Parents are constantly concerned about the health and safety of their children and take many steps to protect them. Disease prevention is the key to public health. It is always better to prevent a disease than to treat it. Vaccines work to protect infants, children, and adults from illnesses and death caused by infectious diseases. With the advent of a variety of effective childhood vaccinations, we now have a low rate of numerous fatal childhood diseases
Facts• Ideally, one should follow immunization schedule, but in case baby is brought late for vaccination, she should still receive all vaccines.
• Do not disturb vaccination schedule on a mild cold and cough.
• Oral polio vaccine is being extensively used in India under the pulse polio immunization (PPI) programme.
• Some vaccines are less effective, like BCG has reduced efficacy in providing protection against lung TB. But it provides 70-80 % protection against dreaded brain TB.
• Do not disturb vaccination schedule on a mild cold and cough.
• Oral polio vaccine is being extensively used in India under the pulse polio immunization (PPI) programme.
• Some vaccines are less effective, like BCG has reduced efficacy in providing protection against lung TB. But it provides 70-80 % protection against dreaded brain TB.
Immunization Schedule
| Age | Vaccine |
| Birth | BCG Zero dose, Oral Polio Vaccine- Zero dose, Hepatitis B-Zero dose |
| 6 weeks | DPT Ist dose, OPV –1st dose, HIB, Hepatitis B-1st dose |
| 10 weeks | DPT—2nd dose, HIB, OPV-2ndd dose |
| 14 weeks | DPT—3rd dose, HIB, Hepatitis B, Oral Polio Vaccine-3rd dose |
| 9 months 15 months | Measles MMR |
| 16-18 months 2 years | DPT-1st booster dose, HIB- 1st Booster dose, OPV- 4th dose Typhoid (re-vaccination every 3 years) |
| 5 years | DPT-2nd Booster dose, OPV-5th dose |
| 10 years | Td (More amount of Tetanus with less amount of Diptheria), Hepatitis B—booster dose |
| 16 years | Td (More amount of Tetanus with less amount of Diptheria) |
* (According to I A P-Indian Academy of Paediatrics)
Vaccines, which can be given after discussion with parents:
• Pneumoccal vaccine (to prevent Pneumonia, meningitis) at the age of 6 weeks.
• Chicken pox vaccine at the age of 15 months.
• Hepatitis A vaccine at the age of 18-24 months.
• Injectable Polio vaccine—2 doses starting at 8 weeks with gap of 8 weeks between 2 doses and booster at the age of 15-18 months.
• Flu vaccine at 6-8 months age
• Rota Virus vaccine (Oral vaccine to prevent Diarrhoea, introduced in markets in July 2008)—3 doses at 1 month interval at 6 weeks age
•Cervical cancer vaccine in girls when they are 10.
• Pneumoccal vaccine (to prevent Pneumonia, meningitis) at the age of 6 weeks.
• Chicken pox vaccine at the age of 15 months.
• Hepatitis A vaccine at the age of 18-24 months.
• Injectable Polio vaccine—2 doses starting at 8 weeks with gap of 8 weeks between 2 doses and booster at the age of 15-18 months.
• Flu vaccine at 6-8 months age
• Rota Virus vaccine (Oral vaccine to prevent Diarrhoea, introduced in markets in July 2008)—3 doses at 1 month interval at 6 weeks age
•Cervical cancer vaccine in girls when they are 10.
There is no vaccine available for cholera, malaria or dengue. Unless we eliminate the diseases, it is important to keep immunizing. If the protection is taken away without getting rid of the disease, more and more people will get infected and fall prey to diseases.
—–Dr. Shekhar Vashisht, Consultant, Paediatrics, Moolchand Medcity
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