The Definitive Indian Vaccination Guide for Children (IAP 2025)

Quick Answer

The Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) 2025 vaccination schedule covers children from birth through 18 years. India’s Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) provides vaccines free at government health centres — BCG, OPV, Hepatitis B, DPT, Hib (as Pentavalent), IPV, PCV, Rotavirus, Measles-Rubella (MR), and Td. Additional vaccines like Varicella, Hepatitis A, Typhoid Conjugate (TCV), MMR (the mumps-containing version), and HPV are recommended by IAP but available mainly at private clinics, typically costing about ₹500–₹3,500 per dose (figures approximate, vary by city and brand). Vaccinating on schedule is the single most effective thing you can do to protect your child from serious, preventable diseases. Missing vaccines leaves gaps in your child’s protection — but it’s never too late to catch up.

Why Vaccines Matter

Every year, globally, vaccines prevent 3.5–5 million deaths. In India specifically, the impact has been dramatic and measurable.

What India Has Eliminated and Controlled

Polio: India was declared polio-free by the WHO in March 2014 — a historic achievement. Wild poliovirus caused paralysis in hundreds of thousands of Indian children annually through the 1980s and 90s. The Pulse Polio campaign, one of the largest public health drives in history, reached every child under five. We have not had a single case of wild poliovirus in India since January 2011. This happened because of vaccines, and only because of vaccines.

Smallpox: Eradicated globally in 1980. The last case in India was in 1975. A disease that killed 300 million people in the 20th century alone no longer exists — entirely due to vaccination.

Neonatal Tetanus: Deaths from neonatal tetanus dropped by over 95% in India between 1990 and 2015 through maternal Td vaccination and clean delivery practices.

Measles: Cases have dropped dramatically, though India still sees outbreaks in under-vaccinated communities — a warning about what happens when coverage slips.

Herd Immunity: Why Your Child’s Vaccination Protects Other Children

Herd immunity is not a political concept — it is simple epidemiology. When enough people in a community are immune to a disease (through vaccination), the pathogen cannot spread efficiently and outbreaks are suppressed. This protects people who cannot be vaccinated: newborns too young for certain vaccines, children undergoing chemotherapy, infants with immune deficiencies.

The coverage threshold varies by disease. For measles — one of the most contagious diseases known — herd immunity requires about 95% of the population to be vaccinated. When coverage drops below this, measles returns. This happened in Europe in 2018–2019 when misinformation drove vaccine hesitancy and over 80,000 measles cases were reported. India saw a measles resurgence in 2022–2023 in districts with low MMR coverage.

When you vaccinate your child, you are not just protecting them. You are protecting the immunocompromised child in your colony, the newborn next door, the elderly grandparent.

The Cost of Not Vaccinating

Unvaccinated children face real, serious risks:

Whooping cough (pertussis): Can be fatal in infants under 6 months. 100-day illness with violent coughing fits.
Hib meningitis: Bacterial meningitis that can cause permanent deafness, brain damage, or death.
Measles: Still kills children in India, and causes encephalitis in 1 in 1,000 cases.
Rotavirus diarrhoea: Was the leading cause of diarrhoeal death in Indian children under 5 before the vaccine was introduced.

These are not rare theoretical risks. These diseases circulate in India.

IAP 2025 Vaccination Schedule

This is the Indian Academy of Pediatrics ACVIP Recommended Immunization Schedule 2025 (published in Indian Pediatrics 2026;63:311-324, finalised 23 November 2025), shown side by side with what the government’s Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) gives free. The two columns are deliberately separate: the IAP column is what your pediatrician will recommend; the UIP column is what a government facility or ASHA session will offer at that age. Where UIP has no entry, that vaccine is not part of the national programme; you would get it at a private clinic.

One important difference between the IAP and government schedules: UIP provides the Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine (measles + rubella, no mumps) free at 9-12 months and 16-24 months. IAP recommends the MMR vaccine (with mumps) at 9 months, 15 months and 4-6 years. If your child gets MR under UIP, ask your pediatrician about mumps cover.

