It is important as a parent to be aware of the various vaccinations your child will receive at different stages of his

growth. Each vaccine helps to protect your child against different diseases. While some vaccines are mandatory,
others are optional.

You can check our immunisation scheduler to get an immunisation chart personalised to your baby's age. You can
also download a printable version of the immunisation schedule.

Which diseases do the compulsory vaccines protect

against?
The Government of India and the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP) recommend some vaccinations that are
compulsory for every child. Here we have listed the vaccines followed by the diseases they protect your child against:

BCG - tuberculosis

DTaP/DTwP - diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough)

Hepatitis A vaccine - hepatitis A

Hepatitis B vaccine - hepatitis B

Hib vaccine - haemophilus influenzae type B

MMR - measles, mumps, rubella

OPV (oral polio) and IPV (injectable polio vaccine) - polio

Rotavirus vaccine - rotavirus

Typhoid vaccine - typhoid

To help you understand what all these vaccines are really about, we have listed and explained the diseases these
vaccines protect your child from. Armed with this information, you will be able to discuss with your doctor which
vaccines your child really needs.

Diphtheria
Diphtheria mainly affects the throat and spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Symptoms include a
sore throat, a high temperature and breathing difficulties. A severe case can cause damage to the heart and nervous
system, and even death. Your baby can be vaccinated against this disease. The vaccine is also called DTP or DPT.
Use our immunisation scheduler to find out when this vaccine should be given.

Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is a viral disease of the liver. It spreads through contaminated food or water or through direct contact with
an infected person. Some may have no symptoms at all, while others may have mild flu-like symptoms. This is
particularly common among babies and young children. Though the symptoms are unpleasant, hepatitis A is rarely
serious. Check our immunisation scheduler for timings of the Hep A vaccine.

Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is a viral disease which causes irritation and inflammation of the liver. It is spread through contact with the
body fluids of an infected person. Symptoms may not appear for up to 6 months after the time of infection. Early
symptoms may include appetite loss, fatigue, fever, muscle and joint aches, nausea and vomiting, yellow skin and
dark urine. The vaccine against this disease is called Hep B. Our immunisation scheduler will tell you when to
vaccinate your baby against hepatitis B.
Haemophilus influenzae Type B (Hib)
This is a bacterial infection which spreads when an infected person sneezes or coughs. It affects the throat, chest
and ear. It can also lead to more serious infections like meningitis and pneumonia or throat blockages (epiglottitis).
Check out our immunisation scheduler for when to vaccinate your child with the Hib vaccine.

Measles
Measles used to be the most common childhood illness before the vaccine was introduced. It is highly infectious, and
spreads when a person with measles sneezes or coughs. It starts as a bad cold with fever. A rash appears usually
after two days. Measles can lead to bronchitis, bronchiolitis, ear infections, croup, and in rare cases, complications to
the nervous system (like encephalitis). You can vaccinate your baby against measles. While there is a separate
vaccine for measles, the combination vaccine MMR will protect your child against measles, mumps and rubella.
Check our immunisation scheduler for when your baby should get the MMR vaccine.

Mumps
Mumps is a viral illness which causes considerable swelling around the cheeks and neck. It can lead to meningitis,
deafness, encephalitis, and inflammation of the testes in boys which can damage fertility. The MMR vaccine protects
your child against mumps. See our immunisation scheduler for when to immunise your baby against mumps.

Pertussis (whooping cough)

This is highly infectious. It is spread through coughing and sneezing. It starts as a cold, but in time the coughing
spasms, with their characteristic "whoop", get more severe and can go on for several weeks. In babies and young
children, it may even lead to pneumonia, vomiting, weight loss and, more rarely, brain damage and death. Your child
will be protected from the whooping cough by the DTP vaccine. Go to our immunisation scheduler to know when to
vaccinate your baby.

Polio
The polio virus attacks the brain and the spinal cord and can cause paralysis. It is spread by contact with the faeces,
mucus or saliva of an infected person. Your child may be offered a combination of both the oral polio drops (OPV)
and the injectable polio vaccine (IPV), so speak to your doctor for more information. You can also take a look at our
immunisation scheduler for more details.

Rotavirus
Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe diarrhoea in children, particularly babies between three months and two
years of age. The virus spreads through person-to-person contact, airborne droplets, or contact with contaminated
toys. A child infected with the rotavirus suffers from projectile vomiting and very watery diarrhoea, often with fever and
abdominal pain. The WHO recommends the rotavirus vaccine because the rotavirus is a major cause of dehydration
in babies.

Rubella
Rubella is generally a mild illness in children and causes fever, rash and swollen glands. But if you catch rubella in
the first eight to 10 weeks of your pregnancy, you can pass it on to your baby. Your baby may be born with deafness,
blindness, heart problems or brain damage. The MMR vaccine will protect your child against rubella. Check out our
immunisation scheduler to know when to vaccinate your baby against rubella.

