Home / Health Insurance / Articles / Vaccinations / Vaccination Chart for babies in India

Vaccination Chart for babies in India

Dr. BhavikaJan 20, 2025

The baby immunisation schedule table for 2025 outlines the recommended vaccines for infants and children, ensuring their healthy growth. Read ahead to know all about vaccination charts for babies in India for 2025.

The process of vaccination in India begins from the day of birth itself. Vaccines have been the mainstay of controlling the spread of several diseases. A newborn baby vaccination chart for babies in India was prepared to standardise this process. These are vaccines that are a must for all children. There are also a lot of additional vaccines that some paediatricians recommend in selected cases.

Vaccination

Contents

What are Baby Vaccines?
Why Are Vaccines Important?
How Do Vaccines Work?
Vaccination in India
What is a Newborn Baby Vaccination Chart?
National Immunisation Schedule 2025 (NIS)
Indian Academy Of Pediatrics Vaccination Schedule (IAP)
General Precautions Before Vaccination
Frequently Asked Questions
Protect Your Baby’s Health and Financial Future With Smart Insurance Choices

What are Baby Vaccines?

Vaccines are biological components among the most valuable and cost-effective ways of providing immunity to a child against a large spectrum of infectious diseases.

Vaccines have helped eradicate dreaded diseases like smallpox and, more recently, helped in achieving the elimination of polio and neonatal & maternal tetanus in India. These are conditions that killed millions across the globe.

Why Are Vaccines Important?

Vaccination has proven to be a critical factor in determining a baby’s survival. It decreases infant mortality, contributes to an undisturbed development process, and decreases the socioeconomic burden of diseases on the family. For every family, the health of the child is vital. Vaccination is an easy way to protect a child from common infections.

How Do Vaccines Work?

Vaccines evoke an immune response from your body by introducing it to the disease-causing agent (inactivated or a minor component). This causes your body to produce an immune response against the disease without making you sick. The immune system is capable of ‘immune memory’, by which it can remember the disease-causing agent. When you are exposed to the disease in the future, your body is already equipped to fight the infection because of this memory.

Vaccination in India

Over the last two decades, India has made significant progress in immunising its newborns. Several government initiatives, subsidisation, provision of vaccines for free, and widespread vaccine awareness have enhanced preventive health coverage for children throughout this nation.

Despite all these efforts, here are some shocking facts to highlight how far we still have to go when it comes to immunisation in India:

UNICEF reports that only 65% of children receive full immunisation during their first year.
Statistics show that in India, nearly one million children die before their fifth birthday.
One out of every 4 deaths is due to pneumonia or diarrhoea, which remain the two leading infectious causes of child death. However, many of them can be saved by vaccines, breastfeeding, and access to care.
WHO reports nearly 22 million children do not receive proper and complete schedules of vaccines; the number keeps increasing yearly.

The Government of India and the Indian Academy of Pediatrics have released detailed Immunisation Schedules based on years of research. These schedules provide information on what vaccines will be given at which specific time.

Taking vaccines at the right time is crucial to ensure they work correctly.

What is a Newborn Baby Vaccination Chart?

A newborn baby vaccination chart is a systematic schedule of vaccines administered to children at specific ages to protect them from infectious diseases. These vaccines have been crucial in eradicating deadly diseases like smallpox and significantly reducing conditions such as polio and neonatal tetanus in India.

National Immunisation Schedule 2025 (NIS)

India’s newborn baby vaccination chart is part of the National Immunisation Schedule (NIS), provided free of cost by the government. The table below highlights the vaccines included for infants, children, and pregnant women:

National Immunisation Schedule (NIS) for Infants, Children and Pregnant Women

Vaccine	When to give	Dose	Route	Site
For Pregnant Women	For Pregnant Women	For Pregnant Women	For Pregnant Women	For Pregnant Women
TT-1	Early in pregnancy	0.5 ml	Intramuscular	Upper Arm
TT-2	4 weeks after TT-1*	0.5 ml	Intramuscular	Upper Arm
TT- Booster	If received 2 TT doses in a pregnancy within the last 3 yrs*	0.5 ml	Intramuscular	Upper Arm
For Infants	For Infants	For Infants	For Infants	For Infants
BCG	At birth or as early as possible till one year of age	0.1ml (0.05ml until 1 month age)	Intradermal	Left Upper Arm
Hepatitis B - Birth dose	At birth or as early as possible within 24 hours	0.5 ml	Intramuscular	Antero-lateral side of mid-thigh
OPV-0	At birth or as early as possible within the first 15 days	2 drops	Oral	Oral
OPV 1, 2 & 3	At 6 weeks, 10 weeks & 14 weeks (OPV can be given till 5 years of age)	2 drops	Oral	Oral
Pentavalent1, 2 & 3	At 6 weeks, 10 weeks & 14 weeks (can be given till one year of age)	0.5 ml	Intramuscular	Antero-lateral side of mid-thigh
Rotavirus#	At 6 weeks, 10 weeks & 14 weeks (can be given till one year of age)	5 drops	Oral	Oral
IPV	Two fractional dose at 6 and 14 weeks of age	0.1 ml	Intradermal two fractional dose	Intradermal: Right upper arm
Measles /MR 1st Dose$	9 completed months-12 months. (can be given till 5 years of age)	0.5 ml	Subcutaneous	Right upper Arm
JE - 1**	9 completed months-12 months.	0.5 ml	Subcutaneous	Left upper Arm
Vitamin A (1st dose)	At 9 completed months with measles Rubella	1 ml( 1 lakh IU)	Oral	Oral
For Children	For Children	For Children	For Children	For Children
DPT booster-1	16-24 months	0.5 ml	Intramuscular	Antero-lateral side of mid-thigh
Measles/ MR 2nd dose $	16-24 months	0.5 ml	Subcutaneous	Right upper Arm
OPV Booster	16-24 months	2 drops	Oral	Oral
JE-2	16-24 months	0.5 ml	Subcutaneous	Left Upper Arm
Vitamin A* (2nd to 9th dose)**	16-18 months. Then one dose every 6 months up to the age of 5 years.	2 ml (2 lakh IU)	Oral	Oral
DPT Booster-2	5-6 years	0.5 ml.	Intramuscular	Upper Arm
TT	10 years & 16 years	0.5 ml	Intramuscular	Upper Arm

