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Immunization or vaccination is a process in which the vaccine is administered to the child by the doctor. This is done with the objective that the child develops immunity to that particular disease. The vaccine resembles the disease-causing microorganism and is often made from the weakened or killed form of the microbes. It generates antibodies (proteins made by the body) to fight the disease. What if we had all a list and a video of the vaccination chart for babies living in India? Would that help?
Why immunization?
Immunization can be considered as an important breakthrough in medical history and has resulted in eradicating some of the deadly diseases. Vaccines are administered with the sole objective to provide direct immunity (passive immunization) or generate an immune response in our body (active immunization). Babies are born with protection against ‘some’ diseases because their mothers have passed on disease-fighting antibodies to them during pregnancy. Breastfed babies continue to get enough supply of antibodies in breast milk. Not to take a chance, we still prefer to vaccinate our child.
How Immunization helps?
The vaccinations not only prevent our little ones from life-threatening diseases but also from falling sick again (e.g. administering flu shots has become a seasonal trend). Most serious diseases like Polio and Diphtheria are almost eliminated from India. Let us understand how vaccines help to build immunity.
Well, according to Kids Health, germs can be viruses, example Measles or bacteria such as Pneumococcus. Vaccines stimulate the immune system to react as if there is a real infection. It fends off the “infection” and remembers the germ. Then, it can fight the germ if it enters the body later.
In the present scenario where the world is wanting to speed up the process for the invention of COVID-19 vaccines and debating over making it affordable, the need for a vaccine to fight the disease cannot be emphasized enough!
The schedule of immunization:
The vaccination chart for babies video will help the reader understand which vaccine to be given and at which age is very crucial for the parents. Also knowing which vaccine protects the child from which disease is important to understand the process of Immunization. There are advances being made in the field of medical research and so is the schedule of immunization evolving. As parents, we need to update ourselves. The vaccination of a baby also depends on which part of the world the family resides. In India, healthcare practitioners are largely following the IAP (Indian Academy of Paediatrics) schedule. But there may be minor variations within the states.
The ultimate vaccination chart for babies in India
Refer below as per 2018-2019 IAP immunization schedule:
| When | Vaccination Name | Diseases it prevents from | Additional note |
| At birth | BCG, HEP.B, OPV | Tuberculosis (mainly brain T.B.) Hepatitis B, Polio | Should be given before discharge from hospital after birth (BCG will leave a mark (SCAR) on your baby’s arm forever!! |
| 6 weeks (1.5 months) | DTwP/DTaP, IPV/OPV, HEPB, HiB, PCV, ROTAVIRAL drops | Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Hepatitis B, Hemo.influenza, Rotaviral diarrhea | According to IAP painful DPT vaccine is more immunogenic than painless DPT! |
| 10weeks (2.5 months) | DTwP/DTaP, IPV/OPV, HEPB, HiB, PCV, ROTAVIRAL drops | Same as above | |
| 14 weeks (3.5 months) | DTwP/DTaP, IPV/OPV, HEP B, HiB, PCV, ROTAVIRAL drops | Same as above | For above 3 months vaccinations ideally same type of vaccine be used (like if painful at 6weeks then same painful at 10 and 14weeks),even try to keep the brands of vaccine also same!! |
| 6 months | FLU TYPHOID TCV | Flu illness, Swine flu (depending on the vaccine used), Typhoid fever | Latest schedule (2019) recommends it as compulsory vaccine Typhoid vaccine can be given anywhere between 6 months to 12 months |
| 9 months | MMR | Measles, Mumps, Rubella | Oral polio drops give with most of the vaccines |
| 12 months | HEP A | Hepatitis A | Depending on live or inactivated 1 or 2 shots are required |
| 15 months | MMR booster, VARICELLA, PCV booster | Varicella as in Chickenpox | The vaccine prevents chickenpox and its severity (so even after the vaccination if child gets chickenpox it will be mild)!! |
| 18months | DTwP/DTaP, Hib booster | Painful or painless anything can be chosen here (affectivity is same) | |
| 2years | TYPHOID | ||
| 4- 6 years | MMR booster, VARICELLA booster, DPT booster | ||
| 9-10 years | Tdap HPV | Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis (in low dose) Human Papillomavirus (HPV) prevents cervical cancer | HPV vaccine not only prevents cervical cancer but also genital warts and is given in males also!! |
| Vaccines in special situations | MeningococcalJE, Cholera, Yellow Fever | Prevents Meningitis, Japanese Encephalitis (chamki bukhar!) | These are not compulsory and are recommended in endemic areas and kids who are immunocompromised |
by Dr. Charu Khanna is an enthusiastic pediatrician, a pediatric nutritionist and a lactation consultant with over 12 years of experience taking care of preterm babies to unhealthy adolescents.
Edited by C.Radhika
This is such an informative post. This post very useful to all the new parents. Thank you for sharing such useful post.