Before leaving the maternity hospital
Ask the discharge team to document each birth vaccine, the date, batch details and the next appointment. BCG, oral polio and hepatitis B are different products and protect against different infections; one does not replace another. Keep the discharge summary with the vaccination card.
If a birth vaccine was missed
Contact the maternity team or paediatrician promptly. Timing and eligibility differ by vaccine, and a late dose should be planned from the record rather than treated as an on-time birth dose. Babies born to a mother with hepatitis B need urgent clinician-directed prevention; an online booking form is not a substitute for that assessment.
Planning a newborn home visit
Share gestational age, birth weight, discharge advice and any illness with the treating clinician. Premature or medically unwell babies may need an individual plan or facility-based care. The catalog may not list every birth vaccine: if BCG is absent, contact the team or your birth facility rather than selecting a different vaccine.

