Finish the vaccines on the national immunization schedule; they are free the whole way, and a missed series means catching up only the doses not yet given

Vaccines on the national immunization schedule are free for the whole series, and the vaccination provider cannot charge. Daycare and school both check the vaccination certificate, and a missed dose is generally found and made up. If you missed some, you only catch up the doses not yet finished. You do not start the whole series over, and you can continue even if the manufacturer changes.

Cost

No money. The law states that "a vaccination provider may not charge any fee for giving a vaccine on the immunization schedule." You will make several trips to the vaccination clinic as the child ages. Keep the vaccination certificate (预防接种证). Do not lose it.

Benefit

When a child enters daycare or school, the daycare or the school checks the vaccination certificate. If the child was not vaccinated on the immunization schedule as required, they report it to the vaccination provider and help press the guardian to catch up. So a missed vaccine is generally found when the certificate is checked at daycare or school entry. The schedule now in force is the 2026 edition. Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is already on the national immunization schedule. The starting age for the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine (百白破) changed from 3 months to 2 months. There are 5 doses in all, 1 dose at each of 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 18 months, and 6 years. From March (3) 2026, children of the right age in Tibet, Qinghai, Xinjiang, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (新疆生产建设兵团) also receive Japanese encephalitis vaccine (乙脑) as a routine vaccination. Several vaccines can be given on the same day: at this stage, national immunization-schedule vaccines can be given at the same time, following the schedule or the catch-up rules. 2 or more injected vaccines must go into different sites. "It is strictly forbidden to draw 2 or more vaccines into the same syringe and inject them." If they are not given on the same day, 2 or more injected live attenuated vaccines need an interval of not less than 28 days. There is no interval limit between inactivated vaccines, oral live attenuated vaccines, and other vaccines. The catch-up rule for a child under 18 years of age is to catch up as soon as possible: "only the doses not yet finished need to be given; there is no need to start the whole series over." The same vaccine can be continued if the manufacturer changes (nationwide, 2026 edition of the schedule).

Notes

The most common misunderstanding is "the child is not strong, so wait." The official line is that a so-called "allergic constitution," allergies in the family, or a past allergy to a food or a drug is not a reason to skip the vaccine. Atopic dermatitis (eczema), hives, allergic rhinitis, and bronchial asthma can all be vaccinated as usual if the condition is stable. A child who is taking an allergy medicine, or using an inhaled steroid, can still be vaccinated. Physiological jaundice and breast-milk jaundice in a newborn can also be vaccinated as usual. There are only 2 true reasons not to vaccinate: an acute severe allergic reaction to the same vaccine before, or a severe allergy to a known component of the vaccine. A child with an immune deficiency, a child on chemotherapy or radiotherapy, or a child on an immunosuppressant needs a separate assessment. Explain the situation at the vaccination clinic and decide there. The first hepatitis B dose is in item 2 of this section. A non-schedule vaccine you pay for yourself is charged a vaccine fee and a vaccination service fee, and has nothing to do with the free vaccines this item is about.

Sources · 1

1. 全国人大常委会 (2019). 疫苗管理法（第四十八、四十九条）. ynswsjkw.yn.gov.cn/html/2019/faguiguizhangxin…（云南省卫生健康委员会转载）；国家疾病预防控制局、国家卫生健康委 (2026). 《国家免疫规划疫苗儿童免疫程序及说明（2026 年版）》解读问答. ndcpa.gov.cn/jbkzzx/c100013/common/content/co…