Age	IAP-ACVIP 2025 recommends	What UIP gives free at this age	Notes
Birth	BCG, OPV-0, Hepatitis B-1 (birth dose)	BCG, OPV-0, Hep B birth dose	Hep B within 24 hours; BCG before discharge
6 weeks	DTwP or DTaP-1, IPV-1, Hib-1, Hep B-2, Rotavirus-1, PCV-1	Pentavalent-1 (DPT + Hep B + Hib), OPV-1, fIPV-1 (fractional, intradermal), Rotavirus-1, PCV-1	UIP gives DTwP (inside Pentavalent); DTaP is not in UIP (see the painful vs painless section below). IAP itself says: if the private hexavalent combination with IPV is unaffordable, get primary immunisation at a government facility
10 weeks	DTwP or DTaP-2, IPV-2, Hib-2, Hep B-3, Rotavirus-2, PCV-2	Pentavalent-2, OPV-2, Rotavirus-2	UIP does not give IPV or PCV at 10 weeks; those doses at this age are outside the national programme. IAP: RV1 is a 2-dose rotavirus vaccine, all other brands are 3-dose
14 weeks	DTwP or DTaP-3, IPV-3, Hib-3, Hep B-4, Rotavirus-3, PCV-3	Pentavalent-3, OPV-3, fIPV-2, Rotavirus-3, PCV-2	A 4th Hep B dose as part of a combination vaccine is safe and permitted (IAP)
6 months	Influenza (IIV)-1	Not in UIP	Uniform 0.5 ml dose from 6 months; trivalent vaccine now recommended
7 months	Influenza (IIV)-2	Not in UIP	Then one dose every year until 5 years
6-9 months	Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV), single dose	TCV is not in UIP. UIP’s next visit is at 9 months (see the next row)	No booster is recommended (IAP 2025 reaffirmed single dose)
9 months	MMR-1	MR-1 (9-12 months), fIPV-3, PCV booster, Vitamin A; JE-1 in endemic districts	UIP’s third fractional IPV dose was added on 1 January 2023 (MoHFW), given at the MR-1 visit
12 months	Hepatitis A-1	Hep A is not in UIP. If the 9-12 month visit is still pending, MR-1, fIPV-3, PCV booster, Vitamin A (and JE-1 where applicable) can still be given now	The live attenuated Hep A vaccine is a single dose; the inactivated one needs a 2nd dose at 18-19 months
15 months	MMR-2, Varicella-1, PCV booster	Nothing scheduled at 15 months itself; UIP’s MR-2 and boosters fall in the 16-24 month window below, and its PCV booster was given at 9-12 months
16-18 months	DTwP or DTaP booster-1, Hib booster-1, IPV booster-1	DPT booster-1, OPV booster, MR-2, Vitamin A (2nd dose), JE-2 in endemic districts (all in the 16-24 month window)	UIP has no Hib or IPV booster
18-19 months	Hepatitis A-2 (inactivated vaccine only), Varicella-2	Still within UIP’s 16-24 month window for the boosters above if not yet given; Hep A and varicella are not in UIP
4-6 years	DTwP or DTaP booster-2, IPV booster-2, MMR-3	DPT booster-2 (5-6 years); Vitamin A continues every 6 months up to 5 years
9 to under 15 years	HPV: girls, single dose (immunocompetent); boys, 2 doses at 0 and 6 months	HPV is not in the national UIP schedule; Td at 10 years	Interval between the two boy doses at least 5 months
10 years	Tdap	Td	IAP: give Tdap even if it was inadvertently given earlier as the second DTP booster
15-18 years	HPV 3 doses (0, 2, 6 months) for those starting at 15-26 years and for the immunocompromised at any age	HPV not in UIP; Td at 16 years
16-18 years	Td or Tdap	Td at 16 years

Note on Pentavalent: The government’s Pentavalent vaccine combines DTP + Hepatitis B + Hib in a single shot. Private clinics may give these as separate shots or in a combination vaccine; the hexavalent combination also includes IPV.

Sources for this table: IAP-ACVIP, Recommended Immunization Schedule (2025) and Update on Immunization for Children Aged 0 Through 18 Years, Indian Pediatrics 2026;63:311-324, Table 2. National Health Mission, National Immunization Schedule (MoHFW). MoHFW, Introduction of Third Dose of fIPV in UIP from 1 January 2023 (leaflet). PCV nationwide: Gavi, India completes national introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, 12 November 2021.