*Give TT-2 or Booster doses before 36 weeks of pregnancy. However, give these even if more than 36 weeks have passed. Give TT to a woman in labour if she has not received TT.
**JE Vaccine is introduced in select endemic districts after the campaign.
*** The 2nd to 9th doses of Vitamin A can be administered to children 1 to 5 years old during biannual rounds in collaboration with ICDS.
#Phased introduction, at present in Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Orissa from 2016 & expanded in Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Rajasthan, and Tripura in February 2017 and planned in Tamil Nadu & Uttar Pradesh in 2017.
$ Phased introduction, in five states: Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Lakshadweep and Puducherry.

Indian Academy Of Pediatrics Vaccination Schedule (IAP)

In addition to the National Immunisation Schedule, the IAP provides an extended baby immunisation schedule that includes optional vaccines, such as influenza and meningococcal.

Some vaccines confer lifelong immunity in one dose. Some vaccines require multiple doses at particular intervals to build immunity. No vaccine is 100% efficient in preventing a disease.

Significantly, one may rarely develop an illness they have been vaccinated against but experience a milder form of the disease. However, data shows that vaccines have been largely successful in widespread prevention and have significantly contributed in eliminating diseases.

General Precautions Before Vaccination

Here are some things you are recommended to do/know when vaccinating your child.

Ensure you take your baby’s vaccination record with you. Keep it safe, and get it filled at every visit. This is a vital record and helps your doctor significantly if your child falls ill.
Inform your doctor if your child has any pre-existing illness allergy or issues following vaccination.
Your doctor may ask you to wait 30 minutes after administering the vaccine to your child for monitoring.
Your baby may have local reactions such as redness and pain at the injection site and mild fever. These are usually short-lasting and self-limiting.
You can continue to breastfeed or give complementary feeds even after vaccination.
Contact your doctor immediately if your child has any of the following signs following a vaccine administration:

• High fever after vaccination.

• If your baby turns unresponsive or limp. This is rare.

• If your baby continuously cries for >3 hours and is inconsolable.

• If your baby has convulsions.

7. In case a vaccine is delayed or has been missed, talk to your paediatrician as soon as possible about it. The vaccination schedule is designed by considering the risk of exposure to a disease in between doses. It is highly recommended that you try and adhere to the schedule strictly. If you miss a vaccine, talk to your paediatrician and get it immediately.

8. If your child is unwell when scheduled for a vaccine, discuss with your paediatrician, who, on assessing your child will recommend the best possible time frame for the child to get the vaccine.

9. While most vaccinations are extremely safe, some do have the potential to cause side effects. Make sure you talk to your doctor beforehand and educate yourself on the possible side effects.

10. several myths, rumours, and falsehoods are spread regarding vaccines, such as the Measles vaccine causing autism, the Oral Polio Vaccine causing impotence, etc. All of them have no scientific backing and contribute to poor vaccination completion, community endangerment, and child mortality from those diseases.

11. Do not panic during a vaccination visit; it makes your child more fearful of the process. Do not use a vaccine or a doctor’s visit to discipline your child. Make all efforts to ensure a comfortable visit.

Vaccination is an essential step in ensuring your child’s health and safety. Following the newborn baby vaccination chart and the recommended baby immunisation schedule table will protect them from potentially life-threatening diseases.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the mandatory vaccines for children in India?

These are – BCG, OPV, Hepatitis B, Pentavalent, Rotavirus Vaccine*, PCV*, IPV, Measles/MR*, JE*, DPT, and TT. Universal Immunisation Programme?

What vaccination is needed for India?

Courses or boosters are usually advised: Diphtheria, Hepatitis A, Tetanus, and Typhoid. Other vaccines to consider are Hepatitis B and Rabies. Selectively advised vaccines - only for those individuals at highest risk: Cholera, Japanese Encephalitis.

What is the definition of an utterly immunised child in India?

A child is said to be fully immunised if the child receives all due vaccines as per the national immunisation schedule within the 1st year age of the child.

What is the difference between government and private vaccines in India?

Government vaccines are cheaper because they are subsidised. You pay only for administering the vaccine, not the vaccine itself.

How much does it cost to vaccinate a baby in India?

It usually ranges from Rs 110 to Rs 250. Rotavirus Vaccine: This costs between Rs 600 and Rs 1500. PCV (Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine) is typically between Rs 1500 and 4000. Inactivated Polio Vaccine: This is generally priced at Rs 400 to Rs 500.

Protect Your Baby’s Health and Financial Future With Smart Insurance Choices

Your baby’s health is your top priority, and vaccinations are crucial in building a strong foundation for their well-being. While caring for your baby’s health, thinking about the family’s financial stability in the long term is also essential. This is where term insurance comes into play.

For instance, the best term insurance plan for 1 crore can provide your family with a financial safety net. To determine the appropriate coverage, you can use a Term Insurance Calculator, which helps you plan effectively and avoid underinsurance.

For those seeking short-term flexibility, a one year term life insurance plan is an excellent choice. It allows you to adjust your coverage annually as your family’s needs evolve without immediately committing to a long-term plan.

Just as vaccinations ensure your baby’s physical health, investing in life insurance secures their financial future, giving you peace of mind and confidence in the path ahead.