Immunisation Schedule
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Direct answer
India's National Immunisation Schedule under the Universal Immunisation Programme gives BCG, bOPV-0 and the hepatitis B birth dose at birth; pentavalent (DPT, hepatitis B, Hib) with bOPV at 6, 10 and 14 weeks, plus fractional IPV at 6 and 14 weeks; rotavirus and pneumococcal vaccines in the first months; MR-1 at 9–12 months and MR-2 with the first DPT booster at 16–24 months; a second DPT booster at 5–6 years; and TT/Td at 10 and 16 years, with Td for pregnant women. JE vaccine is added in endemic districts, and state variations exist, so confirm the current official schedule.
What you must remember
- At birth: BCG 0.1 mL intradermally over the left deltoid, bOPV-0 within the first 15 days, and hepatitis B birth dose within 24 hours.
- 6, 10 and 14 weeks: pentavalent-1, 2 and 3 intramuscularly in the anterolateral thigh with bOPV-1, 2 and 3 orally; fIPV (fractional intradermal IPV) at 6 and 14 weeks; rotavirus orally at 6, 10 and 14 weeks; PCV-1 at 6 weeks with PCV-2 at 14 weeks and a booster at 9–12 months.
- 9–12 completed months: MR-1 subcutaneously with the PCV booster and JE-1 in endemic districts; 16–24 months: MR-2, DPT booster-1 and bOPV booster (JE-2 in endemic districts).
- Older children: DPT booster-2 at 5–6 years, then TT/Td at 10 and 16 years; pregnant women receive two Td doses at least four weeks apart if unimmunised, the last at least two weeks before delivery.
- Minor illness, malnutrition and mild diarrhoea are not contraindications; genuine ones include severe allergy to a previous dose, progressive neurological disease for pertussis vaccines and significant immunodeficiency for live vaccines (BCG is withheld in symptomatic HIV infection).
- The cold chain keeps vaccines at 2–8 degrees C; frozen DPT must be discarded, detected by the shake test.
- Record every dose in the immunisation card and tally sheet, report adverse events through AEFI surveillance, and catch up missed doses without restarting.
Common confusion
Routes are endlessly swapped: BCG is strictly intradermal at the left deltoid, MR and JE subcutaneous, and pentavalent, full-dose IPV and PCV intramuscular — only fractional IPV is intradermal. Doses confuse too: BCG and fIPV use 0.1 mL while most injectables use 0.5 mL. Remember also that the hepatitis B birth dose sits outside the pentavalent series.
Exam-focused takeaway
Age-to-vaccine matching dominates: learn birth, 6-10-14 weeks, 9–12 months, 16–24 months, 5–6 years and 10 and 16 years as fixed rungs. Add the route and dose table, the two-dose Td rule in pregnancy, the 2–8 degrees C cold chain and AEFI reporting. Contraindication stems test that a runny nose or mild fever never postpones immunisation while symptomatic HIV or prior anaphylaxis does. Mission Indradhanush, the drive to reach the partially immunised, earns marks.
Frequently asked questions
Which vaccines are given at birth under the NIS?
BCG intradermally over the left deltoid, bOPV-0 within the first 15 days and the hepatitis B birth dose within 24 hours.
What is the pentavalent vaccine and when is it given?
A single injection of DPT, hepatitis B and Hib vaccines given intramuscularly in the anterolateral thigh at 6, 10 and 14 weeks.
When are MR vaccine doses administered?
MR-1 at 9–12 completed months and MR-2 at 16–24 months, both subcutaneously, with JE added at the same ages in endemic districts.
Is minor illness a reason to postpone vaccination?
No — mild fever, cough, diarrhoea or malnutrition does not contraindicate immunisation; anaphylaxis to a prior dose or significant immunodeficiency does.
What immunisation is given to pregnant women?
Two Td doses at least four weeks apart if unimmunised, the last at least two weeks before delivery, with a single booster in later pregnancies.