Free vs Paid: What You Actually Get Under UIP

The Universal Immunization Programme (UIP)

India’s UIP is one of the largest immunization programmes in the world. All vaccines in the UIP are available free of cost at:

Government hospitals (district hospitals, sub-district hospitals)
Community Health Centres (CHCs)
Primary Health Centres (PHCs)
Urban Health Centres
ASHA workers arrange for outreach sessions in villages

Free UIP vaccines (as of 2025):

BCG (birth)
Oral Polio Vaccine — OPV (birth, 6, 10 and 14 weeks; booster at 16-24 months)
Hepatitis B (birth, then within the Pentavalent at 6, 10, 14 weeks)
Pentavalent = DTP + HepB + Hib (6, 10, 14 weeks)
fIPV (fractional IPV, given at 6 weeks, 14 weeks and 9-12 months under UIP; the third dose was added in 2023)
PCV (two doses at 6 and 14 weeks and a booster at 9-12 months): expanded to every state under UIP in 2021 (older UIP charts still list only a few states)
Rotavirus (6, 10, 14 weeks)
Measles-Rubella, MR (9-12 months and 16-24 months; this is MR, not the mumps-containing MMR)
DPT booster (16–24 months and 5–6 years)
Td (10 years, 16 years)

Note: the UIP schedule has changed over the years (PCV went nationwide in 2021, the third fIPV dose was added in 2023), so older charts and older advice may not match. Your government health centre or pediatrician will confirm what is currently offered.

IAP-Recommended Paid Vaccines

These are not “optional extras” — IAP strongly recommends them. They are paid only because they are not yet part of the government programme:

Vaccine	Approx. Cost per Dose	Disease Prevented
DTaP (painless)	₹600–₹900	Whooping cough, Diphtheria, Tetanus
Varicella	₹1,500–₹2,000	Chickenpox
Hepatitis A	₹700–₹1,000	Hepatitis A (jaundice)
Typhoid Conjugate (TCV)	₹700–₹1,200	Typhoid fever
Hib booster	₹500–₹700	Hib meningitis (booster)
HPV (girls 9 to under 15: single dose; boys 9 to under 15: 2 doses; from 15 years or immunocompromised: 3 doses)	₹2,500–₹3,500 per dose	Cervical and other HPV cancers
MMR 3rd dose (4-6 years)	₹500–₹800	Measles, Mumps, Rubella

Priority if budget is limited: Varicella, Hepatitis A, and TCV provide meaningful additional protection beyond UIP at relatively low cost. HPV is critical for girls approaching adolescence.

Painful vs Painless Vaccines: The DTwP vs DTaP Question

This is the most common vaccine question Indian parents ask. Here is the straight answer.

What They Are

DTwP (Diphtheria-Tetanus-whole cell Pertussis): Uses a killed whole pertussis (whooping cough) bacterium. More immunogenic. More likely to cause fever and local soreness because the whole-cell component is more inflammatory. This is the vaccine in the government Pentavalent.
DTaP (Diphtheria-Tetanus-acellular Pertussis): Uses specific purified proteins from the pertussis bacterium rather than the whole cell. Called “painless” because it causes significantly less fever and less local reaction. Available at private clinics as standalone or as part of the 6-in-1 combination vaccine.

IAP’s Position

Both DTwP and DTaP protect against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. IAP-ACVIP 2025 permits either DTwP or DTaP for the primary series (the 6-, 10- and 14-week doses) and for the boosters. Whole-cell pertussis is generally thought to give somewhat longer-lasting protection; the acellular vaccine causes fewer fevers and less local reaction. The practical choice is:

DTwP (Painful): Free at government centres. Slightly stronger immune response. Expect fever within 24–48 hours of each dose, more local redness/swelling at injection site.
DTaP (Painless): Available at private clinics. Costs ₹600–₹900 per dose (or included in 6-in-1). Fewer side effects. Some studies suggest slightly lower peak antibody levels for pertussis, but clinical protection is comparable.

The honest answer: If the cost difference is manageable for you, DTaP results in a less distressing post-vaccine day. If it’s not, DTwP is not inferior in terms of actual disease protection — your child will be protected. Do not let anyone tell you that choosing DTwP is harmful or that choosing DTaP is unnecessary.

