Vaccines from 1 to 3 years: which are free under your child's coverage and which optional ones you pay for

Once your child is past their first birthday, vaccine appointments are spread out so far apart that sometimes you forget entirely. You open the pink book and realize the 18-month visit was two months ago. And every trip to a private hospital comes with a long list of “optional vaccines”, until you’re not sure which are essential and which are a choice.

Here’s a summary of the free vaccines due between 1 and 3 years, what’s changed in 2026, and which optional vaccines are your family’s own decision. But first: go by the dates in the pink book and the advice of your child’s doctor.

1. How many basic vaccine visits are there between 1 and 3?

Quick Answer: There are 3 main free visits under your child’s coverage: 1 year, 18 months and 30 months, plus a flu vaccine offered free once a year during the campaign.

Age	Basic vaccines (free)	Protects against
9 months (just before this stage)	MMR dose 1	Measles, mumps, rubella
1 year	LAJE dose 1	Japanese encephalitis
12 months (new in 2026)	PCV dose 3 for children in the program	Pneumococcal pneumonia, bloodstream infection, meningitis
18 months	DTP dose 4, OPV dose 4, MMR dose 2	Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, measles, mumps, rubella
30 months	LAJE dose 2	Japanese encephalitis
4 years (next visit)	DTP dose 5, OPV dose 5	Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio

To look back at what your child got from birth to 2 months, read Your baby’s first vaccines in the pink book.

2. The 1-year visit: Japanese encephalitis dose 1

Quick Answer: At 1 year your child gets the first dose of live attenuated Japanese encephalitis vaccine (LAJE), free under your child’s coverage, with dose 2 following at 30 months.

Japanese encephalitis spreads through Culex mosquitoes, common in areas with rice fields and pig farms. The disease is uncommon but serious, which is why the vaccine is part of the basic schedule for every Thai child.

In 2026, the 1-year visit may also include the last PCV dose, for children who had the 2 and 4 month doses in the program. See section 5.

3. The 18-month visit: the biggest one in this stage

Quick Answer: At 18 months your child gets 3 vaccines in one visit: a DTP booster (dose 4), oral polio vaccine (OPV) dose 4, and MMR dose 2.

• DTP dose 4 boosts protection against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis from the 3 doses at 2, 4 and 6 months
• OPV dose 4 is given by mouth, no needle
• MMR dose 2. Thailand’s DDC says that on the routine schedule, the first MMR dose is given at 9 to 12 months and the second at 18 months. If your child has no record of 2 doses, they can catch up, at least 4 weeks after the previous dose.

Relatives with older children may remember MMR dose 2 at 2.5 years, which was the old schedule. Don’t be confused; just follow the hospital’s appointment in the book.

4. The 30-month visit: JE dose 2, then a long break until 4

Quick Answer: At 2.5 years your child gets Japanese encephalitis (LAJE) dose 2, completing the series. After this, the next basic vaccine visit is at 4 years.

This is the one many families miss, because it’s a whole year after the previous visit. A simple trick: take a photo of the vaccine table in the pink book and keep it on your phone, then set calendar reminders ahead of time. The 30-month visit is also a developmental screening age, so open 2-year-old milestones: the pink book checklist before you go.

5. Free PCV in 2026: can toddlers get it?

Quick Answer: In 2026 the NHSO made PCV a benefit for Thai children, given as 3 doses at 2, 4 and 12 months. But the actual start date varies by area, and it isn’t yet clear whether children already older than 12 months can catch up for free.

What’s confirmed so far:

• The Royal Gazette published the NHSO board announcement on 30 April 2026, making PCV a benefit for Thai children under the 2026 budget
• The schedule is 2+1: doses at 2, 4 and 12 months
• Start dates have been reported differently: some news expected around July 2026, while another source said 1 October 2026

If your child is over 12 months and has never had PCV, ask the hospital where they’re usually vaccinated, or call the NHSO hotline on 1330, whether they’re eligible to catch up. If not, paying at a private hospital is still an option. Ask the doctor how many doses suit your child’s age.

6. The flu vaccine: free in the campaign for ages 6 months to under 5

Quick Answer: In 2026, children aged 6 months to under 5 years were in the risk group for a free flu vaccine from 1 May to 31 August 2026, under every coverage scheme, at participating service units.

• This year, the free campaign ended on 31 August 2026. If your child hasn’t had it, ask your nearest public hospital whether any vaccine is left, or pay for it.
• Next year, the campaign usually runs around mid-year. Find participating units in the Paotang app under the health wallet (กระเป๋าสุขภาพ) menu, or call 1330. Supplies are limited, first come, first served.
• The flu vaccine is needed every year, because the strains change.
• For a child’s first ever flu vaccine, the doctor may schedule 2 doses about 1 month apart. Ask the nurse on the day.

If your child is at nursery and often has fevers, it’s even more worth doing, because flu spreads very easily among young children.

7. Which optional vaccines do you pay for?

Quick Answer: The main ones between 1 and 3 are chickenpox, hepatitis A, and EV71 (hand, foot and mouth). None are covered free, so talk with your doctor and decide based on your budget and your family’s risks.

Optional vaccine	Usually recommended	Notes
Chickenpox	First dose 12 to 18 months, booster 4 to 6 years	Some hospitals offer it combined with MMR
Hepatitis A	From 1 year, 2 doses 6 to 12 months apart	Spread through food and water
EV71	Within the vaccine’s age range, ask your doctor	Protects only against EV71, not every type of hand, foot and mouth
Flu (outside the campaign)	Every year from 6 months	Free only during the campaign
PCV (children outside the free program)	By age, ask your doctor	Several types covering different strains

The age ranges come from a private hospital’s 2026 vaccine schedule. Prices vary a lot between places, so compare a few and ask about packages. For the details on hand, foot and mouth, symptoms and care, read Hand, foot and mouth outbreak at nursery: when to see a doctor.

If you choose any optional vaccine, ask the nurse to record it in the pink book every time, so nothing gets repeated if you change hospitals.

8. After the shot: care at home, and when to go to hospital

Quick Answer: Soreness or swelling at the injection site, fussiness or a low fever are common. Some vaccines can cause a fever or rash several days later, so always ask the nurse what to watch for after that day’s vaccines. Trouble breathing, a swollen face or a seizure mean go to hospital now.

Care at home:

• Cuddle and comfort, offer water and milk as usual
• Dress your child in light, comfortable clothes, no heavy blankets
• Ask a doctor or pharmacist about fever medicine and the right dose for your child’s weight. Don’t give medicine without knowing the dose.
• Note the date and which vaccines were given, in case symptoms appear later

Go to hospital now if your child:

• Has trouble breathing, wheezes, has swollen lips or face, or hives all over after the shot
• Has a seizure, goes floppy, or is drowsy and hard to wake
• Has a very high fever, or a fever lasting more than 2 to 3 days
• Screams and cries non-stop for hours
• Has redness, swelling and heat at the injection site that keeps spreading, or pus

Vaccine days in the toddler years can be harder than in the baby months, because your child now remembers that needles hurt. Some cry as soon as they see the nurse. That’s okay. Hold your child tight, and give yourself credit for keeping the appointment. For everything else about this age, see Raising a 1 to 3 year old: the complete guide.