Vaccinations are the best way to prevent children from falling prey to diseases. Although your child might not like getting them, they are essential for immunizing their body against various illnesses like rubella, measles, hepatitis, etc. As a parent, it's natural to wonder whether they are safe or not? Or which vaccines to get and when? However, worry not! Here is a list of all the vaccines your baby needs to get to safeguard their health -
All the vaccinations given above need to be administered to the babies according to the age prescribed and requirement. You can further consult your pediatrician to know more about when to give vaccinations to your baby. Remember, there is no right or wrong time to vaccinate your baby. It is mandatory to vaccinate them as per the age prescribed or as asked by the doctor in case there's any complication.
| AGE | VACCINATIONS | DOSES |
| Birth | Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) | 1 |
| Oral polio vaccine (OPV 0) | 1 | |
| Hepatitis B (Hep - B1) | 1 | |
| 6 weeks | Diptheria, Tetanus and Pertussis vaccine (DTwP 1) | 1 |
| Inactivated polio vaccine (IPV 1) | 1 | |
| Hepatitis B (Hep - B2) | 1 | |
| Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib 1) | 1 | |
| Rotavirus 1 | 1 | |
| Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV 1) | 1 | |
| 10 weeks | Diptheria, Tetanus and Pertussis vaccine (DTwP 2) | 1 |
| Inactivated polio vaccine (IPV 2) | 1 | |
| Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib 2) | 1 | |
| Rotavirus 2 | 1 | |
| Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV 2) | 1 | |
| 14 weeks | Diptheria, Tetanus and Pertussis vaccine (DTwP 3) | 1 |
| Inactivated polio vaccine (IPV 3) | 1 | |
| Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib 3) | 1 | |
| Rotavirus 3 | 1 | |
| Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV 3) | 1 | |
| 6 months | Oral polio vaccine (OPV 1) | 1 |
| Hepatitis B (Hep - B3) | 1 | |
| 9 months | Oral polio vaccine (OPV 2) | 1 |
| Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR - 1) | 1 | |
| 9 - 12 months | Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine | 1 |
| 12 months | Hepatitis A (Hep - A1) | 1 |
| 15 months | Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR 2) | 1 |
| Varicella 1 | 1 | |
| PCV booster | 1 | |
| 16 to 18 months | Diphtheria, Perussis, and Tetanus (DTwP B1/DTaP B1) | 1 |
| Inactivated polio vaccine (IPV B1) | 1 | |
| Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib B1) | 1 | |
| 18 months | Hepatitis A (Hep - A2) | 1 |
| 2 years | Booster of TyphoidConjugate Vaccine | 1 |
| 4 to 6 years | Diphtheria, Perussis, and Tetanus (DTwP B2/DTaP B2) | 1 |
| Oral polio vaccine (OPV 3) | 1 | |
| Varicella 2 | 1 | |
| Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR 3) | 1 | |
| 10 to 12 years | Tdap/Td | 1 |
| Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) | 1 |
Is it too early to start vaccinating your baby?
Some parents wonder whether is it too early to start vaccinating their babies as vaccinations sometimes lead to side-effects in babies. However, that's not the case. Yes, vaccines are nothing but the deactivated microbes that resembles the disease-causing pathogen which when given, helps in the production of active immunity. Sometimes the immunity of the baby is not strong and the microbes present in the vaccines can cause infection or side-effects but its rare. The reason some vaccines are administered to babies within two weeks of their birth is that they are at a risk of catching that disease which without activating their immunity cannot be fought against. Also, vaccines like BCG can be given only when the skin of the baby is thin. If your baby develops a fever or infection after vaccination, consult your pediatrician immediately.How many vaccines are possible in one go?
Live oral vaccines can be given together but apart from those most of the vaccines mentioned above need to have a certain gap in between and cannot be given together. However, there are certain combined vaccines introduced by the government as they offer more protection. They are:- Tetanus-Diptheria Vaccine - it replaced the Tetanus toxoid vaccine.
- MMRV (measles-mumps-rubella-varicella) - it has replaced the MMR (measles - mumps -rubella) vaccine.
- Pentavalent Vaccine - Pentavalent vaccine provides protection to a child from 5 life-threatening diseases - Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Hepatitis B and Hib. It can replace the traditional DTP vaccine.
You should also know about the new RSV vaccine for babies.
Which vaccines are found in government and which in private?
The vaccinations listed above can be found in both government and private hospitals apart from the Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) which is available only in private hospitals. The vaccinations are available throughout the year in private hospitals and you can get them at your convenience. In government hospitals, all the vaccinations are free of cost but they have certain days assigned on which particular vaccines are available. So, if you don't have any qualms with getting the vaccination on an assigned date or waiting for a few hours then you should consider getting it in a government hospital. Vaccinations are one of the most crucial aspects of boosting your baby's immunity. So, it's important to not miss a single one and make an informed decision regarding it so that your baby lives a happy, healthy life! Related Read - Baby Vaccination: The First Step Towards Healthy Life
Reviewed by
