Childhood immunisation schedule by age
A general guide to when childhood vaccines are usually given, from birth through the teenage years.
Before you read this
This is general information about how the childhood immunisation schedule usually works in India. It is not a record of what any particular clinic administers or on what day. The schedule your own doctor gives you, adjusted for your child's age, catch-up needs and any missed doses, is the one that counts.
Birth to six weeks
The earliest vaccines are usually given at birth, before the baby leaves the hospital or in the first days after — commonly including a BCG dose (protecting against tuberculosis), the first dose of the oral polio vaccine, and the first dose of a hepatitis B vaccine. The six-week mark is usually the first proper vaccination visit after birth, starting the combined DPT (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus) and polio series alongside vaccines for Haemophilus influenzae type b, hepatitis B, pneumococcal disease and rotavirus.
Ten and fourteen weeks
The six-week combination is usually repeated as a second and third dose at ten and fourteen weeks, building up protection across the same set of diseases in a series rather than a single shot. This is generally the period with the most vaccination visits packed close together, which is also why it is the stretch parents most often lose track of.
Nine months to a year
Around nine months, a measles-containing vaccine is usually given for the first time, often alongside a vaccine for Japanese encephalitis in areas where that disease is a risk. This stage marks a shift from the frequent early-months schedule to occasional boosters over the following months and years.
Sixteen to twenty-four months
A first round of boosters is usually due in this window — commonly a DPT booster, a further polio dose, and a second dose of the measles-containing vaccine. This is generally treated as finishing off the primary series started in infancy rather than starting anything new.
School age
Further boosters are commonly given around five to six years — typically another DPT dose — and again in the young teenage years, usually a tetanus and diphtheria booster. These are spaced far enough apart that they are easy to lose track of, particularly once the frequent infant and toddler visits are long over.
If a dose has been missed
A missed or delayed dose does not usually mean starting the whole series again — most schedules can be caught up, picking up from wherever the record currently stands. What that catch-up looks like depends on exactly which doses were given, when, and how long ago, which is why it is worth bringing whatever vaccination record exists, even an incomplete one, to the visit where this gets sorted out.
Why sticking to a schedule matters
Several of the diseases on this schedule are most dangerous in the first year of life, which is exactly when the primary series is designed to build protection. A vaccine given late still helps, but a vaccine given on time protects a baby during the months they are most vulnerable — which is the entire reason the schedule is front-loaded the way it is.
Keeping your child's schedule on track
General paediatric care and consultations, including vaccination, are what Dr Deepak Ahuja's clinic in Sector 43, Gurugram offers. If it has been a while since your child's last dose, or you are not sure what is due next, sending a message is the quickest way to find out.
Ask about your child's vaccination schedule