When my little Shayla was born, I thought I had set my eyes on the most perfect thing in the whole world. However, I soon realised that protecting and looking after that perfect thing is of paramount importance.
My paranoia coupled with my wife’s unquenchable thirst for Internet-based research is what led us to conduct a thorough research about vaccines and immunisation before our daughter was born. We made a complete vaccination chart and hung it on our bedroom wall (thank you, paranoia)! I understand the kind of stress parents go through during the early days of parenthood. So, to help them course through the journey with complete peace of mind, I will share the vaccination chart and immunisation schedule for reference.
Immunisation Schedule 2019
| S.No | Name of the vaccine | Diseases it prevents | Minimum age for the first dose | Interlude between first and second dose | Interlude between second and third dose | Interlude between third and fourth dose | Interlude between fourth and fifth dose |
| 1 | BCG (Bacille Calmette Guerin) | Bladder cancer and Tuberculosis | Birth | ||||
| 2 | Poliovirus | Polio | Birth | 4 weeks | 4 weeks | ||
| 3 | HepB | Hepatitis B | Birth | 4 weeks | 8 weeks | ||
| 4 | Hib | Bacterial infections | 6 weeks | 4 weeks | 4 weeks | 6 months (Booster no. 1) | |
| 5 | DTP | Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis | 6 weeks | 4 weeks | 4 weeks | 6 months (Booster no. 1) | 3 years (Booster no. 2) |
| 6 | RV | Diarrheal diseases | 6 weeks | 4 weeks | 4 weeks | ||
| 7 | PCV | Pneumonia | 6 weeks | 4 weeks | 4 weeks | 6 months (Booster no. 1) | |
| 8 | MMR | Mumps, Measles, and Rubella | 9 months | 6 months | |||
| 9 | Typhoid | Typhoid, diarrhoea and fever | 9 months | 15 months (Booster 1) | |||
| 10 | Varicella | Chickenpox | 1 year | 3 months | |||
| 11 | Tdap | Diphtheria, Tetanus and Pertussis | 7 years | ||||
| 12 | HepA | Liver disease | 1 year | 6 months | |||
| 13 | HPV | Warts and certain cancers | 9 years | If your child is between 9 and 14 years: 6 months If your child is 15 years old or more: 1 month | If your child is 15 years old or more: 5 months |
Protips to avoid a messy vaccination appointment and a very very annoyed baby:
- Always, always carry your child’s favourite toy or something else they might adore. This will distract them from the pain and voila, you have a happy healthy baby!
- In case your baby has a fever, consult the doctor so that they can reschedule.
- Our doctor told us to go the painless route while administering the vaccines. However, my wife and I were aware that the painless method had a faster waning period. So, make an informed decision and talk to your doctor about the differences.
- Certain vaccines have a tendency to induce fever in the child. Do not worry! It’s natural. Giving Shayla regular sponge baths really helped bring the temperature down!
- Be a full-functioning team and always go for the appointments together. Your child will feel safer when the two of you are around.
It is always advisable to stay on track with all the vaccines so that your little angel leads a happy and healthy life! In case you miss out on any of the vaccines, there is a catch-up chart that I have designed. Let me know in the comments below if you guys want me to share that with you!