Common Side Effects and Management

Vaccine side effects are not complications — they are evidence that your child’s immune system is working. Understanding what is normal prevents unnecessary ER visits and panic.

What to Expect by Age

Birth vaccines (BCG, OPV, Hep B):

BCG: A small red lump at the injection site (left upper arm) that appears 2–4 weeks after vaccination, ulcerates slightly, and heals leaving a small scar. This is expected and part of a normal vaccine response. Do not squeeze or put anything on it.
OPV and Hep B at birth: Generally very well tolerated. Mild irritability possible.

6, 10, 14 week vaccines (DTwP/DTaP, IPV, PCV, Rotavirus):

DTwP: Fever (up to 102°F/38.9°C) within 24 hours, local redness and swelling at injection site, irritability and crying. This is the hardest post-vaccine day in the schedule. It typically peaks at 24–48 hours and resolves by 72 hours.
DTaP: Much milder. Low-grade fever or no fever, mild local redness. Most children are back to normal within 24 hours.
PCV: Mild fever, local tenderness. Rarely more.
Rotavirus: Mild loose stools in some babies. Normal.

9–15 month vaccines (MMR, Varicella):

MMR: Fever and a mild measles-like rash may appear 7–12 days after vaccination (not immediately). This is expected and not an infection. Child is not contagious. Lasts 2–3 days.
Varicella: A mild chickenpox-like rash with a few spots can appear 1–3 weeks post-vaccination in up to 5% of children. Very mild. Child may be mildly contagious.

Paracetamol Dosing (Post-Vaccine Fever)

Paracetamol is dosed by your baby’s weight, not age: 15 mg/kg per dose, every 4–6 hours, max 4 doses (60 mg/kg) in 24 hours. Check the syrup strength (120 vs 250 mg/5 ml). Not for under-3-months without a doctor. Confirm the exact mL with your pediatrician.

⚠️ In a baby under 3 months, ANY fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher is a medical emergency — see a doctor the same day, even at night. Do not give paracetamol and wait. For the 6-week and 10-week vaccines, do not self-medicate fever; speak to your pediatrician first.

Child’s Weight	Paracetamol Dose (15 mg/kg)
7 kg (4–6 months)	105 mg
10 kg (9–12 months)	150 mg
15 kg (3–4 years)	225 mg

Paracetamol syrup (Calpol, Metacin, Febrex) typically comes in 120 mg/5 ml or 250 mg/5 ml concentrations — always calculate and measure the dose based on your child’s weight, not age. Confirm the exact mL with your pediatrician.

Note: Some older guidelines suggested prophylactic paracetamol before the vaccine to prevent fever. Current IAP guidance does not recommend routine prophylactic paracetamol because it may slightly reduce the immune response. Give paracetamol if your child develops fever or significant discomfort, not before.

When to Call Your Doctor

Go back to the clinic or call your pediatrician if:

Fever is above 104°F (40°C)
Fever lasts more than 3 days
The injection site becomes very swollen (more than 5 cm redness), extremely hard, or shows pus
Your child has inconsolable crying lasting more than 3 hours
Any rash that spreads significantly or appears to be worsening

🚨 Call 112 (national emergency) or 108 (ambulance), or go to the nearest hospital, if you see: difficulty/noisy breathing; swelling of face/lips/tongue; widespread hives with vomiting; pale/grey/blue skin; floppiness/unresponsiveness; or a seizure. If an adrenaline auto-injector is prescribed, use it first, then go.

Serious allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) are very rare — occurring in roughly 1–2 per million doses. They happen within 15–30 minutes. This is why your clinic keeps you there for observation after vaccination.

Vaccine Myths Debunked

”Vaccines cause autism”

This is the most persistent and most thoroughly disproven myth in modern medicine. Its origin: a 1998 paper by Andrew Wakefield published in The Lancet that claimed a link between the MMR vaccine and autism. What followed was one of the largest fraud investigations in medical history.

Wakefield’s study involved 12 children. He had been paid over £400,000 by lawyers seeking to sue vaccine manufacturers — a conflict of interest he never disclosed. He manipulated the data. The Lancet fully retracted the paper in 2010. Wakefield was struck off the UK medical register (he lost his medical licence). He is not a practicing physician.

