Written by Dr. Sanjana V.B Bhms,dbrm,cdn

Founder & medical director of siahmsr wellness.in

All rights reserved with siahmsr digital healthcare[siahmsr wellness]

Reviewed by SIAHMSR medical team

Immunization

Immunization is an important and effective health intervention for children to fight against various infectious agents causing diseases.

It has helped millions of children to get protected against infectious and life-threatening diseases.

   Specific vaccines are administered to children at certain age and with the recommended dosage as children are susceptible to certain diseases at certain ages. This is important for vaccines to be effective. For example, polio occurs most frequently in children below the age of 5. Because of this, polio vaccines are given to children of those ages to prevent harm caused by the disease.

Immunization schedule

According to UNICEF and World health organization [WHO] the immunization schedule includes:

AT BIRTH

Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG) vaccine

This is a single dose vaccine which is administered via injection on upper arm and it is presumed to protect against tuberculosis.

Potential side effects of this vaccine include:

Soreness or discharge at injection site, fever, headache, swollen glands under the armpit on the arm that received the vaccine shot

·       Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) – 0 dose

This is the first dose taken at birth. The next dose is taken when your child is 6 weeks old, the third dose at 10 weeks old, and the last dose at 14 weeks old.

This vaccine is given orally and it protects against the poliovirus which is a highly infectious disease affecting nervous system of children under the age 5.

Potential side effects of this vaccine include: nothing specific.

·       Hepatitis B birth dose

   This is a single dose vaccine, administered as injection and it protects against Hepatitis B which is a viral infection that attacks the liver and can cause both acute and chronic hepatitis.

Potential side effects of this vaccine include:

 Redness and soreness at injection site.  Side effects are rare.

It's an inactivated (dead) vaccine, so it cannot cause the infection itself.

AT 6 WEEKS

·       Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) - 1

This is the second OPV dose taken at 6 weeks. Further doses of OPV is given at 10 weeks old, and  14 weeks old child.

OPV -1 also is administered orally

This vaccine protects against the poliovirus.

Potential side effects of this vaccine include:

There are no common side effects associated with this vaccine.

·       Pentavalent - 1

This is the first dose taken at 6 weeks old. The next dose is taken when your child is 10 weeks old and the last dose at 14 weeks old.

Administered via injection. This vaccine offers protection against Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Hepatitis B and Hib.

Potential side effects of this vaccine include:

Swelling, redness and pain at the site of injection, fever.

·       Rotavirus Vaccine (RVV) - 1

This is the first dose of three doses. The second dose is taken when your child is 10 weeks old and the last dose at 14 weeks old.

 The vaccine is administered orally and it protects against rotaviruses which are the most common cause of severe diarrhoea in infants and young children.

Potential side effects of this vaccine include:

Side effects are rare and mild

May include diarrhea, vomiting and irritation

·       Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) - 1

The first of two doses of the PCV. The second dose is taken when your child is 14 weeks old.

Administered via injection and protects against meningitis, septicemia and pneumonia to milder infections such as sinusitis and otitis media.

Potential side effects of this vaccine include:

Redness, swelling , pain or tenderness, fever, loss of appetite, fussiness (irritability)feeling tired headache, muscle aches or joint pain, chills

·       Inactivated Polio Vaccine (fIPV) - 1

The first of two doses of the fIPV is given now. The second dose is given to your child at 14 th week.

Administered via injection and this vaccine offers protection from the poliovirus .

Potential side effects of this vaccine include:

Soreness, fever.

                                                                   SIAHMSR                              

10 WEEKS

·       Pentavalent - 2

The second dose is taken when your child is 10 weeks old and the last dose at 14 weeks old.

Administered as injection. The vaccine protects against Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Hepatitis B and Hib.

Potential side effects of this vaccine include:

Swelling, redness and pain may occur at the  injection site

Children may develop fever for a short time after immunization.

Symptoms usually appear the day after vaccination and last between 1-3 days.

Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) - 2

This is the third OPV dose taken when your child is 10 weeks old. The last dose is at 14th week.

Administered orally. This vaccine protects against the poliovirus Potential side effects

There are no common side effects associated with this vaccine.

·       Rotavirus Vaccine (RVV) - 2

The second dose is taken when your child is 10 weeks old and the last dose at 14 weeks old.

Administered via injection.This vaccine offers protection against rotaviruses which are the most common cause of severe diarrhoeal disease in infants and young children.

Side effects are  mild.

14 WEEKS

·       Pentavalent - 3

This is the last Pentavalent vaccine dose to be taken at 14 weeks old.

Administered via injection.This vaccine offers protection against Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Hepatitis B and Hib.

Potential side effects of this vaccine include:

Swelling, redness and pain may occur at the injection site ,fever.

·       Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) - 3

This is the last OPV dose is taken when your child Is 14 weeks old.

Administered orally

This vaccine protects against the poliovirus.

There are no common side effects associated with this vaccine.

