Egypt’s extra childhood vaccines sit outside the Ministry’s free routine list. This guide shows which six an Al-Watan report on a VACSERA statement names, what WHO and the CDC say about each, whether they can cause fever, and what to ask your paediatrician.
In Egypt, “extra” vaccines are the ones outside the Ministry of Health and Population’s free routine list. An Al-Watan report of 25 June 2026 on a VACSERA statement names six (rotavirus, pneumococcal, hepatitis A, chickenpox, meningococcal and seasonal flu) and says they are available at serum-and-vaccine centres and in private paediatric clinics.
The Ministry’s routine-schedule report names none of the six (Al-Watan, 21 June 2026), and neither does the Ministry’s own schedule page, shown as pictures from birth to 18 months (read 31 October 2026). Below: the two lists side by side, what WHO and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say about each, and questions for your paediatrician. This page does not say which vaccine your child needs or what a reaction means: those are for your child’s doctor.
In short:
- The Ministry’s routine vaccines are free at its health units and vaccination offices (Al-Watan, 21 June 2026); none of the six is named there or on the Ministry’s own schedule page.
- Whether an extra vaccine suits your child is your paediatrician’s decision.
- The CDC page (dated 31 July 2024) lists fever for some of the six, not all. A list of when to call the doctor after the two-month vaccines is on the two-month vaccines page; ask your paediatrician what applies after an extra one.
- We found no dated official price: ask for the total before you book.
Last checked: 31 October 2026, on the pages listed under Sources. Schedules, sites and guidance change, so confirm them with the vaccination team or your child’s doctor.
What are the extra vaccines in Egypt, and are any on the Ministry’s free list?
The Al-Watan report calls them extra or optional vaccines. The Ministry’s free list, age by age, is in Egypt’s childhood vaccine schedule. The table adds the hexavalent («السداسي»), described in a separate report.
| Vaccine | On the Ministry’s routine list? | Said to be given at | WHO Table 1 group |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rotavirus (by mouth) | Not named | Serum-and-vaccine centres; private clinics | All immunization programmes |
| Pneumococcal | Not named | Serum-and-vaccine centres; private clinics | All immunization programmes (conjugate vaccines) |
| Hepatitis A | Not named | Serum-and-vaccine centres; private clinics | Some high-risk populations |
| Chickenpox | Not named | Serum-and-vaccine centres; private clinics | Immunization programmes with certain characteristics |
| Meningococcal | Not named | Serum-and-vaccine centres; private clinics | Some high-risk populations |
| Seasonal flu | Not named | The same, and the Ministry’s non-routine vaccination offices | Immunization programmes with certain characteristics |
| Hexavalent | Not named | Vaccination centres affiliated with VACSERA; fee paid by bank card | Each of its six diseases is in the “all immunization programmes” group |
Read on 31 October 2026. Ministry list: Al-Watan, 21 June 2026; UNICEF Egypt’s page (undated); the Ministry’s own schedule page. Where: Al-Watan, 25 June 2026; the hexavalent from Al-Watan, 19 June 2026; flu offices from Masrawy, 4 October 2026. Groups: WHO Table 1, updated December 2025. The “said to be given at” column comes from newspaper reports of one company’s statement, not from a Ministry schedule.
Al-Watan (19 June 2026) says the hexavalent combines six vaccines in one injection (diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type b and polio), at 2, 4 and 6 months with a booster at 18 months. The report does not say how it relates to the Ministry’s pentavalent and polio doses: ask your paediatrician.
Rotavirus has an age limit in every source we read. The Al-Watan report (25 June 2026): starting before six months. Dostor (29 April 2026), reporting a warning attributed to VACSERA: first dose before 20 weeks, course finished before 8 months. WHO’s Table 1 (updated December 2025): first dose as soon as possible after 6 weeks of age, and vaccination of children over 24 months not recommended. The wordings differ; your paediatrician sets the dates.
Is an extra vaccine important?
That is your paediatrician’s decision, and this page cannot say whether any applies to your child. For context, WHO’s Table 1 (updated December 2025) says rotavirus vaccines should be included in all national immunization programmes and recommends pneumococcal conjugate vaccines for childhood programmes worldwide. It places hepatitis A and meningococcal vaccines under “some high-risk populations”, and chickenpox and seasonal flu vaccines under programmes “with certain characteristics”. It adds that national schedules should be based on local epidemiologic, programmatic, resource and policy considerations.
We found no Ministry statement adding any of the six to the free list (searched 31 October 2026).
Can the extra vaccines cause fever?
