Childhood Vaccination in Algeria: The Parents' Guide

Vaccination remains one of the most effective preventive acts there is: it protects your child, but also the infants too young to be vaccinated and the vulnerable people around them. In Algeria it follows a national schedule — and parents play the central role in keeping it up to date.

New: see the detailed 2026 vaccination schedule and calculate your baby's vaccination dates from their date of birth.

The Algerian vaccination schedule

Algeria runs a national immunization programme that starts at birth — BCG and hepatitis B at the maternity ward — then continues with regular appointments through the first two years, with boosters afterwards. The programme's vaccines are administered free of charge in public health structures (PMI, polyclinics, health centres). The detailed schedule is in the health record handed out at birth: that is your reference document.

The main stages of the current schedule (updated by the order of 28 April 2026, which adds oral polio from 2 months, the HPV vaccine at 11-13 years and a broader pneumococcal vaccine):

• Birth: BCG, hepatitis B.
• 2 and 4 months: hexavalent vaccine (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, Hib, injectable polio, hepatitis B), pneumococcus, oral polio.
• 11 months: MMR (1st dose).
• 12 months: hexavalent booster, pneumococcus, oral polio.
• 18 months: MMR (2nd dose).
• 6 years: paediatric DTaP booster, injectable polio.
• 11-13 years: adult dT, HPV.
• 16-18 years: adult dT, then a booster every 10 years in adulthood.

For your own child's dates, use our vaccination date calculator based on their date of birth.

The health record, your best ally

• Bring it to every consultation — each vaccine is recorded in it.
• Before leaving, confirm the date of the next appointment with the doctor or midwife.
• If you move to another wilaya, the record lets the new team pick up the follow-up without losing anything.

Fever after a vaccine: should you worry?

A moderate fever, redness or slight pain at the injection site within 48 hours are common reactions and usually harmless. Ask the doctor at the time of the injection what they recommend if the fever rises. On the other hand, seek care quickly if the fever is high and persistent, if the child is unusually drowsy or refuses to feed.

Behind on a vaccine? Nothing is lost

Illness, travel, a slip of the mind — a missed appointment happens. In the vast majority of cases the vaccination schedule can resume where it stopped, without starting over: that is what catch-up vaccination is. What matters is not letting the delay settle in. Talk to the doctor who follows your child.

Preparing the vaccination visit

• Bring the health record and, for the little ones, a pacifier or comfort toy.
• Write down the questions on your mind (sleep, feeding, development): the vaccination visit is also a follow-up visit.
• After the injection, stay a few minutes on site — it is the usual precaution.