Since then, over 20 large-scale studies across millions of children in multiple countries have found zero link between MMR vaccine and autism. The largest — a Danish study of 650,000 children — showed no difference in autism rates between vaccinated and unvaccinated children.

Autism symptoms often become apparent around 12–18 months of age — which coincides with when children receive MMR. This is correlation, not causation. Children who were never vaccinated also develop autism at the same rate.

”Too many vaccines overwhelm the immune system”

A newborn’s immune system can theoretically respond to over 10,000 antigens simultaneously. The total antigens in the entire childhood vaccine schedule are a fraction of what a child’s immune system encounters in a single day of ordinary life. Modern vaccines are highly purified — today’s 14-vaccine schedule contains fewer total antigens than the 1980 schedule of just 4 vaccines. This myth has no scientific basis.

”Natural immunity is better”

In some cases, immunity from surviving a disease is stronger and longer-lasting than vaccine-induced immunity. This is sometimes true. But the price of “natural” immunity from whooping cough is potentially 100 days of violent coughing and possible death in infants. The price of natural measles immunity includes 1-in-1,000 chance of encephalitis. Natural Hib meningitis leaves survivors with permanent hearing loss or brain damage in many cases.

Vaccines train the immune system without paying that price. The argument that “natural is better” ignores that the disease itself is what causes the damage.

”Aluminium in vaccines is dangerous”

Some vaccines contain aluminium salts as adjuvants — they strengthen the immune response. The amount is tiny: about 0.125–0.625 mg per dose. An infant consuming breast milk takes in more aluminium than this. Infants on formula consume significantly more. The aluminium in vaccines is eliminated from the body in weeks. No study has linked vaccine aluminium to harm.

”If my child is healthy and eating well, they don’t need vaccines”

Good nutrition and breastfeeding strengthen immune function but do not provide specific immunity against measles, polio, Hib meningitis, or tetanus. A well-nourished child will get these diseases just as surely as a malnourished one if exposed without vaccination. Nutrition and vaccination are complementary — not alternatives.

”The diseases vaccines prevent don’t exist in India anymore”

Polio was eliminated because of vaccination and would return if we stopped vaccinating — as seen in countries that suspended polio campaigns. Measles cases were reported in Mumbai, Jharkhand, and Rajasthan in 2022–23. Whooping cough cases are reported every year. Typhoid is extremely common in India. These diseases exist. Vaccination is why we don’t see the mortality numbers of 30 years ago.

Missed Vaccines and Catch-Up Schedule

The Core Principle: It Is Never Too Late

If your child has missed vaccines — for any reason — do not assume the opportunity has passed. IAP has a catch-up schedule. Children who have never been vaccinated can start at any age. Children who started but fell behind can resume without restarting.

Key Catch-Up Rules

Never restart a series. If your child received 2 doses of DTaP and then you missed the 3rd, give the 3rd and continue from there. You do not start over.
Minimum intervals apply. There are minimum intervals between doses for each vaccine to ensure proper immune response. Your pediatrician will calculate these.
Maximum age limits for some vaccines. Rotavirus vaccine is meant to be started early. For Rotavac 5D specifically, IAP-ACVIP 2025 gives the first dose at 6-14 weeks, at least 4 weeks between doses, and the final dose before 32 weeks (about 8 months). UIP catch-up guidance is more permissive (its RVV can be given up to 1 year), so if your child has missed it, ask the vaccinating facility what the cutoff is for the product they use.
No maximum age for most vaccines. UIP gives BCG up to 1 year; if your child missed it, ask your pediatrician about a catch-up dose. MMR has no upper age limit. Hepatitis B can be given to adults.
HPV works best when given to girls aged 9 to under 15 (a single dose is enough for immunocompetent girls in this band, per IAP 2025; boys get two doses six months apart) before sexual debut; from 15 years, and for anyone immunocompromised, it is a 3-dose schedule. Discuss timing with your pediatrician.

Common Catch-Up Scenarios

Child is 6 months old and has received no vaccines:

Give BCG, OPV, DTaP/DTwP, IPV, PCV, Hep B at the first visit. Ask about rotavirus eligibility rather than assuming it is too late: UIP allows RVV catch-up up to 1 year, while the IAP start limit above applies specifically to Rotavac 5D. Then space remaining doses per minimum intervals.

