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Child vaccinations in Qatar: schedule, clinics and school certificates
How Qatar's free national vaccination programme works for children, from the first jabs at birth to the school vaccines in Grades 8 to 10. Covers PHCC well-baby clinics, catching up when you arrive from abroad, the records schools ask for, flu jabs and travel vaccines.
Last reviewed: 13 October 2026
- Cost at PHCC
- National schedule vaccines are free for registered children (yearly health registration fee QAR 100 for expats)
- Where
- Your assigned PHCC health centre (well-baby clinic for under-5s); some private clinics
- Key ages
- Birth, 2, 4, 6, 12 and 18 months, 4 to 6 years, then Grades 8 to 10 at school
- Help
- Call 107 (PHCC) or 16000 (unified health line)
Qatar runs a national immunisation programme that protects children from more than a dozen serious diseases, and the routine vaccines are free at Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) health centres for children registered there. Babies get their first vaccines in the hospital at birth, then at the PHCC well-baby clinic at 2, 4, 6, 12 and 18 months, with boosters before school and again in the teenage years, when some are given at school. This guide is for parents of babies born here and for families arriving with children vaccinated in another country. It explains the order of things: register your child with PHCC, follow the schedule, keep the record safe, catch up any missing doses, and have the right paperwork ready for school. It also covers the yearly flu jab, the new school HPV vaccine and vaccines for travel.
Before you start
- Your child's valid Qatar ID (QID); since April 2026 the QID is shown instead of a printed health card
- Active PHCC health registration for the child, paid yearly, and the name of your assigned health centre
- The vaccination booklet or card given at birth in Qatar, if your child was born here
- For children arriving from abroad: the original vaccination record from every country, showing vaccine names, dates and doses
- An English or Arabic translation of any foreign record in another language (not always required, but it avoids delays)
- Birth certificate, and for school checks a recent passport-size photo
- The Nar'aakom app on your phone, with your child added as a dependent
- A note of any allergies, past reactions to vaccines, or medical conditions such as a weak immune system
Step by step
Register your child with PHCC first
Routine child vaccines are given at the PHCC health centre your family is assigned to, based on your home address. Before the first appointment your child needs a QID and an active health registration (still often called the health card, though no card is printed since April 2026). Babies born in Qatar get their QID after the residence permit is issued; children joining from abroad get it after the family visa and medical steps. Once registered, add the child as a dependent in your Nar'aakom account so you can request appointments for them.
Read guide: Get your health card (now linked to your QID) →Know the national schedule
The schedule is set by the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) and follows WHO advice. As published by PHCC and clinics in 2024 to 2025: BCG and hepatitis B at birth; the 6-in-1 (hexavalent), rotavirus and pneumococcal (PCV) vaccines at 2 and 4 months; a 5-in-1 or similar, PCV and oral polio at 6 months; MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) and chickenpox at 12 months; MMR, a DTaP-containing booster and oral polio at 18 months; and DTaP, chickenpox and polio boosters at 4 to 6 years. Some versions also include hepatitis A at 12 and 18 months. The schedule is reviewed from time to time, so treat the booklet your health centre gives you as the final word.
Start at birth in the hospital
If your baby is born in Qatar, the delivery hospital usually gives BCG (against tuberculosis) and the first hepatitis B dose before you go home. Ask for the vaccination booklet or card and check the dates are written in. Then register the baby's birth, passport and residence so you can get the QID and PHCC registration in time for the 2-month vaccines. If paperwork is slow, call 107 and ask your health centre how to avoid missing the 2-month dose.
Read guide: Newborn in Qatar: birth certificate, passport and residence permit →Go to the well-baby clinic visits
Every PHCC health centre runs a well-baby clinic for children under 5. It has eight planned visits at 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 18 and 30 months and at 4 years. Each visit combines vaccines due at that age with weight and height checks, development checks, feeding advice and screening for hearing, vision, hip problems and developmental delay. The clinic usually books the next visit before you leave; if not, book by calling 107, at reception, or in Nar'aakom.
Read guide: Having a baby in Qatar: antenatal care, hospitals and costs →Keep the record safe
PHCC gives a vaccination booklet (the old green card is no longer used) and records each dose in your child's electronic file. Bring the booklet to every visit and check the nurse fills it in. Take a photo of every page and keep it somewhere safe, because schools, nurseries and other countries will ask for it. Parents with an HMC MyHealth portal account can add children under 18 to their account, which shows records from Hamad hospitals.
Arriving from abroad: bring every record
Vaccines given in other countries count; your child does not have to start again. At your first visit to the PHCC health centre, give the nurse or doctor the original records from each country so they can enter the doses into your child's PHCC file. If a record is in a language other than English or Arabic, a translation saves time. If you have no record at all, tell the doctor; they will decide which vaccines to give, and some children may need doses repeated to be safe.
Get a catch-up plan
Other countries use different schedules, so children who move here often miss one or two vaccines that Qatar gives, such as chickenpox, rotavirus (only for young babies) or a second MMR. The doctor compares your records with Qatar's schedule and writes a catch-up plan, which may mean a few visits a month or so apart. Several vaccines can usually be given on the same day. Ask for the plan in writing and book the next date before you leave.
Prepare the school paperwork
Government schools need a school-entry medical check at a PHCC health centre. Book it by calling 107 and choosing the school student medical check-up; bring the QID, birth certificate and vaccination card, and arrive an hour early. The certificate is issued electronically and PHCC shares the result with the Ministry of Education. Private and international schools usually ask for a full vaccination record or their own immunisation form, so ask the school exactly what it wants, and finish any catch-up doses early.
