All You Need To Know About Your Baby’s Vaccination Schedule

Vaccination is an essential step when your baby is born. Vaccination protects against many diseases. You should follow the proper vaccination schedule for your baby according to the doctor’s instructions.

Is it Time to Get Your Baby Vaccinated?

Babies get vaccines starts soon after birth. Vaccines are essentially an easy, safe, and effective way to protect your babies from infections and harmful diseases. Our immune system fights any infection or disease by producing antibodies. When vaccines are injected, the immune system produces antibodies against these vaccines in the same way it does when babies caught infections. It is important to get your babies to get vaccinated on time.

What Are Vaccines?

Vaccines are killed or inactive microorganisms that are collected and designed to protect babies from infections.1 Most vaccines are available in injections, but some are available in oral forms.

Why Should You Vaccinate Your Child?

According to World Health Organization (WHO), vaccination saves over four million children from various infections every year. Without vaccines, children pose the risk of serious illness and diseases such as meningitis, measles, tetanus, pneumonia, polio, etc.  

Getting your child vaccinated can prevent them from such infections and diseases.2 Babies are more often get hospitalized or get critical due to such diseases. Therefore, childhood vaccination is a must during a baby’s 12 to 18 months of life.

Vaccination Schedule For Your Baby

The following is the recommended schedule for your baby.

1. At Birth

• Hepatitis B – is the first vaccine your baby will receive. They get their first dose within 24 hours of birth. They receive their second and third dose when they turn one to two months and six to twelve months old.
• BCG (Bacillus Calmette Guerin) – this is the second vaccine your baby will receive at birth. It essentially protects them from tuberculosis. After receiving it, your baby may feel febrile, the injected site may be swollen and sore.
• OPV (Oral Polio Vaccine) – its first dose is given at birth. Following that, the second dose is given when the baby turns 6 weeks old, the third at 10 weeks, and the last dose at 14 weeks old. This vaccine protects against poliovirus.

2. At 6 weeks

• OPV (Oral Polio Vaccine) 1 – this is the second dose of OPV.
• Pentavalent 1 – Its first dose is given at 6 weeks old. Following that, the next dose is given when the baby turns 10 weeks, and the last one at 14 weeks old. This vaccine protects against Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Hepatitis B, and Hib. It can show side effects like swelling, pain, redness at the injection site, and fever.
• RVV (Rotavirus Vaccine) 1 – This vaccine is administered in three doses. The first dose is given when your baby turns six weeks old. It protects your child against rotaviruses which may cause diarrhoea.
• PCV (Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine) 1 – This vaccine protects your child against pneumonia, meningitis, and septicaemia. It may show common side effects such as redness, swelling, fever, pain, etc. after administration.  
• IPV (Inactivated Polio Vaccine) 1 – it is another form of polio vaccine administered via injection.

3. At 10 weeks

• Pentavalent 2 – this is the second dose for your child.
• OPV (Oral Polio Vaccine) 2 – this is the third dose of polio vaccine given orally.
• RVV (Rotavirus Vaccine) 2 – this is the second dose of the rotavirus vaccine.

4. At 14 weeks

• Pentavalent 3 – this is the last dose of the Pentavalent vaccine given to your baby at 14 weeks.
• OPV (Oral Polio Vaccine) 3 – this is the last dose of the oral polio vaccine which your baby will receive at 14 weeks.
• RVV (Rotavirus Vaccine) 3 – this is the last RVV dose that your baby will be given at 14 weeks of age.
• PCV (Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine) 2 – this is the second dose of PCV given at 14 weeks.
• IPV (Inactivated Polio Vaccine) 2 – this is the final dose of IPV given via injection to your baby at 14 weeks of age.

At 9 to 12 months

• MR (Measles and Rubella) 1 – this is the first dose of the MR vaccine given to your baby at this age. It protects against diseases like measles and rubella.  
• JE-1 (Japanese encephalitis) – this is the first dose of the JE-1 vaccine given via injection. It protects against Japanese Encephalitis. It may cause side effects such as fever, and pain.
• Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine Booster – this is the single dose given to your child via injection. Side effects may include redness, loss of appetite, and fever.

At 16 to 24 months

• MR (Measles and Rubella) 2 – this is the second dose of the MR vaccine that your baby will receive. Side effects may include fever and swelling at the injected site.
• JE-2 (Japanese encephalitis) – this is the final dose of the JE vaccine given to your baby.
• DPT (Diphtheria Pertussis and Tetanus) Booster 1 – this is the first dose of the DPT vaccine given via injection. Side effects may include fever, pain, loss of appetite, and vomiting.
• Oral Polio Vaccine Booster – this is the single-dose booster vaccine against polio.  

At 5 to 6 years

DPT (Diphtheria Pertussis and Tetanus) Booster 2 – this is the final dose of the DPT vaccine that your child will receive.

At 10 years

Td (Tetanus and Adult Diphtheria) – this is the single dose vaccine given via injection. It protects your child against tetanus and Diphtheria. Side effects include pain, fever, redness, and swelling.

Conclusion: Let’s Get Your Baby Vaccinated

Vaccination protects against certain infections and diseases. It develops the immunity of your child. Although some diseases like polio or diphtheria are eradicated nowadays, you must vaccinate your child to maintain immunity against such diseases.