·       Rotavirus Vaccine (RVV) - 3

This is the last RVV dose is taken when your child is 14 weeks old.

Administered via injection or orally

This vaccine offers protection against rotaviruses which are the most common cause of severe diarrhoeal disease in infants and young children.

Side effects are rare and usually mild such as diarrhea, vomiting and irritation.

·       Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) - 2

The second of two doses of the PCV given at 14 weeks old.

Administered via injection

This vaccine offers protection from meningitis, septicaemia and pneumonia to milder infections such as sinusitis and otitis media.

Potential side effects of this vaccine include:

Redness, swelling, pain or tenderness, fever, loss of appetite, tiredness, headache, muscle aches or joint pain, chills etc.

·       Inactivated Polio Vaccine (fIPV) - 2

The final dose of vaccine is given to your child at 14 weeks.

Administered via injection.This vaccine offers protection from the poliovirus.

Potential side effects of this vaccine include:

Soreness, fever.

9-12 MONTHS

·       Measles & Rubella (MR) - 1

 The first of two doses of the MR vaccine given at 9-12 months. The second dose is administered between 16-24 months old.

Administered via injection.This vaccine offers protection against measles and rubella. Potential side effects of this vaccine include:

Redness, swelling and sore feeling for 2 to 3 days

Around 7 to 11 days after the injection, babies may develop a high temperature for about 2 or 3 days

·       Japanese Encephalitis (JE-1)

The first of two doses of the JE-1 vaccine at 9-12 months. The second dose is given to your child between 16-24 months.

Administered via injection. This vaccine offers protection against Japanese Encephalitis which is the main cause of viral encephalitis in Asia.

Potential side effects of this vaccine include:

Fever,headache or muscle aches mainly in adults.

Pain, tenderness, redness, or swelling around the vaccine shot.

·       Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine - Booster*

This is a single dose vaccine.

Administered via injection

The vaccine offers protection against pneumonia, ear infections, sinus infections, meningitis, bacteremia.

Potential side effects of this vaccine include:

Redness/swelling

Loss of appetite

Irritability

Fever

Increased crying

16-24 MONTHS

·       Measles & Rubella (MR) - 2

The second of two doses of the MR vaccine to be taken by your child between 16-24 months.

Administered via injection. The vaccine offers protection against measles and rubella. Measles is an almost invariable clinical experience of childhood, and is often a severe disease, frequently complicated by middle-ear infection or bronchopneumonia.

Potential side effects of this vaccine include:

The area where the needle goes in looking red, swollen and feeling sore for 2 to 3 days

Around 7 to 11 days after the injection, fever may develop.

·       Japanese Encephalitis (JE-2)

The final JE vaccine to be administered between 16-24 months.

Administered via injection

This vaccine offers protection against Japanese Encephalitis which is the main cause of viral encephalitis in Asia.

Potential side effects of this vaccine include:

Fever,headache or muscle aches mainly in adults.

Pain, tenderness, redness, or swelling around the area of the vaccine shot.

·       Diphtheria Pertussis & Tetanus (DPT) - Booster 1

The first of two doses of the DPT vaccine. The second dose is given to your child between 5-6 years old.

Administered via injection

The vaccine offers protection from diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus.

Potential side effects of this vaccine include:

Soreness or swelling around the area of the vaccine shot.

Fever

Irritation

Exhaustion

Loss of appetite

Vomiting

·       Oral Polio Vaccine – Booster

This is a single dose vaccine administered orally

This vaccine protects against the poliovirus which is a highly infectious disease that invades the nervous system and can lead to total paralysis.

There are no common side effects associated with this vaccine.

5-6 YEARS

·       Diphtheria Pertussis & Tetanus (DPT) - Booster 2

The second of two doses, DPT vaccine is to be given to your child when they are 5-6 years old.

Administered via injection

The vaccine offers protection from diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus

Potential side effects of this vaccine include:

Soreness or swelling around the area of the vaccine shot.

Fever

Irritation

Exhaustion

Loss of appetite

Vomiting.

10 YEARS

·       Tetanus & adult Diphtheria (Td)

This is a single dose vaccine.

Administered via injection

The vaccine provides protection against tetanus which can be contracted through infected cuts or wounds. It protects against diphtheria also.

Potential side effects of this vaccine include:

Pain, redness or swelling around the area of the vaccine shot, mild fever, headache, exhaustion, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or stomach pain.

16 YEARS

·       Tetanus & adult Diphtheria (Td)

This is a single dose vaccine administered via injection.

The vaccine provides protection against tetanus and diphtheria Potential side effects of this vaccine include:

Pain, redness or swelling around the area of the vaccine shot, mild fever, headache, exhaustion, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or stomach pain.

 Written by dr sanjana vb bhms dbrm cdn

References 

1.    https://www.unicef.org/india/know-your-childs-immunization-schedule

2.    https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/immunization/immunization_schedules/table_2_feb_2023_english.pdf?sfvrsn=3e27ab48_11&download=true