Read guide: School admission and transfers in Qatar: the paperwork step by step →Watch for school vaccination campaigns
Teenage vaccines are given at school by school health teams in government, private, international and community schools. In 2026 to 2027 the campaign adds the HPV vaccine for Grade 9 (first phase, 20 September to 18 November 2026) and Grade 8 (second phase, 25 April to 16 May 2027), plus the Tdap booster for Grades 9 and 10. Each vaccine is optional and given only if a parent signs the consent form sent home with an information leaflet. If your child misses a school dose, ask your health centre about getting it there.
Add the yearly flu vaccine
The seasonal flu vaccine is free in Qatar and is offered from October to March; for the 2026 to 2027 season the campaign started in early October. Children aged 6 months to 5 years are a priority group, along with children who have asthma, diabetes or other long-term conditions. You can walk in to any PHCC health centre without an appointment, or go to an HMC facility or one of more than 50 private clinics that offer it. October or November is the best time, before the winter peak.
Optional vaccines at private clinics
Many private clinics and hospitals, such as Sidra Medicine, Aster, Al Ahli Hospital, Doha Clinic and Naseem, give childhood vaccines and extra ones outside the national schedule; MOPH says around 70 private centres offer immunisation. Private clinics charge for the consultation and often for the vaccine, and insurance may or may not cover it, so ask for the total price first. Always get the dose written in your booklet and tell your PHCC health centre at the next visit, so its record stays complete.
Read guide: Health insurance in Qatar: what residents and visitors need →Plan travel vaccines early
For trips to Africa, South Asia or other regions with diseases like typhoid, hepatitis A or yellow fever, see a doctor 4 to 6 weeks before you fly. HMC's Travel Clinic at the Communicable Disease Center sees families and children by appointment (call 4025 4003 or email CDCTravel@hamad.qa) and can issue the yellow international vaccination certificate. For Hajj or Umrah, the meningococcal ACYW vaccine is required for every pilgrim, children included, at least 10 days before travel, and is available at PHCC health centres.
What it costs
| Routine vaccines on the national schedule at a PHCC health centre | Free (with active health registration) |
| Yearly PHCC health registration for an expatriate child | QAR 100 |
| Seasonal flu vaccine (PHCC, HMC and participating private clinics) | Free |
| Private clinic paediatric first consultation (typical, 2026) | QAR 200 to 500, vaccine often extra |
| HMC Travel Clinic: oral typhoid, oral cholera, Japanese encephalitis and tick-borne encephalitis vaccines | Charged; ask the clinic for the current price |
Official fees at the time of review. Fees change, so confirm before paying.
Common mistakes
- Letting the child's health registration lapse, then finding the health centre cannot book the next vaccine
- Leaving foreign vaccination records behind, which can mean doses are repeated or school admission is delayed
- Waiting until the week before school starts to book the school medical check or catch-up doses
- Not checking that each dose is written in the booklet, especially after a private clinic visit
- Missing the school consent form in the school bag, so the child is skipped in the campaign
- Booking a holiday without checking whether the destination needs vaccines given weeks before travel
- Assuming the flu vaccine needs an appointment; at PHCC you can walk in
Questions people ask
Are vaccines free for expat children in Qatar?
Yes. The vaccines in the national schedule are free at PHCC health centres for children with a QID and active health registration. The registration itself costs QAR 100 a year for an expatriate child. Private clinics usually charge for the visit and often the vaccine.
My child was vaccinated in another country. Do they have to start again?
No. Doses given abroad count if they are documented with the vaccine name and date. Bring the original records to your health centre, and the doctor will add them to the file and give only the missing doses. Without records, the doctor may repeat some vaccines to be safe.
Can my child get vaccines before the QID or health registration is ready?
PHCC services are for registered patients, so your child normally needs a QID and health registration first. If a dose is due and the paperwork is delayed, call 107 to ask your health centre, or use a private clinic and pay for that visit. Keep the receipt and booklet entry so PHCC can record the dose.
What vaccination certificate does my child need for school?
Government schools need the school-entry medical check from a PHCC health centre, which the parent books through 107; the result is shared electronically with the Ministry of Education. Private and international schools usually ask for a complete vaccination record or their own immunisation form. Check with the school, as requirements differ.
I lost my child's vaccination booklet. What can I do?
Go to your assigned PHCC health centre: doses given there are kept in your child's electronic file, and staff can help with a replacement or a printed record. For doses given at a private clinic or hospital, ask that clinic for a copy. From then on, keep photos of every page.
Are the school vaccines compulsory?
No. MOPH says vaccination in the school campaign is optional and is given only after a parent or guardian signs the consent form. Read the leaflet that comes with it, and talk to your family doctor if you have questions. If you prefer, the vaccine can be given at your health centre instead.
Which children should get the flu vaccine, and where?
It is free for everyone, and children aged 6 months to 5 years and children with conditions like asthma or diabetes are priority groups. Walk in to any PHCC health centre, or use HMC or one of more than 50 participating private clinics. October or November is the best time.
Does my child need the meningitis vaccine for Umrah or Hajj?
For Hajj, the meningococcal ACYW vaccine is required for all pilgrims including children, at least 10 days before travel, and it is available at PHCC health centres. Requirements for Umrah are set by Saudi Arabia and can change, so check before you book.
Official sources
- PHCC: Well-Baby Clinic ↗
- PHCC: Immunization support ↗
- QNA: HPV vaccine added to the school vaccination campaign (Sep 2026) ↗
- Qatar Tribune: national flu vaccination campaign 2026-2027 ↗
- The Peninsula: medical check-ups for new students at PHCC ↗
- HMC: Travel Clinic ↗
Always check the official source before acting. QatarSteps is independent and not a government website.