Tetanus
Sometimes called lockjaw, tetanus can cause painful spasms of muscle contraction. The disease can be fatal. It is
caused by bacteria found in soil and animal manure. It can enter the body through a cut or a wound. It can also be
caught through animal bites. The DTP vaccine will protect your child against tetanus. Our immunisation scheduler will
tell you when to vaccinate your baby against tetanus.

Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial disease which commonly affects the lungs. It spreads when a person with the active
disease coughs or sneezes. People with active TB have bouts of coughing, sometimes with sputum or blood, chest
pains, weakness, weight loss, fever and night sweats. Your baby can be vaccinated against TB with the BCG vaccine.
Check our immunisation scheduler to know when.

Typhoid
Typhoid is a bacterial disease. It spreads when one consumes food or drink contaminated by the faeces or urine of
an infected person. Symptoms include high fever, malaise, headache, constipation or diarrhoea, rose-coloured spots
on the chest, and enlarged spleen and liver. Your baby can be protected from typhoid with the typhoid vaccine. See
our immunisation scheduler for timings.

Which diseases do the optional vaccines protect against?

The optional vaccines and the diseases or viruses they protect your child against are as follows:

PCV - pneumococcus

Chickenpox vaccine - chickenpox

Influenza vaccine - influenza type A virus (which causes H1N1 and other strains of the flu)

Meningococcal meningitis - meningococcus

Pneumococcus
Pneumococcal bacteria are common and spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes. They cause serious
illnesses such as meningitis, septicaemia (blood poisoning) and pneumonia. One in ten cases of meningitis is caused
by the pneumococcal bacteria. This form of meningitis is more fatal than meningitis C. Children who survive it usually
have long-term health problems like deafness, epilepsy and learning difficulties. The pneumococcal vaccine will
protect your child against this bacteria. Check out our immunisation scheduler to know when to give this vaccine.

Chickenpox
Chickenpox is a highly contagious disease caused by one of a group of Herpes viruses. It spreads when an infected
person coughs or sneezes, or has been in close contact with someone. It causes a distinctive itchy rash, blisters, and
mild flu-like symptoms. If your child has had chickenpox, it is very unlikely he will get it again in the future. There is a
vaccine against chickenpox though, called varicella which will ensure your child never gets it. Find out when to
vaccinate your child against chickenpox using our immunisation scheduler.

Influenza type A
Influenza type A is commonly called as the flu. It is caused by an infectious virus, hence it can't be treated with
antibiotics. The infected person has symptoms that are similar to the common cold. However, the flu may also include
fever, muscle and joint aches, dry cough, runny nose, vomiting and diarrhoea. The much spoken about H1N1 (swine
flu) is caused by a strain of influenza type A virus.

Meningococcus
Meningococcal bacteria cause meningitis and septicaemia (a form of blood poisoning). It spreads when someone
with the infection sneezes or coughs. Meningitis is a serious illness that can cause long-term damage to the brain and
nervous system, and can even be fatal. The bacteria have several strains. The meningococcal vaccine will protect
your child against the C strain. See our immunisation scheduler for timings.

Will my baby get any side-effects from the vaccines?

All medicines, including immunisations, can occasionally cause some mild side-effects. Try not to worry if your baby
does have side-effects. They shouldn't last for long.

After your baby has the DTaP/DTwP, IPV, PCV or the Hib vaccine, you may notice some side-effects. They usually
appear within 24 hours of him having the vaccine. Your baby may:

have a mild fever

have pain, swelling or redness at the site of the injection

 feel sick, or vomit

have diarrhoea

feel a bit off-colour

The MMR vaccine can occasionally cause some mild side-effects six to 10 days after the injection. Your child may:

have a mild fever

develop a measles-like rash

go off his food

feel a bit off-colour

Don't worry if your child develops a rash. It doesn't mean he has measles. He's just having a reaction to the live but
weakened virus in the MMR vaccine as his body is building immunity against the disease.

There is chance that all immunisations may cause a fever. Keep a close eye on your child if he develops a high
temperature. Occasionally, young children with a high temperature develop convulsions (seizures or fits). These are
rare, but if your child develops a fever after having an immunisation, make sure you speak to your doctor so she can
treat the fever straight away. Your child may be more at risk of having a convulsion if he's had one before, or if there's
a family history of seizures.

With all immunisations, there is an extremely rare possibility that your child may have a severe allergic reaction,
called anaphylaxis. This means your child could develop allergy symptoms within 10 minutes of having the injection.
These can include a nettle-like rash, swelling of the skin, lips or face, vomiting, or breathing problems. The chances
of this happening are tiny, only about one in a million.

For this reason, you'll probably be asked to stay at the clinic for about 10 minutes after your child has had his
injections, just to make sure he's fine.

However, if you're worried at all about any side-effects, mild or otherwise, you could always ask to stay on a little
longer. Don't hesitate to speak your baby's doctor about any other concerns you may have.