetamol syrup helps. The diseases these vaccines prevent — measles, whooping cough, tetanus — still kill children in Pakistan every week. The math is not close.
Source: Pakistan EPI schedule; WHO — Immunization coverage. This article is general guidance, not a diagnosis.