Child is 3 years old and only got birth vaccines:

Give MMR (1st), Varicella, Hep A (1st), TCV, DTwP/DTaP immediately. Schedule remaining doses. Rotavirus cannot be given at this age.

Child missed the 15–18 month DTP booster:

Give it now, regardless of how late. Then schedule the 4–6 year booster.

Always bring whatever vaccination records you have (the Immunization Card from the government centre, or the private clinic’s vaccination booklet). Your pediatrician will determine what is needed.

Government Centres vs Private Clinics

At Government Hospitals and PHCs

What you get: All UIP vaccines — free. BCG, OPV, Hep B, Pentavalent (DTwP+HepB+Hib), fIPV, PCV, Rotavirus, MR (not MMR), DPT boosters, Td, Vitamin A, and JE in endemic districts.

What to bring: Your child’s previous vaccination card. If it’s the first visit, they will issue one.

Practical notes:

Immunization sessions at PHCs are typically held on fixed days (often Tuesday and Friday). Check your local PHC schedule.
Urban Health Centres and district hospitals often have daily immunization.
ASHA workers in your area can tell you the nearest session and help with scheduling.
Cold chain is maintained under the government’s cold chain network — vaccines are kept at 2–8°C throughout. Do not accept vaccines from a centre where you see the fridge door left open or the power supply is inconsistent.

At Private Clinics

What you get: All UIP vaccines plus all IAP-recommended paid vaccines. More flexibility in scheduling. Can choose DTaP over DTwP.

What to check:

Ask your pediatrician how vaccines are stored. A good clinic stores vaccines in a dedicated vaccine refrigerator, not a food fridge. Vaccines should never be in the door compartment (temperature fluctuates too much there).
Ask for the vaccine name, batch number, and manufacturing date before injection. You can refuse if a vial looks cloudy when it should be clear, or if the VVM (Vaccine Vial Monitor) square on the vial is dark.

Cold chain is critical. A vaccine kept too warm is not just less effective — it may appear effective while providing no real protection. Both government and private cold chain systems in India have been audited and improved significantly since 2015, but spot-checking what you can is always reasonable.

Vaccines in Special Situations

Premature Babies

Vaccinate on actual (chronological) age, not corrected gestational age — with one exception. BCG should wait until the baby weighs at least 2 kg.

A 28-week preterm baby born in January should receive their 6-week vaccines at 6 weeks of actual life (March), even though their corrected age is still around 35–36 weeks gestation. The immune response in preterm infants is slightly lower but still clinically protective. Premature babies are more vulnerable to infections like pertussis and RSV — vaccinating on time is especially important.

Hepatitis B for very low birth weight babies (under 2 kg): the birth dose may be less immunogenic. An additional dose is given, making it a 4-dose series for these babies.

Immunocompromised Children

Children on immunosuppressive therapy (chemotherapy, high-dose steroids, post-organ transplant) need specialist guidance:

Live vaccines (MMR, Varicella, OPV, live typhoid oral) are generally contraindicated in significantly immunocompromised children.
Inactivated vaccines (IPV, IPV, DTaP, Hep B, Hep A, TCV, PCV, flu shot) are generally safe but may produce a weaker immune response.
If immunosuppression is planned (for example, before chemotherapy), try to complete all age-appropriate vaccines at least 2 weeks before starting treatment.
After transplant or chemotherapy, the vaccination schedule often needs to be restarted — consult your child’s hematologist/oncologist alongside the pediatrician.

Child Has a Fever or Illness Today

Mild illness (cold, mild cough, low fever under 38°C, mild diarrhoea) is not a reason to postpone vaccines. Delay is often more harmful than administering the vaccine to a mildly ill child.

Postpone if your child has:

High fever (over 38.5°C / 101.3°F) — wait until it resolves
A severe, acute illness — wait until better
A moderate or severe diarrhoeal illness — postpone oral vaccines (OPV, Rotavirus) only; injectable vaccines can proceed

Egg Allergy and MMR

The old recommendation to avoid MMR in egg-allergic children is outdated. MMR is not grown in eggs. It is grown in chick embryo fibroblast culture, which contains negligible egg protein. Major allergy bodies, including the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, and IAP, confirm that egg allergy is not a contraindication to MMR.

