Vaccination / Immunization Schedule
Vaccination for children in India is carried out under the Universal Immunization Program. The Indian Academy of Pediatrics has also recommended its own schedule with newer vaccines.
The National Immunization Schedule is as follows:
- At Birth:
- BCG
- Oral Polio Vaccine
- 6, 10 and 14 weeks:
- DPT
- Oral polio vaccine
- 6 to 9 months:
- Oral polio vaccine
- 9 months:
- Measles vaccine
- 15 to 18 months:
- DPT booster
- Oral polio vaccine
- 5 years:
- DPT
- Oral polio vaccine
- 10 years:
- Tetanus toxoid
- 15 years:
- Tetanus toxoid
Hepatitis B, MMR and Hib vaccines are available under this program in some districts only.
Pulse Polio Immunization Program: The Pulse Polio Immunization Program was started in 1995 to eradicate polio. Under this program, all children below the age of 5 years are administered two doses of the oral polio vaccine per year. The oral polio vaccine is administered in the program, since it not only protects the child, but also gets disseminated to the community, thus resulting in widespread protection.
The recommendations according to the Indian Academy of Pediatrics are as follows:
- At Birth:
- BCG
- OPV
- Hepatitis B
- 6 weeks:
- OPV with/without IPV
- DPT/ DTaP
- Hepatitis B
- Hib
- 10 weeks:
- OPV with/without IPV
- DPT/ DTaP
- Hepatitis B
- Hib
- 14 weeks:
- OPV with/without IPV
- DPT/ DTaP
- Hepatitis B
- Hib
- 6 months:
- Hepatitis B
- 9 months:
- Measles
- 15-18 months:
- OPV with/without IPV
- DPT/ DTaP booster
- Hib booster
- MMR
- 2 years:
- Typhoid (may be repeated every 3 to 4 years)
- 5 years:
- OPV with/without IPV
- DPT/ DTaP booster
- MMR
- 10 years:
- Tdap
HPV in girls at in 3 doses at 0, 1-2 and 6 months
The recommendations according to the Indian Academy of Pediatrics covers vaccines such as Hepatitis B, MMR and Hib vaccines. The scheduler is more on International guidelines.
Vaccines that may be administered after a discussion with parents to include chicken pox (varicella) vaccine, pneumococcal conjugate, rotavirus vaccine and hepatitis A vaccine.
