A Parent's Complete Guide to Your Child's Vaccination Schedule (Tikakaran) in India
Short answer: India's standard immunization schedule runs from birth through early childhood: doses at birth, at 6, 10 and 14 weeks, around 9 months, and boosters through the early years, alongside optional vaccines your pediatrician can discuss with you individually. Your child's exact schedule is confirmed and tracked at your pediatrician visits, not calculated from a chart online.
टीकाकरण एवं प्रतिरक्षण: यह लेख भारत में बच्चे के टीकाकरण कार्यक्रम को आसान हाषा में समझाता है, जन्म से लेकर बचपन तक के टीके, सरकारी और ऐच्छिक टीकों का अंतर, और स्पष्ट समय-सारिणी शामिल है।
The General Shape of the Schedule
In broad, general terms, doses begin at birth (BCG, OPV, Hepatitis B), continue at 6, 10 and 14 weeks (DPT, IPV, Hepatitis B, Hib, Rotavirus, PCV series), again around 9 months (Measles-Rubella, and often Vitamin A), and are followed by boosters through early childhood, typically around 16 to 24 months and again at 5 years. This is a general-purpose overview, not personalized medical advice; your child's exact schedule, including exact timing and any adjustments for a missed or delayed dose, is confirmed at your pediatrician visits.
Government vs. Optional Vaccines
The national immunization programme covers a defined set of vaccines free of cost through government health centres. Beyond that, a pediatrician may discuss additional or optional vaccines such as those for chickenpox, typhoid, hepatitis A, or additional pneumococcal or influenza protection depending on your child's age and risk factors. Which optional vaccines actually make sense for your child is worth asking your own pediatrician directly at a visit, rather than following a generic list found online, since the right choice depends on your child's age, health history, and family circumstances.
Addressing Common Parent Anxieties
Vaccine safety is a fair concern to raise openly, and asking directly at your visit is always welcome rather than something to feel awkward about. Normal short-term reactions, mild fever for a day or two, some soreness or swelling at the injection site, mild fussiness, are common and expected after most doses. What is worth a call to the clinic is anything beyond that: a fever above 102°F, unusual drowsiness that is hard to rouse from, or swelling that keeps growing rather than settling, and your pediatrician will walk you through exactly what to watch for after each specific vaccine. Spacing and timing between doses matters clinically, which is part of why following a consistent schedule, rather than an improvised one, genuinely works best for building protection.
Keep One Consistent Record
Juggling multiple partial records across different providers, a government centre for some doses, a private clinic for others, makes it easy to lose track of what has actually been given and when. One consistent record, physical or digital, is worth maintaining from the very first dose, and it makes catch-up scheduling far simpler if a dose is ever missed. Our missed vaccine catch-up guide covers exactly what happens if a dose has already slipped past its scheduled date.
How Genesis Neurogen Helps With This
We track each child's vaccination record at both our Rishabh Vihar and Krishna Nagar clinics and proactively remind parents of upcoming due dates, removing the mental load of tracking it yourself across a busy few years. Our newborn care and vaccination page covers how this tracking works from birth, and our pediatric consultation page covers what a routine visit includes beyond vaccination alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are all vaccines on this schedule compulsory? Government-programme vaccines follow the national schedule and are strongly recommended for every child. Additional or optional vaccines are discussed individually with your pediatrician based on your child's specific situation.
What if my child has a mild fever after a vaccine? This is a common, expected short-term reaction lasting a day or two. Your pediatrician will tell you what is normal for that specific vaccine versus what is worth a call.
Can you help us start tracking from scratch? Yes. Whether your child is newborn or already a few years old with scattered records, we can build an accurate record and schedule going forward from your first visit.
Book a vaccination consultation with Dr. Piyush Jain (MBBS, DCH) at Rishabh Vihar or Krishna Nagar. Use the appointment form on this site or message us on WhatsApp.