Children with egg allergy, including those with anaphylactic egg allergy, can safely receive MMR in a standard clinical setting. No special precautions beyond the routine 15-minute post-vaccine observation are needed.

Influenza vaccines can be grown in eggs and may contain egg proteins — that is where egg allergy is genuinely relevant. Even for flu vaccines, egg-free formulations are increasingly available.

Travel Vaccines

Travelling Within India

India’s disease landscape is non-uniform. Travelling from a low-burden urban area to regions with different sanitation, water quality, or disease burden increases risk.

Hepatitis A: Transmitted through contaminated food and water. India has high endemicity. If your child is unvaccinated and you are travelling to areas with questionable water/sanitation (which includes most of rural India), Hepatitis A vaccine is strongly advisable. The live attenuated vaccine is a single dose; the inactivated vaccine needs two doses, six months apart.

Typhoid: Typhoid fever is endemic across India and particularly common in areas with inadequate sanitation. TCV (Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine) from 6 months of age is an IAP recommendation, not just a travel vaccine — but if your child is unvaccinated and travelling to high-risk areas, prioritise this.

Japanese Encephalitis (JE): JE vaccine is part of the UIP in endemic areas (northeastern India, parts of UP, Bihar, Karnataka, West Bengal). If travelling to these areas from a state where JE vaccine was not given, consider it.

International Travel

For international travel, requirements depend on destination. Key considerations:

Yellow Fever: Required for entry into many African and South American countries. Mandatory if travelling from a yellow fever endemic country. Certificate required. Child must be at least 9 months old.
Meningococcal vaccine: Required for Hajj/Umrah (Saudi Arabia requires ACWY vaccination).
Influenza: Already on the IAP 2025 routine schedule (two doses at 6 and 7 months, then yearly to 5 years); make sure it is up to date before travel, especially to countries with active flu circulation.
COVID-19 vaccines: Requirements vary by country and continue to change.
Hepatitis A and Typhoid: Already recommended for all Indian children, but prioritise if unvaccinated before travel.

Consult a travel medicine clinic at least 4–6 weeks before international travel, as some vaccines require multiple doses or specific timing.

Vaccines in the Pipeline for India

Dengue Vaccine

A dengue vaccine (Dengvaxia, by Sanofi) is approved in some countries but has a critical limitation: it should only be given to people who have already been infected with dengue at least once. Giving it to dengue-naive individuals can increase the risk of severe dengue on subsequent infection. India has not approved Dengvaxia for public use. A newer dengue vaccine (TAK-003 by Takeda) has shown better results without the seropositive-only restriction and is under regulatory review in several countries. Not yet available in India as of early 2026.

Malaria Vaccine (RTS,S / R21)

The RTS,S vaccine (Mosquirix) and R21/Matrix-M vaccine (Oxford/Serum Institute) represent the first approved malaria vaccines. WHO recommended RTS,S in 2021 and R21 in 2023. R21 is manufactured by Serum Institute of India. Clinical trials and initial rollouts are ongoing in sub-Saharan Africa, where malaria burden is highest. India has not yet introduced routine malaria vaccination, but given Serum Institute’s manufacturing role and India’s malaria burden, this is a realistic near-term development.

RSV Vaccine

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) causes serious lower respiratory infections in infants. Nirsevimab (Beyfortus), a long-acting monoclonal antibody, was approved in the EU (2022), the US (2023) and by India’s DCGI in June 2024. It is not a traditional vaccine but functions similarly. IAP-ACVIP 2025 does not recommend it for all infants yet: until Indian RSV data are available it is restricted to high-risk babies, after discussion with the parents. Maternal RSV vaccines (given in pregnancy to protect the newborn) are approved in some countries but not yet licensed in India.

Newer Typhoid Vaccines

Typbar-TCV by Bharat Biotech (made in India) is the world’s first WHO-prequalified typhoid conjugate vaccine and is already used in India. Nepal, Pakistan, and Zimbabwe have introduced it into national programmes; it is not yet part of India’s UIP.

Frequently Asked Questions

My baby cried a lot after the 6-week vaccines. Is this normal?

