Can my baby be vaccinated if they have a cold or mild fever?

In most cases, yes. A mild cold, cough, or low-grade fever is generally not a reason to postpone vaccination. However, if your baby has a high fever or is moderately to severely ill, your pediatrician may advise delaying the vaccine until they recover.

Are vaccines safe for newborns?

Yes. Vaccines included in India's immunization schedule undergo rigorous testing for safety and effectiveness before approval. Mild side effects such as fever, fussiness, or soreness at the injection site are common and usually resolve within a day or two. Serious reactions are extremely rare.

Can my baby receive multiple vaccines during the same visit?

Yes. It is safe and recommended for babies to receive multiple vaccines during a single visit. Combination vaccines and multiple injections are extensively studied and do not overload a baby's immune system. They help ensure timely protection while reducing the number of clinic visits.

What happens if my baby misses a scheduled vaccine?

Missing a vaccine does not usually mean you need to restart the entire vaccination schedule. Your pediatrician can recommend a catch-up vaccination plan based on your child's age and previous doses. However, it's best to get missed vaccines as soon as possible to maintain protection against preventable diseases.

Newborn Vaccination Schedule (India)

Bringing a newborn home is one of the most joyful — and overwhelming — experiences a family can have. Among the many things new parents need to track, vaccination is one of the most important. Vaccines protect your baby from serious, sometimes life-threatening, vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) like tuberculosis, polio, hepatitis B, measles, and whooping cough during the most vulnerable years of life.

This guide gives you a complete, easy-to-follow baby vaccination chart based on India's Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) and IAP (Indian Academy of Pediatrics) recommendations, along with practical tips to make every vaccination visit smoother.

Why Immunization Matters

A newborn's immune system is still developing. While babies receive some protective antibodies from their mother during pregnancy and breastfeeding, this natural immunity fades within the first few months of life — right around the time exposure to the outside world increases.

Immunisation works by training the baby's immune system to recognize and fight specific viruses and bacteria before a real infection occurs. The benefits go beyond the individual child:

Direct protection — Reduces the child's risk of contracting diseases like polio, diphtheria, tetanus, and measles.
Severity reduction — Even in rare breakthrough cases, vaccinated children typically experience milder illness.
Community/herd immunity — High vaccination coverage protects infants too young to be vaccinated and those who are immunocompromised.
Long-term health and economic benefit — Preventing disease avoids hospitalization costs, complications, and developmental setbacks.

According to the WHO, immunization prevents an estimated 3.5–5 million deaths every year globally from diseases like diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, influenza, and measles. India's Universal Immunization Programme is one of the largest public health programmes in the world, reaching millions of newborns annually.

India's Official Vaccine Schedule

India follows two parallel frameworks that most pediatricians recommend combining for the best protection:

Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) — The government's free vaccination schedule, available at government hospitals, primary health centres (PHCs), and Anganwadi centres.
IAP (Indian Academy of Pediatrics) Schedule — Includes UIP vaccines plus additional recommended vaccines (like rotavirus, pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, varicella, and others) often given at private clinics.

Most pediatricians in India today recommend a schedule that blends both — ensuring your baby gets the essential government vaccines as well as additional protection where feasible.

Month-by-Month Baby Vaccination Chart

This comprehensive immunisation chart details key vaccination timelines recommended by both government programs and pediatrics academies:

Age / Timeline	Recommended Vaccines	Protection Against
At Birth (0–15 days)	BCG, OPV-0, HepB-0	Tuberculosis, Polio, Hepatitis B
6 Weeks	OPV-1, Pentavalent-1, Rotavirus-1, PCV-1, IPV-1	Polio, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Hep B, Hib, Rotavirus Diarrhea, Pneumonia
10 Weeks	OPV-2, Pentavalent-2, Rotavirus-2, PCV-2	Polio, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Hep B, Hib, Rotavirus Diarrhea, Pneumonia
14 Weeks	OPV-3, Pentavalent-3, Rotavirus-3, IPV-2, PCV-3	Polio, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Whooping Cough, Hep B, Hib, Rotavirus, Pneumococcal disease
6 Months	Hepatitis B – 3rd dose, OPV booster	Hepatitis B, Polio
9 Months	Measles-Rubella (MR) – 1st dose	Measles and Rubella
9–12 Months	PCV booster, Typhoid Conjugate (TCV)	Pneumococcal disease, Typhoid Fever
12 Months	Hepatitis A – 1st dose	Hepatitis A (liver disease)
15 Months	MMR – 1st dose, Varicella – 1st dose	Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Chickenpox
16–18 Months	DPT Booster-1, OPV Booster, IPV Booster, Hib Booster	Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Polio, Hib infections
18–19 Months	Hepatitis A – 2nd dose	Hepatitis A
2 Years	Typhoid Conjugate booster	Typhoid Fever
4–6 Years	DPT Booster-2, OPV Booster, MMR-2, Varicella-2	Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Polio, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Chickenpox

Before & During the Visit

Maintain card records — Keep cards safe since schools in India frequently require immunization records for admission.
Feed before the visit — A feed before the visit helps comfort the baby, but avoid feeding immediately before to prevent spit-ups.
Comfort during shots — Hold your baby close; skin-to-skin contact or feeding immediately after significantly reduces crying.
Ask about combination vaccines — Combined vaccines reduce injections, which means fewer clinic visits and less distress.

Aftercare Tips

Expect mild side effects — Low-grade fever, soreness at the injection site, and fussiness are normal responses.
Don't delay or skip — Spacing out vaccines on your own is not recommended and leaves your baby unprotected for longer.
Expect normal appetite changes — A slight decrease in feeding for 24–48 hours is expected as the immune system builds defense.

Addressing Common Vaccine Myths

Myth "Vaccines cause autism."

This claim originated from a single, since-retracted and discredited study. Large-scale studies involving millions of children worldwide have found no link between vaccines and autism.

Myth "Too many vaccines overload a baby's immune system."

A newborn's immune system handles thousands of antigens daily from food, environment, and normal contact. The antigen load from vaccines is a tiny fraction of what babies' bodies manage routinely.

Myth "Natural immunity is better than vaccine immunity."

While natural infection can produce immunity, it comes with real risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and complications — something vaccines avoid while still building protection.

Myth "My baby is healthy, so vaccines aren't urgent."

A healthy-looking baby can still be exposed to and contract serious diseases. Vaccination is preventive, not reactive — by the time symptoms of a VPD appear, the protective window has already passed.

If Baby Is Sick on Vaccine Day

Mild illness is fine — Runny nose, mild cough, or low fever under 100.4°F is usually NOT a reason to delay.
Reschedule for severe sickness — High fever or active moderate/severe infections warrant rescheduling with your pediatrician.
Never self-decide to skip — Call your pediatrician's clinic before the appointment to ask whether to proceed.

Final Thoughts

Staying on top of your baby's immunisation schedule is one of the simplest and most powerful things you can do as a parent to protect their long-term health. Keep your vaccination card handy, set reminders for upcoming doses, and maintain open communication with your pediatrician about any concerns.

Newborn Vaccination Schedule: India's Infant Immunisation Chart (Month-by-Month)

Why Immunization Matters

India's Official Vaccine Schedule