Some can, according to the CDC. Its page Possible Side Effects from Vaccines (dated 31 July 2024) lists fever for the pneumococcal, hepatitis A, chickenpox, meningococcal B and inactivated flu vaccines, and lists no fever for rotavirus or meningococcal ACWY. The page covers vaccines licensed in the United States and does not limit its lists to children, so this shows what is listed, not what your child will have.
| Vaccine | Reactions the CDC page lists |
|---|---|
| Pneumococcal conjugate | Redness, swelling, pain or tenderness where the shot is given; fever; loss of appetite; fussiness (irritability); feeling tired; headache; muscle aches; joint pain; chills |
| Hepatitis A | Soreness or redness where the shot is given; fever; headache; tiredness; loss of appetite |
| Chickenpox | Sore arm; redness or rash where the shot is given; fever |
| Meningococcal | ACWY: redness or soreness where the shot is given; in a small percentage of people, muscle pain, headache or tiredness. B: soreness, redness or swelling where the shot is given, tiredness, fatigue, headache, muscle or joint pain, fever, chills, nausea or diarrhoea; the page says some of these reactions occur in more than half of the people who receive the vaccine |
| Rotavirus | Irritability; mild, temporary diarrhoea or vomiting |
| Flu shot (inactivated) | Soreness, redness and swelling where the shot is given; fever; muscle aches; headache |
For rotavirus, the CDC page and WHO’s Table 1 both mention a small risk of intussusception, which the CDC page describes as a type of bowel blockage: ask your paediatrician what to watch for. For the vaccines in this table, the CDC page gives no fever temperature at which to call a doctor. A list of when to call the doctor after the two-month vaccines is in The two-month vaccines in Egypt: what they are and what to expect after. If you think it is an emergency, go to the nearest emergency department or call emergency services now.
What should I ask my paediatrician about the extra vaccines?
- Do you suggest any of these for my child, and why?
- At what ages are the doses, and what changes if we start later?
- Which exact vaccine is it, and which diseases or types does it cover?
- What is the total cost of the full course, and can I have it in writing before I book?
- How will each dose be recorded on my child’s vaccination card, next to the Ministry’s doses?
- What should I look out for after each dose, and whom do I call afterwards?
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In Egypt: where are the extra vaccines given, and what does the Ministry cover?
The Ministry’s report says its routine vaccines are free at health units and vaccination offices (Al-Watan, 21 June 2026). UNICEF Egypt’s page, citing Ministry data, says routine vaccines are free for Egyptians and non-Egyptians and can be given at the nearest primary health unit, hospital or private paediatric clinic; it lists no optional vaccines (undated, read 31 October 2026).
The extra vaccines are described as available at serum-and-vaccine centres and in private paediatric clinics (Al-Watan, 25 June 2026), and the hexavalent fee is paid by bank card (Al-Watan, 19 June 2026). The Ministry says flu vaccine is at its non-routine vaccination offices (Masrawy, 4 October 2026); that report does not say whether it is free. We found no dated official price list for any of them, so no prices are given.
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Frequently asked questions
Can the extra vaccines cause fever?
Some can, per the CDC’s page (31 July 2024), which lists fever for the pneumococcal, hepatitis A, chickenpox, meningococcal B and inactivated flu vaccines. Your paediatrician says what applies to your child.
Is an extra vaccine important?
That is your paediatrician’s decision. WHO’s Table 1 (updated December 2025) says rotavirus vaccines should be in all national programmes and recommends pneumococcal conjugate vaccines for childhood programmes worldwide; the other four of the six sit in narrower groups.
What are the extra vaccines for children in Egypt?
Vaccines outside the Ministry’s free routine list. An Al-Watan report of 25 June 2026 on a VACSERA statement names six: rotavirus, pneumococcal, hepatitis A, chickenpox, meningococcal and seasonal flu.
Are the extra vaccines free?
None is named in the Ministry’s free routine list (Al-Watan, 21 June 2026), and we found no dated official price for them. The Ministry says flu vaccine is at its non-routine vaccination offices (Masrawy, 4 October 2026); that report does not say whether it is free.
Medigize is a non-diagnostic navigation tool. This is general information, not medical advice. In an emergency, call an ambulance or go to the nearest emergency department.
Sources
- Al-Watan: schedules of the extra vaccines for children, to protect your children from disease, from a VACSERA statement (25 June 2026, in Arabic), read 31 October 2026
- Al-Watan: an infant vaccination guide, and the Ministry warns against delaying children’s vaccines (21 June 2026, in Arabic), read 31 October 2026
- Ministry of Health and Population: children’s vaccination schedule page, shown as pictures from birth to 18 months (in Arabic), read 31 October 2026
- Al-Watan: dates for getting the hexavalent vaccine for children (19 June 2026, in Arabic), read 31 October 2026
- Dostor: VACSERA warns that delaying rotavirus vaccine dates makes the doses lose effectiveness (29 April 2026, in Arabic), read 31 October 2026
- Masrawy, 4 October 2026: the Ministry of Health and Population on flu vaccine at its non-routine vaccination offices (in Arabic), read 31 October 2026
- UNICEF Egypt: vaccinations, routine vaccination questions (undated page, in Arabic), read 31 October 2026
- World Health Organization: Table 1, Summary of WHO Position Papers, Recommendations for Routine Immunization (PDF, updated December 2025), read 31 October 2026
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Possible Side Effects from Vaccines, page dated 31 July 2024, read 31 October 2026
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