Yes. The 6-week DTwP shot (the painful DTP variant given at government centres) causes significant local discomfort and often fever. Inconsolable crying in the first few hours is common and is not a reason to panic. Offer extra feeds and provide skin-to-skin contact. For fever or significant discomfort, paracetamol is dosed by weight (15 mg/kg), but in a baby under 3 months do not give paracetamol on your own — speak to your pediatrician first, and remember that in an under-3-month-old any fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher is a same-day emergency. If crying persists beyond 3 hours, or the child becomes limp/unresponsive or has difficulty breathing, call 112 or 108 or go to the nearest hospital.

Can I give two vaccines on the same day?

Yes. Multiple vaccines given at the same visit are safe and effective. The immune system handles multiple antigens simultaneously without difficulty. Combination vaccines (like Pentavalent or the 6-in-1) exist precisely to reduce the number of injections while maintaining coverage. IAP’s entire schedule is designed around same-day administration.

My child had a high fever after a vaccine. Will it happen again with the next dose?

Fever after DTwP does not predict fever with certainty after subsequent doses — the reaction can vary. However, if your child had a very high fever (over 40°C) or an unusual reaction after a previous dose, discuss switching from DTwP to DTaP for remaining doses with your pediatrician. This is a recognised option.

My 5-year-old has never been vaccinated. Can we start now?

Yes. Start immediately. Some vaccines can no longer be given past certain ages (Rotavirus), but most of the important vaccines — DTaP, IPV, MMR, Varicella, Hep A, Hep B, TCV, PCV — have no upper age limit or an upper limit that a 5-year-old falls well within. Your pediatrician will draw up a catch-up schedule.

Is there a vaccine that prevents all fevers?

No. Vaccines prevent specific diseases caused by specific pathogens. They do not prevent fever from other viruses (there are hundreds that circulate in India), bacterial infections not covered by vaccines, or non-infectious causes of fever. A vaccinated child will still get colds and fever — just not the specific diseases the vaccines target.

The government BCG leaves a scar. Is that a problem?

The BCG scar is expected and indicates a successful vaccine response. It is not a problem. In India, the BCG is given intradermally on the left upper arm and results in a small pustule that ulcerates and heals over several weeks, leaving a 4–8 mm scar. An absent BCG scar may indicate a failed vaccination — discuss with your pediatrician whether a repeat dose is needed.

Can I space out the vaccines instead of following the schedule?

IAP and the WHO do not recommend spreading out or delaying vaccines without medical cause. Spacing out vaccines means your child is unprotected against multiple serious diseases for longer. It does not reduce side effects meaningfully (since each vaccine is typically given at its own visit in the spaced-out approach, you are just multiplying the number of doctor visits and unprotected windows). The schedule is designed to provide protection as early as possible while the immune system can mount an adequate response. Follow the schedule.

This guide reflects IAP 2025 guidelines and is reviewed by Babynama pediatricians. It is for informational purposes and does not replace advice from your child’s doctor. For individual medical decisions, consult your pediatrician.

Real Questions from Indian Mothers

These are real questions asked by parents in the Babynama community, answered by our pediatricians.

“My baby is 1.5 months old and since when he has got his vaccination he is kinda reckless, doesn’t relax like before vaccination. Mostly cranky and crying. He had colic issue 3-4 days but now he is better but still cranky. What could be the reason?”

This can happen post vaccination. Apply an ice pack wrapped in cloth at the vaccination site and distract the baby. In a baby this young (under 3 months), do not give paracetamol on your own — and any fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher is a same-day emergency, so see your pediatrician the same day rather than treating fever at home. For pain that does not settle, check with your pediatrician about the correct weight-based dose.

“Good afternoon mam,today my got dpt vaccine she is crying a lot and had swelling a lot and feeding only on non injected side of leg mam,please give me suggestion and help me out”

Yes Post vaccination take care in the way as — • injection site if red and hardened- apply ice wrapped in cotton cloth • ⁠if fever (more than or equal to 100F) give paracetamol drops

“Do vaccination cause diarrhoea in babies?”

Post vaccination there can be change in sleep pattern, stool pattern, feeding and fever might also occur. If baby is active & feeding well, observe for now and breastfeed every 2-3 hourly to maintain baby’s hydration

“Does these vaccines are available in painless? Which one you suggest painless or normal?”

Yes Effectivity of both vaccines is same However painless vaccine cause less side effects like less pain less irritability less fever less redness. Ultimately it’s parents choice