Childhood Vaccination Schedule: A Parent's Complete Guide
The national immunisation schedule protects against twelve serious diseases at no cost. Here is what is given when, what to expect afterwards, and what to do about missed doses.
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Fever is not the illness — it is the body fighting one. How the child looks and behaves tells you far more than the number on the thermometer.
What fever is and is not
Fever is a temperature at or above 38°C (100.4°F). It is a normal immune response that helps the body fight infection, and in itself it does not cause brain damage. Parents often measure repeatedly and panic at a high number, but a child with 39°C who is playing and drinking is in a far better position than a child with 38°C who is drowsy and refusing fluids.
Watch the child, not just the thermometer. Alertness, feeding, breathing, urine output and skin colour are the things that matter.
Come to hospital immediately if
- The child is under three months old and has any fever
- The child is drowsy, floppy, difficult to wake, or unusually irritable when handled
- Breathing is fast, laboured, or the chest is drawing in below the ribs
- There is a rash that does not fade when pressed with the side of a glass
- There is a stiff neck, a bulging soft spot, or persistent vomiting
- There have been no wet nappies for eight hours, or the eyes are sunken and there are no tears
- There is a seizure
- The fever lasts more than three days, or returns after settling
- Your instinct says something is seriously wrong — parental instinct is a legitimate reason to attend
Managing fever at home
- Paracetamol 15 mg per kg per dose, every four to six hours as needed — measure by weight, not by age
- Ibuprofen may be used in children over six months if advised, but never in suspected dengue
- Never give aspirin to a child
- Offer fluids frequently in small amounts — this matters far more than reducing the temperature
- Dress lightly; do not wrap the child in blankets
- Sponge with lukewarm water if the child is uncomfortable — never cold water or ice, which cause shivering and raise temperature
- Do not alternate paracetamol and ibuprofen unless a doctor has specifically advised it
Worth knowing
Write down the exact dose and the time of each medicine. Accidental double dosing by two different family members is one of the commonest paediatric medication errors we see.
Febrile seizures
Around three to five percent of children between six months and five years have a seizure with fever. It is terrifying to watch and almost always harmless. Most last under five minutes, do not cause brain damage and do not mean the child has epilepsy.
If it happens: place the child on their side on a flat surface, remove anything nearby that could injure them, do not put anything in the mouth, do not restrain the limbs, and note the time. Call 108 if it lasts more than five minutes, if breathing is difficult, if another seizure follows, or if it is the first one — the first episode should always be assessed.
What does not help
- Antibiotics for viral fever — they neither shorten it nor prevent complications
- Cold water or ice sponging
- Wrapping the child heavily to 'sweat out' the fever
- Repeatedly checking the temperature every few minutes
- Steroid injections given for rapid fever reduction outside proper indications
Key takeaways
- How the child looks and behaves matters more than the temperature reading.
- Any fever in a baby under three months requires immediate medical assessment.
- Dose paracetamol by weight at 15 mg/kg, and record every dose given.
- Febrile seizures are usually harmless, but the first episode must always be assessed.
A note on medical advice
This article is general health education written and reviewed by the Department of Paediatrics & Neonatology at SIMS. It is not a substitute for an examination, a diagnosis or the advice of your own treating doctor, and it cannot account for your history, medicines or reports. If a symptom is sudden or severe — chest pain, stroke symptoms, breathing difficulty, serious injury, seizures or heavy bleeding — call 9281862028 or come straight to the emergency department instead of reading further.
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